diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 14ba4d8..9fbef24 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@
     {VV_NAME("mouse_col",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
     {VV_NAME("operator",	 VAR_STRING), VV_RO},
     {VV_NAME("searchforward",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
+    {VV_NAME("hlsearch",	 VAR_NUMBER), 0},
     {VV_NAME("oldfiles",	 VAR_LIST), 0},
     {VV_NAME("windowid",	 VAR_NUMBER), VV_RO},
 };
@@ -871,6 +872,7 @@
 	    hash_add(&compat_hashtab, p->vv_di.di_key);
     }
     set_vim_var_nr(VV_SEARCHFORWARD, 1L);
+    set_vim_var_nr(VV_HLSEARCH, 1L);
     set_reg_var(0);  /* default for v:register is not 0 but '"' */
 
 #ifdef EBCDIC
@@ -20613,6 +20615,13 @@
 		v->di_tv.vval.v_number = get_tv_number(tv);
 		if (STRCMP(varname, "searchforward") == 0)
 		    set_search_direction(v->di_tv.vval.v_number ? '/' : '?');
+#ifdef FEAT_SEARCH_EXTRA
+		else if (STRCMP(varname, "hlsearch") == 0)
+		{
+		    no_hlsearch = !v->di_tv.vval.v_number;
+		    redraw_all_later(SOME_VALID);
+		}
+#endif
 	    }
 	    return;
 	}
diff --git a/src/ex_docmd.c b/src/ex_docmd.c
index 24f80fb..5d207ea 100644
--- a/src/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/ex_docmd.c
@@ -11389,7 +11389,7 @@
 ex_nohlsearch(eap)
     exarg_T	*eap UNUSED;
 {
-    no_hlsearch = TRUE;
+    SET_NO_HLSEARCH(TRUE);
     redraw_all_later(SOME_VALID);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/option.c b/src/option.c
index 2b94d85..589e134 100644
--- a/src/option.c
+++ b/src/option.c
@@ -7811,7 +7811,7 @@
     /* when 'hlsearch' is set or reset: reset no_hlsearch */
     else if ((int *)varp == &p_hls)
     {
-	no_hlsearch = FALSE;
+	SET_NO_HLSEARCH(FALSE);
     }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index a72ecaf..f738e2b 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -7447,7 +7447,7 @@
 	    {
 		/* don't free regprog in the match list, it's a copy */
 		vim_regfree(shl->rm.regprog);
-		no_hlsearch = TRUE;
+		SET_NO_HLSEARCH(TRUE);
 	    }
 	    shl->rm.regprog = NULL;
 	    shl->lnum = 0;
diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index d517c60..2fb7624 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@
 	/* If 'hlsearch' set and search pat changed: need redraw. */
 	if (p_hls)
 	    redraw_all_later(SOME_VALID);
-	no_hlsearch = FALSE;
+	SET_NO_HLSEARCH(FALSE);
 #endif
     }
 }
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@
 	spats[1] = saved_spats[1];
 	last_idx = saved_last_idx;
 # ifdef FEAT_SEARCH_EXTRA
-	no_hlsearch = saved_no_hlsearch;
+	SET_NO_HLSEARCH(saved_no_hlsearch);
 # endif
     }
 }
@@ -1148,7 +1148,7 @@
     if (no_hlsearch && !(options & SEARCH_KEEP))
     {
 	redraw_all_later(SOME_VALID);
-	no_hlsearch = FALSE;
+	SET_NO_HLSEARCH(FALSE);
     }
 #endif
 
@@ -5561,7 +5561,9 @@
 		spats[idx].off.off = off;
 #ifdef FEAT_SEARCH_EXTRA
 		if (setlast)
-		    no_hlsearch = !hlsearch_on;
+		{
+		    SET_NO_HLSEARCH(!hlsearch_on);
+		}
 #endif
 	    }
 	}
diff --git a/src/tag.c b/src/tag.c
index 55ace15..e7ea52a 100644
--- a/src/tag.c
+++ b/src/tag.c
@@ -3330,7 +3330,9 @@
 #ifdef FEAT_SEARCH_EXTRA
 	/* restore no_hlsearch when keeping the old search pattern */
 	if (search_options)
-	    no_hlsearch = save_no_hlsearch;
+	{
+	    SET_NO_HLSEARCH(save_no_hlsearch);
+	}
 #endif
 
 	/* Return OK if jumped to another file (at least we found the file!). */
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak b/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
index 81633e7..8842131 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 		test81.out test82.out test83.out test84.out test88.out \
 		test89.out test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out \
 		test94.out test95.out test96.out test97.out test98.out \
-		test99.out test100.out
+		test99.out test100.out test101.out
 
 .SUFFIXES: .in .out
 
@@ -151,3 +151,4 @@
 test98.out: test98.in
 test99.out: test99.in
 test100.out: test100.in
+test101.out: test101.in
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak b/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
index f89d99b..38208e7 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 		test84.out test85.out test86.out test87.out test88.out \
 		test89.out test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out \
 		test94.out test95.out test96.out test98.out test99.out \
-		test100.out
+		test100.out test101.out
 
 SCRIPTS32 =	test50.out test70.out
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak b/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
index eb0c469..9ec1f06 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 		test84.out test85.out test86.out test87.out test88.out \
 		test89.out test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out \
 		test94.out test95.out test96.out test98.out test99.out \
-		test100out
+		test100out test101.out
 
 SCRIPTS32 =	test50.out test70.out
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak b/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
index acb7bd7..823a706 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 		test81.out test82.out test83.out test84.out test88.out \
 		test89.out test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out \
 		test94.out test95.out test96.out test98.out test99.out \
-		test100.out
+		test100.out test101.out
 
 .SUFFIXES: .in .out
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms b/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
index 816123d..2626b5b 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Authors:	Zoltan Arpadffy, <arpadffy@polarhome.com>
 #		Sandor Kopanyi,  <sandor.kopanyi@mailbox.hu>
 #
-# Last change:  2013 Nov 07
+# Last change:  2013 Nov 08
 #
 # This has been tested on VMS 6.2 to 8.3 on DEC Alpha, VAX and IA64.
 # Edit the lines in the Configuration section below to select.
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 	 test82.out test83.out test84.out test88.out test89.out \
 	 test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out test94.out \
 	 test95.out test96.out test97.out test98.out test99.out \
-	 test100.out
+	 test100.out test101.out
 
 # Known problems:
 # Test 30: a problem around mac format - unknown reason
diff --git a/src/testdir/Makefile b/src/testdir/Makefile
index 3620cee..aa3777c 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Makefile
+++ b/src/testdir/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 		test84.out test85.out test86.out test87.out test88.out \
 		test89.out test90.out test91.out test92.out test93.out \
 		test94.out test95.out test96.out test97.out test98.out \
-		test99.out test100.out
+		test99.out test100.out test101.out
 
 SCRIPTS_GUI = test16.out
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test101.in b/src/testdir/test101.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04c934f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testdir/test101.in
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+Test for v:hlsearch     vim: set ft=vim :
+
+STARTTEST
+:" Last abc: Q
+:so small.vim
+:new
+:call setline(1, repeat(['aaa'], 10))
+:set hlsearch nolazyredraw
+:let r=[]
+:command -nargs=0 -bar AddR :call add(r, [screenattr(1, 1), v:hlsearch])
+/aaa
+:AddR
+:nohlsearch
+:AddR
+:let v:hlsearch=1
+:AddR
+:let v:hlsearch=0
+:AddR
+:set hlsearch
+:AddR
+:let v:hlsearch=0
+:AddR
+n:AddR
+:let v:hlsearch=0
+:AddR
+/
+:AddR
+:let r1=r[0][0]
+:" I guess it is not guaranteed that screenattr outputs always the same character
+:call map(r, 'v:val[1].":".(v:val[0]==r1?"highlighted":"not highlighted")')
+:try
+:   let v:hlsearch=[]
+:catch
+:   call add(r, matchstr(v:exception,'^Vim(let):E\d\+:'))
+:endtry
+:bwipeout!
+:$put=r
+:call garbagecollect(1)
+:"
+:/^start:/,$wq! test.out
+:" vim: et ts=4 isk-=\:
+:call getchar()
+ENDTEST
+
+start:
diff --git a/src/testdir/test101.ok b/src/testdir/test101.ok
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ed7436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/testdir/test101.ok
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+start:
+1:highlighted
+0:not highlighted
+1:highlighted
+0:not highlighted
+1:highlighted
+0:not highlighted
+1:highlighted
+0:not highlighted
+1:highlighted
+Vim(let):E706:
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index aef0879..106445a 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -739,6 +739,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    79,
+/**/
     78,
 /**/
     77,
diff --git a/src/vim.h b/src/vim.h
index 3d61f3a..4d8d5e8 100644
--- a/src/vim.h
+++ b/src/vim.h
@@ -1864,9 +1864,10 @@
 #define VV_MOUSE_COL	51
 #define VV_OP		52
 #define VV_SEARCHFORWARD 53
-#define VV_OLDFILES	54
-#define VV_WINDOWID	55
-#define VV_LEN		56	/* number of v: vars */
+#define VV_HLSEARCH	54
+#define VV_OLDFILES	55
+#define VV_WINDOWID	56
+#define VV_LEN		57	/* number of v: vars */
 
 #ifdef FEAT_CLIPBOARD
 
@@ -2246,4 +2247,10 @@
 /* Character used as separated in autoload function/variable names. */
 #define AUTOLOAD_CHAR '#'
 
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+# define SET_NO_HLSEARCH(flag) no_hlsearch = (flag); set_vim_var_nr(VV_HLSEARCH, !no_hlsearch)
+#else
+# define SET_NO_HLSEARCH(flag) no_hlsearch = (flag)
+#endif
+
 #endif /* VIM__H */