diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
index d682261b..0a07a256 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
@@ -130,9 +130,24 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 
     SETTING_RW(prefs.previewPlainPre, 
 	       "/Recoll/prefs/preview/plainPre", Int, PrefsPack::PP_PREWRAP);
-    SETTING_RW(prefs.qtermcolor, "/Recoll/prefs/qtermcolor", String, "blue");
-    if (!writing && prefs.qtermcolor == "")
-	prefs.qtermcolor = "blue";
+
+    // History: used to be able to only set a bare color name. Can now
+    // set any CSS style. Hack on ':' presence to keep compat with old
+    // values
+    SETTING_RW(prefs.qtermstyle, "/Recoll/prefs/qtermcolor", String,
+               "color: blue");
+    if (!writing && prefs.qtermstyle == "")
+	prefs.qtermstyle = "color: blue";
+    { // histo compatibility hack
+        int colon = prefs.qtermstyle.indexOf(":");
+        int semi = prefs.qtermstyle.indexOf(";");
+        // The 2nd part of the test is to keep compat with the
+        // injection hack of the 1st user who suggested this (had
+        // #ff5000;font-size:110%;... in 'qtermcolor')
+        if (colon == -1 || (colon != -1 && semi != -1 && semi < colon)) {
+            prefs.qtermstyle = QString::fromUtf8("color: ") + prefs.qtermstyle;
+        }
+    }
 
     // Abstract snippet separator
     SETTING_RW(prefs.abssep, "/Recoll/prefs/reslist/abssep", String,"&hellip;");
diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.h b/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
index ac2bcd74..005fcf4b 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class PrefsPack {
     // set main character color for webkit/textbrowser reslist and
     // snippets window.
     QString fontcolor; 
-    QString qtermcolor; // Color for query terms in reslist and preview
+    QString qtermstyle; // CSS style for query terms in reslist and other places
     int reslistfontsize;
     // Result list format string
     QString reslistformat;
diff --git a/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp b/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
index 2f400515..ebcddc9e 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/preview_plaintorich.cpp
@@ -76,9 +76,8 @@ string PlainToRichQtPreview::startMatch(unsigned int grpidx)
     LOGDEB2("startMatch, ugrpidx "  << (grpidx) << "\n" );
     m_groupanchors[grpidx].push_back(++m_lastanchor);
     m_groupcuranchors[grpidx] = 0; 
-    return string("<span style='color: ").
-        append((const char *)(prefs.qtermcolor.toUtf8())).
-        append(";font-weight: bold;").
+    return string("<span style='").
+        append(qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermstyle)).
         append("'>").
         append("<a name=\"").
         append(termAnchorName(m_lastanchor)).
diff --git a/src/qtgui/reslist.cpp b/src/qtgui/reslist.cpp
index f8ec4751..edf31f49 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/reslist.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/reslist.cpp
@@ -286,8 +286,8 @@ public:
 	    LOGDEB("Reslist startmatch: group "  << (s1) << " user group "  << (s2) << "\n" );
 	}
 		
-	return string("<span class='rclmatch' style='color: ")
-	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermcolor) + string("'>");
+	return string("<span class='rclmatch' style='")
+	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermstyle) + string("'>");
     }
     virtual string endMatch() 
     {
diff --git a/src/qtgui/restable.cpp b/src/qtgui/restable.cpp
index 2f477d85..d2474d13 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/restable.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/restable.cpp
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ public:
     virtual ~PlainToRichQtReslist() {}
     virtual string startMatch(unsigned int) 
     {
-	return string("<span style='color: ")
-	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermcolor) + string("'>");
+	return string("<span style='")
+	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermstyle) + string("'>");
     }
     virtual string endMatch() {return string("</span>");}
 };
diff --git a/src/qtgui/snippets_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/snippets_w.cpp
index 7713c721..6e4dd0ac 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/snippets_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/snippets_w.cpp
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ class PlainToRichQtSnippets : public PlainToRich {
 public:
     virtual string startMatch(unsigned int)
     {
-	return string("<span class='rclmatch' style='color: ")
-	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermcolor) + string("'>");
+	return string("<span class='rclmatch' style='")
+	    + qs2utf8s(prefs.qtermstyle) + string("'>");
     }
     virtual string endMatch() 
     {
diff --git a/src/qtgui/uiprefs.ui b/src/qtgui/uiprefs.ui
index 36c28c54..01708237 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/uiprefs.ui
+++ b/src/qtgui/uiprefs.ui
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
              <item>
               <widget class="QLabel" name="textLabelqtc">
                <property name="text">
-                <string>Highlight color for query terms</string>
+                <string>Highlight CSS style for query terms</string>
                </property>
                <property name="wordWrap">
                 <bool>false</bool>
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
               </widget>
              </item>
              <item>
-              <widget class="QLineEdit" name="qtermColorLE">
+              <widget class="QLineEdit" name="qtermStyleLE">
                <property name="minimumSize">
                 <size>
                  <width>50</width>
diff --git a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
index 9a016838..72a9ae70 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::setFromPrefs()
 	break;
     }
     // Query terms color
-    qtermColorLE->setText(prefs.qtermcolor);
+    qtermStyleLE->setText(prefs.qtermstyle);
     // Abstract snippet separator string
     abssepLE->setText(prefs.abssep);
     dateformatLE->setText(prefs.reslistdateformat);
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::accept()
     prefs.collapseDuplicates = collapseDupsCB->isChecked();
     prefs.maxhltextmbs = maxHLTSB->value();
 
-    prefs.qtermcolor = qtermColorLE->text();
+    prefs.qtermstyle = qtermStyleLE->text();
     prefs.abssep = abssepLE->text();
     prefs.reslistdateformat = dateformatLE->text();
     prefs.creslistdateformat = (const char*)prefs.reslistdateformat.toUtf8();