diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/messageoutputwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/messageoutputwindow.cpp
index 60092829537..7aabaefbbc9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/messageoutputwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/messageoutputwindow.cpp
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@ MessageOutputWindow::MessageOutputWindow()
     QColor activeHighlightedText = p.color(QPalette::Active, QPalette::HighlightedText);
     p.setColor(QPalette::HighlightedText, activeHighlightedText);
     m_widget->setPalette(p);
-    m_widget->setHighlightBgColor(p.color(QPalette::Highlight));
-    m_widget->setHighlightTextColor(p.color(QPalette::HighlightedText));
 
     connect(this, &IOutputPane::zoomIn, m_widget, &Core::OutputWindow::zoomIn);
     connect(this, &IOutputPane::zoomOut, m_widget, &Core::OutputWindow::zoomOut);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.cpp
index 0ed7542ee16..9e204821137 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.cpp
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ public:
 
     IContext *outputWindowContext = nullptr;
     Utils::OutputFormatter *formatter = nullptr;
-    QColor highlightBgColor;
-    QColor highlightTextColor;
     QString settingsKey;
 
     bool enforceNewline = false;
@@ -273,16 +271,6 @@ void OutputWindow::setWheelZoomEnabled(bool enabled)
     d->zoomEnabled = enabled;
 }
 
-void OutputWindow::setHighlightBgColor(const QColor &bgColor)
-{
-    d->highlightBgColor = bgColor;
-}
-
-void OutputWindow::setHighlightTextColor(const QColor &textColor)
-{
-    d->highlightTextColor = textColor;
-}
-
 void OutputWindow::updateFilterProperties(const QString &filterText,
                                           Qt::CaseSensitivity caseSensitivity, bool isRegexp)
 {
@@ -297,21 +285,22 @@ void OutputWindow::updateFilterProperties(const QString &filterText,
         d->filterText = filterText;
 
         // Update textedit's background color
-        if (filterText.isEmpty()) {
+        if (filterText.isEmpty() && !filterTextWasEmpty) {
             setPalette(d->originalPalette);
             setReadOnly(d->originalReadOnly);
-        } else {
-            if (filterTextWasEmpty) {
-                d->originalReadOnly = isReadOnly();
-                d->originalPalette = palette();
-            }
-            QPalette pal;
-            pal.setColor(QPalette::Active, QPalette::Base, d->highlightBgColor);
-            pal.setColor(QPalette::Inactive, QPalette::Base, d->highlightBgColor.darker(120));
-            pal.setColor(QPalette::Active, QPalette::Text, d->highlightTextColor);
-            pal.setColor(QPalette::Inactive, QPalette::Text, d->highlightTextColor.darker(120));
-            setPalette(pal);
+        }
+        if (!filterText.isEmpty() && filterTextWasEmpty) {
+            d->originalReadOnly = isReadOnly();
             setReadOnly(true);
+            const auto newBgColor = [this] {
+                const QColor currentColor = palette().color(QPalette::Base);
+                const int factor = 120;
+                return currentColor.value() < 128 ? currentColor.lighter(factor)
+                                                  : currentColor.darker(factor);
+            };
+            QPalette p = palette();
+            p.setColor(QPalette::Base, newBgColor());
+            setPalette(p);
         }
     }
     d->filterMode = flags;
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.h b/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.h
index f89ad521f7b..88692d5ab74 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.h
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/outputwindow.h
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ public:
     float fontZoom() const;
     void setFontZoom(float zoom);
     void setWheelZoomEnabled(bool enabled);
-    void setHighlightBgColor(const QColor &bgColor);
-    void setHighlightTextColor(const QColor &textColor);
 
     void updateFilterProperties(const QString &filterText, Qt::CaseSensitivity caseSensitivity, bool regexp);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/appoutputpane.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/appoutputpane.cpp
index 948780aabcb..7631f26cac6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/appoutputpane.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/appoutputpane.cpp
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ void AppOutputPane::createNewOutputWindow(RunControl *rc)
     }
     // Create new
     static int counter = 0;
-    const TextEditor::FontSettings &fs = TextEditor::TextEditorSettings::fontSettings();
     Core::Id contextId = Core::Id(C_APP_OUTPUT).withSuffix(counter++);
     Core::Context context(contextId);
     Core::OutputWindow *ow = new Core::OutputWindow(context, SETTINGS_KEY, m_tabWidget);
@@ -434,10 +433,6 @@ void AppOutputPane::createNewOutputWindow(RunControl *rc)
     ow->setWindowIcon(Icons::WINDOW.icon());
     ow->setWordWrapEnabled(m_settings.wrapOutput);
     ow->setMaxCharCount(m_settings.maxCharCount);
-    ow->setHighlightBgColor(fs.toTextCharFormat(TextEditor::C_SEARCH_RESULT)
-                            .background().color());
-    ow->setHighlightTextColor(fs.toTextCharFormat(TextEditor::C_SEARCH_RESULT)
-                              .foreground().color());
 
     auto updateFontSettings = [ow] {
         ow->setBaseFont(TextEditor::TextEditorSettings::fontSettings().font());
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
index 3d19bd9514a..91cc2fb22cc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/compileoutputwindow.cpp
@@ -172,11 +172,6 @@ CompileOutputWindow::CompileOutputWindow(QAction *cancelBuildAction) :
 
     updateFontSettings();
     updateZoomEnabled();
-    const TextEditor::FontSettings &fs = TextEditor::TextEditorSettings::fontSettings();
-    m_outputWindow->setHighlightBgColor(fs.toTextCharFormat(TextEditor::C_SEARCH_RESULT)
-                                        .background().color());
-    m_outputWindow->setHighlightTextColor(fs.toTextCharFormat(TextEditor::C_SEARCH_RESULT)
-                                          .foreground().color());
     setupFilterUi("CompileOutputPane.Filter");
     setFilteringEnabled(true);