diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c423da884..e5b4e3486 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2025-11-12  Oliver Kiddle  <opk@zsh.org>
 
+	* 54037: Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c: fix to highlight layers where
+	special is assigned a low layer
+
 	* 54036: Src/prompt.c, Src/Zle/complist.c, Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c:
 	fixes related to prompt attribute leftovers
 
diff --git a/Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c b/Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c
index fc5f7334d..943eda672 100644
--- a/Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c
+++ b/Src/Zle/zle_refresh.c
@@ -1223,7 +1223,8 @@ zrefresh(void)
 			if (layer > special_layer)
 			    all_attr = mixattrs(rhp->atr, all_attr);
 		    }
-		} else if (rhp->layer > layer && rhp->layer < nextlayer) {
+		} else if (rhp->layer > layer &&
+			(rhp->layer < nextlayer || nextlayer <= layer)) {
 		    nextlayer = rhp->layer;
 		}
 	    }