diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterAccount.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterAccount.java
index 65511f19d9..cd74815f81 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterAccount.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterAccount.java
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class AdapterAccount extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterAccount.ViewHold
         this.inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
 
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterFolder.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterFolder.java
index 2ade65e032..203acb68f4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterFolder.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterFolder.java
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ public class AdapterFolder extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterFolder.ViewHolder
         this.textColorPrimary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
 
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
 
         setHasStableIds(true);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterMessage.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterMessage.java
index e4ec35e412..d5adb151a3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterMessage.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterMessage.java
@@ -4206,7 +4206,7 @@ public class AdapterMessage extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterMessage.ViewHold
         this.textColorPrimary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
 
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
 
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : R.attr.colorUnread);
         this.colorRead = Helper.resolveColor(context, R.attr.colorRead);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavAccount.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavAccount.java
index 4a136e71a0..bc41e273ce 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavAccount.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavAccount.java
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public class AdapterNavAccount extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterNavAccount.Vi
         this.inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
 
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavFolder.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavFolder.java
index 31a7fcb800..d91357c7cd 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavFolder.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavFolder.java
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ public class AdapterNavFolder extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterNavFolder.View
         this.inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
 
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.debug = prefs.getBoolean("debug", false);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavMenu.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavMenu.java
index 63fd04aa48..4407b1fe33 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavMenu.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavMenu.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class AdapterNavMenu extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterNavMenu.ViewHold
         this.inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
 
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavUnified.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavUnified.java
index 7beb7eab4d..b5352b046d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavUnified.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/AdapterNavUnified.java
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class AdapterNavUnified extends RecyclerView.Adapter<AdapterNavUnified.Vi
         this.inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
 
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+        boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true);
         this.colorUnread = Helper.resolveColor(context, highlight_unread ? R.attr.colorUnreadHighlight : android.R.attr.textColorPrimary);
         this.textColorSecondary = Helper.resolveColor(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ApplicationEx.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ApplicationEx.java
index b2aab1bb44..8d3c3159e6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ApplicationEx.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ApplicationEx.java
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ public class ApplicationEx extends Application {
             if (!prefs.contains("poll_interval"))
                 editor.putInt("poll_interval", 0);
             editor.remove("first");
+        } else if (version < 1021) {
+            boolean highlight_unread = prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false);
+            if (!highlight_unread)
+                prefs.edit().putBoolean("highlight_unread", highlight_unread);
         }
 
         if (BuildConfig.DEBUG && false) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsDisplay.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsDisplay.java
index a3b153ade4..f653dadac7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsDisplay.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsDisplay.java
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ public class FragmentOptionsDisplay extends FragmentBase implements SharedPrefer
         swIndentation.setEnabled(swCards.isChecked());
         swActionbar.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("actionbar", true));
 
-        swHighlightUnread.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", false));
+        swHighlightUnread.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("highlight_unread", true));
         swColorStripe.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("color_stripe", true));
         swAvatars.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("avatars", true));
         swGravatars.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("gravatars", false));