diff --git a/.changeset/brave-shrimps-marry.md b/.changeset/brave-shrimps-marry.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..af5b0f2a8c938
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/brave-shrimps-marry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@rocket.chat/meteor": patch
+---
+
+Improved support for higlighted words in threads (rooms are now marked as unread and notifications are sent)
diff --git a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/desktop.ts b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/desktop.ts
index 2d06cc51f222d..a20ed6ba16774 100644
--- a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/desktop.ts
+++ b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/desktop.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,6 @@ export function shouldNotifyDesktop({
 			isHighlighted ||
 			desktopNotifications === 'all' ||
 			hasMentionToUser) &&
-		(!isThread || hasReplyToThread)
+		(isHighlighted || !isThread || hasReplyToThread)
 	);
 }
diff --git a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/email.js b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/email.js
index b0953293ac736..dfc6a1716703a 100644
--- a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/email.js
+++ b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/email.js
@@ -224,6 +224,6 @@ export function shouldNotifyEmail({
 			emailNotifications === 'all' ||
 			hasMentionToUser ||
 			(!disableAllMessageNotifications && hasMentionToAll)) &&
-		(!isThread || hasReplyToThread)
+		(isHighlighted || !isThread || hasReplyToThread)
 	);
 }
diff --git a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/mobile.js b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/mobile.js
index a0aa3fa240235..cf8b526a6abcd 100644
--- a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/mobile.js
+++ b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/functions/notifications/mobile.js
@@ -115,6 +115,6 @@ export function shouldNotifyMobile({
 			isHighlighted ||
 			mobilePushNotifications === 'all' ||
 			hasMentionToUser) &&
-		(!isThread || hasReplyToThread)
+		(isHighlighted || !isThread || hasReplyToThread)
 	);
 }
diff --git a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage.js b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage.js
index b55a272de558c..ccd06e886b9ff 100644
--- a/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage.js
+++ b/apps/meteor/app/lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage.js
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ const incUserMentions = async (rid, roomType, uids, unreadCount) => {
 	await Subscriptions.incUserMentionsAndUnreadForRoomIdAndUserIds(rid, uids, 1, incUnread);
 };
 
-const getUserIdsFromHighlights = async (rid, message) => {
+export const getUserIdsFromHighlights = async (rid, message) => {
 	const highlightOptions = { projection: { 'userHighlights': 1, 'u._id': 1 } };
 	const subs = await Subscriptions.findByRoomWithUserHighlights(rid, highlightOptions).toArray();
 
diff --git a/apps/meteor/app/threads/server/functions.ts b/apps/meteor/app/threads/server/functions.ts
index b146cb7d00414..30daef8b8b933 100644
--- a/apps/meteor/app/threads/server/functions.ts
+++ b/apps/meteor/app/threads/server/functions.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { IMessage } from '@rocket.chat/core-typings';
 import { isEditedMessage } from '@rocket.chat/core-typings';
 import { Messages, Subscriptions, ReadReceipts, NotificationQueue } from '@rocket.chat/models';
 
-import { getMentions } from '../../lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage';
+import { getMentions, getUserIdsFromHighlights } from '../../lib/server/lib/notifyUsersOnMessage';
 
 export async function reply({ tmid }: { tmid?: string }, message: IMessage, parentMessage: IMessage, followers: string[]) {
 	const { rid, ts, u } = message;
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ export async function reply({ tmid }: { tmid?: string }, message: IMessage, pare
 			...(Array.isArray(parentMessage.replies) && parentMessage.replies.length ? [u._id] : [parentMessage.u._id, u._id]),
 		]),
 	];
+	const highlightedUserIds = new Set<string>();
 
+	(await getUserIdsFromHighlights(rid, message)).forEach((uid) => highlightedUserIds.add(uid));
 	await Messages.updateRepliesByThreadId(tmid, addToReplies, ts);
 	await ReadReceipts.setAsThreadById(tmid);
 
@@ -35,9 +37,16 @@ export async function reply({ tmid }: { tmid?: string }, message: IMessage, pare
 		await Subscriptions.addUnreadThreadByRoomIdAndUserIds(rid, repliesFiltered, tmid, {});
 	}
 
-	for await (const userId of mentionIds) {
+	const mentionedUsers = new Set<string>([...mentionIds, ...highlightedUserIds]);
+	for await (const userId of mentionedUsers) {
 		await Subscriptions.addUnreadThreadByRoomIdAndUserIds(rid, [userId], tmid, { userMention: true });
 	}
+
+	const highlightIds = Array.from(highlightedUserIds);
+	if (highlightIds.length) {
+		await Subscriptions.setAlertForRoomIdAndUserIds(rid, highlightIds);
+		await Subscriptions.setOpenForRoomIdAndUserIds(rid, highlightIds);
+	}
 }
 
 export async function follow({ tmid, uid }: { tmid: string; uid: string }) {