diff --git a/plugins/contextbrowser/contextbrowser.cpp b/plugins/contextbrowser/contextbrowser.cpp
--- a/plugins/contextbrowser/contextbrowser.cpp
+++ b/plugins/contextbrowser/contextbrowser.cpp
@@ -654,7 +654,8 @@
   if( !m_highlightAttribute ) {
     m_highlightAttribute = Attribute::Ptr( new Attribute() );
     m_highlightAttribute->setDefaultStyle(KTextEditor::dsNormal);
-    m_highlightAttribute->setForeground(m_highlightAttribute->selectedForeground());
+    auto foreground = view->defaultStyleAttribute(KTextEditor::dsNormal)->selectedForeground().color();
+    m_highlightAttribute->setForeground(foreground);
     m_highlightAttribute->setBackgroundFillWhitespace(true);
 
     auto iface = qobject_cast<KTextEditor::ConfigInterface*>(view);