diff --git a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
index 1d9e4fe9b8..b1eb6891fa 100644
--- a/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
+++ b/actionpack/lib/action_view/helpers/text_helper.rb
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ module ActionView
           text
         else
           match = Array(phrases).map { |p| Regexp.escape(p) }.join('|')
-          text.gsub(/(#{match})/i, options[:highlighter])
+          text.gsub(/(#{match})(?!(?:[^<]*?)?(?:["'])[^<>]*>)/i, options[:highlighter])
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb b/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
index a6200fbdd7..564845779f 100644
--- a/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
+++ b/actionpack/test/template/text_helper_test.rb
@@ -122,6 +122,29 @@ class TextHelperTest < ActionView::TestCase
     )
   end
 
+  def test_highlight_with_html
+    assert_equal(
+      "<p>This is a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> morning, but also a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> day</p>",
+      highlight("<p>This is a beautiful morning, but also a beautiful day</p>", "beautiful")
+    )
+    assert_equal(
+      "<p>This is a <em><strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong></em> morning, but also a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> day</p>",
+      highlight("<p>This is a <em>beautiful</em> morning, but also a beautiful day</p>", "beautiful")
+    )
+    assert_equal(
+      "<p>This is a <em class=\"error\"><strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong></em> morning, but also a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> <span class=\"last\">day</span></p>",
+      highlight("<p>This is a <em class=\"error\">beautiful</em> morning, but also a beautiful <span class=\"last\">day</span></p>", "beautiful")
+    )
+    assert_equal(
+      "<p class=\"beautiful\">This is a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> morning, but also a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> day</p>",
+      highlight("<p class=\"beautiful\">This is a beautiful morning, but also a beautiful day</p>", "beautiful")
+    )
+    assert_equal(
+      "<p>This is a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> <a href=\"http://example.com/beautiful\#top?what=beautiful%20morning&when=now+then\">morning</a>, but also a <strong class=\"highlight\">beautiful</strong> day</p>",
+      highlight("<p>This is a beautiful <a href=\"http://example.com/beautiful\#top?what=beautiful%20morning&when=now+then\">morning</a>, but also a beautiful day</p>", "beautiful")
+    )
+  end
+
   def test_excerpt
     assert_equal("...is a beautiful morn...", excerpt("This is a beautiful morning", "beautiful", 5))
     assert_equal("This is a...", excerpt("This is a beautiful morning", "this", 5))