diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 9f0425c..af5da11 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ enable_terminal_cursor: bool = true,
 enable_terminal_color_scheme: bool = builtin.os.tag != .windows,
 highlight_current_line: bool = true,
 highlight_current_line_gutter: bool = true,
-highlight_columns: []const u8 = "",
-highlight_columns_alpha: u8 = 224,
+highlight_columns: []const u8 = "80 100 120",
+highlight_columns_alpha: u8 = 240,
 whitespace_mode: []const u8 = "none",
 inline_diagnostics: bool = true,
 animation_min_lag: usize = 0, //milliseconds
diff --git a/src/tui/editor.zig b/src/tui/editor.zig
index ceb6c1d..f1ff62b 100644
--- a/src/tui/editor.zig
+++ b/src/tui/editor.zig
@@ -1137,7 +1137,11 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
         defer frame.deinit();
         const hl_cols: []const u16 = tui.highlight_columns();
         const alpha: u8 = tui.config().highlight_columns_alpha;
-        for (hl_cols) |hl_col| {
+        const offset = self.view.col;
+        for (hl_cols) |hl_col_| {
+            if (hl_col_ < offset) continue;
+            const hl_col = hl_col_ - offset;
+            if (hl_col > self.view.cols) continue;
             for (0..self.view.rows) |row| for (0..self.view.cols) |col|
                 if (hl_col > 0 and hl_col <= col) {
                     self.plane.cursor_move_yx(@intCast(row), @intCast(col)) catch return;
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 26324f7..f42401d 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
 allocator: Allocator,
 rdr_: renderer,
 config_: @import("config"),
-highlight_columns_: [3]u16,
+highlight_columns_: []u16,
 frame_time: usize, // in microseconds
 frame_clock: tp.metronome,
 frame_clock_running: bool = false,
@@ -120,11 +120,19 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
     const frame_time = std.time.us_per_s / conf.frame_rate;
     const frame_clock = try tp.metronome.init(frame_time);
 
+    const hl_cols: usize = blk: {
+        var it = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, conf.highlight_columns, ' ');
+        var idx: usize = 0;
+        while (it.next()) |_|
+            idx += 1;
+        break :blk idx;
+    };
+
     var self = try allocator.create(Self);
     self.* = .{
         .allocator = allocator,
         .config_ = conf,
-        .highlight_columns_ = @splat(0),
+        .highlight_columns_ = try allocator.alloc(u16, hl_cols),
         .rdr_ = try renderer.init(allocator, self, tp.env.get().is("no-alternate"), dispatch_initialized),
         .frame_time = frame_time,
         .frame_clock = frame_clock,
@@ -144,14 +152,11 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
     instance_ = self;
     defer instance_ = null;
 
-    if (conf.highlight_columns.len > 0) {
-        var it = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, conf.highlight_columns, ' ');
-        var idx: usize = 0;
-        while (it.next()) |arg| {
-            if (idx >= self.highlight_columns_.len) break;
-            self.highlight_columns_[idx] = std.fmt.parseInt(u16, arg, 10) catch 0;
-            idx += 1;
-        }
+    var it = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, conf.highlight_columns, ' ');
+    var idx: usize = 0;
+    while (it.next()) |arg| {
+        self.highlight_columns_[idx] = std.fmt.parseInt(u16, arg, 10) catch 0;
+        idx += 1;
     }
 
     self.default_cursor = std.meta.stringToEnum(keybind.CursorShape, conf.default_cursor) orelse .default;
@@ -1104,7 +1109,7 @@ pub fn config() *const @import("config") {
 }
 
 pub fn highlight_columns() []const u16 {
-    return &current().highlight_columns_;
+    return current().highlight_columns_;
 }
 
 pub fn config_mut() *@import("config") {