diff --git a/src/option.c b/src/option.c
index f417e9c..1a5cd8e 100644
--- a/src/option.c
+++ b/src/option.c
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
 #if defined(FEAT_DIFF) || defined(FEAT_FOLDING) || defined(FEAT_SPELL) \
 	|| defined(FEAT_WINDOWS) || defined(FEAT_CLIPBOARD) \
 	|| defined(FEAT_INS_EXPAND) || defined(FEAT_SYN_HL) || defined(FEAT_CONCEAL)
-# define HIGHLIGHT_INIT "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,N:CursorLineNr,r:Question,s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,t:Title,v:Visual,V:VisualNOS,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,>:SignColumn,-:Conceal,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,+:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb,*:TabLine,#:TabLineSel,_:TabLineFill,!:CursorColumn,.:CursorLine,o:ColorColumn"
+# define HIGHLIGHT_INIT "8:SpecialKey,~:EndOfBuffer,@:NonText,d:Directory,e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,N:CursorLineNr,r:Question,s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,t:Title,v:Visual,V:VisualNOS,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,>:SignColumn,-:Conceal,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,+:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb,*:TabLine,#:TabLineSel,_:TabLineFill,!:CursorColumn,.:CursorLine,o:ColorColumn"
 #else
 # define HIGHLIGHT_INIT "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,N:CursorLineNr,r:Question,s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,>:SignColumn,*:TabLine,#:TabLineSel,_:TabLineFill"
 #endif
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index cf23a68..f0587e3 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -2205,7 +2205,7 @@
 
 	/* make sure the rest of the screen is blank */
 	/* put '~'s on rows that aren't part of the file. */
-	win_draw_end(wp, '~', ' ', row, wp->w_height, HLF_AT);
+	win_draw_end(wp, '~', ' ', row, wp->w_height, HLF_EOB);
     }
 
     /* Reset the type of redrawing required, the window has been updated. */
diff --git a/src/syntax.c b/src/syntax.c
index 19f9bc4..ff8cbb4 100644
--- a/src/syntax.c
+++ b/src/syntax.c
@@ -6789,6 +6789,7 @@
 	     "StatusLine term=reverse,bold cterm=reverse,bold gui=reverse,bold"),
 	CENT("StatusLineNC term=reverse cterm=reverse",
 	     "StatusLineNC term=reverse cterm=reverse gui=reverse"),
+	"default link EndOfBuffer NonText",
 #ifdef FEAT_WINDOWS
 	CENT("VertSplit term=reverse cterm=reverse",
 	     "VertSplit term=reverse cterm=reverse gui=reverse"),
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index c2900c1..d618748 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -764,6 +764,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    2213,
+/**/
     2212,
 /**/
     2211,
diff --git a/src/vim.h b/src/vim.h
index 05f97ba..88d4850 100644
--- a/src/vim.h
+++ b/src/vim.h
@@ -1363,7 +1363,8 @@
 {
     HLF_8 = 0	    /* Meta & special keys listed with ":map", text that is
 		       displayed different from what it is */
-    , HLF_AT	    /* @ and ~ characters at end of screen, characters that
+    , HLF_EOB	    /* after the last line in the buffer */
+    , HLF_AT	    /* @ characters at end of screen, characters that
 		       don't really exist in the text */
     , HLF_D	    /* directories in CTRL-D listing */
     , HLF_E	    /* error messages */
@@ -1410,7 +1411,7 @@
 
 /* The HL_FLAGS must be in the same order as the HLF_ enums!
  * When changing this also adjust the default for 'highlight'. */
-#define HL_FLAGS {'8', '@', 'd', 'e', 'h', 'i', 'l', 'm', 'M', \
+#define HL_FLAGS {'8', '~', '@', 'd', 'e', 'h', 'i', 'l', 'm', 'M', \
 		  'n', 'N', 'r', 's', 'S', 'c', 't', 'v', 'V', 'w', 'W', \
 		  'f', 'F', 'A', 'C', 'D', 'T', '-', '>', \
 		  'B', 'P', 'R', 'L', \