diff --git a/src/main/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/internal/docx/StatefulBodyXmlReader.java b/src/main/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/internal/docx/StatefulBodyXmlReader.java
index 6fc0c67..246f69e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/internal/docx/StatefulBodyXmlReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/internal/docx/StatefulBodyXmlReader.java
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ private Optional<HyperlinkComplexField> currentHyperlinkComplexField() {
     }
 
     private Optional<String> readHighlight(XmlElementLike properties) {
-        return readVal(properties, "w:highlight");
+        return readVal(properties, "w:highlight")
+            .filter(value -> !value.isEmpty() && !value.equals("none"));
     }
 
     private boolean isBold(XmlElementLike properties) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/tests/docx/BodyXmlTests.java b/src/test/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/tests/docx/BodyXmlTests.java
index a5cb989..3cfb161 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/tests/docx/BodyXmlTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/zwobble/mammoth/tests/docx/BodyXmlTests.java
@@ -879,6 +879,17 @@ public void runHasHighlightReadFromProperties() {
         assertThat(result, hasProperty("highlight", equalTo(Optional.of("yellow"))));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void whenHighlightIsNoneThenRunhasNoHighlight() {
+        XmlElement element = runXmlWithProperties(
+            element("w:highlight", map("w:val", "none"))
+        );
+
+        DocumentElement result = readSuccess(bodyReader(), element);
+
+        assertThat(result, hasProperty("highlight", equalTo(Optional.empty())));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void canReadTabElement() {
         XmlElement element = element("w:tab");