diff --git a/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh b/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh
index aa3db44..d5d0f0e 100755
--- a/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh
+++ b/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh
@@ -166,4 +166,20 @@ test_todo_session 'highlighting with hidden contexts/projects' <<EOF
 TODO: 4 of 4 tasks shown
 EOF
 
+# check that priorities are only matched at the start of the task
+#
+cat > todo.txt <<EOF
+(D) some prioritized task
+not prioritized
+should not be seen as PRIORITIZE(D) task
+EOF
+test_todo_session 'highlighting priority position' <<EOF
+>>> todo.sh ls
+1 (D) some prioritized task
+2 not prioritized
+3 should not be seen as PRIORITIZE(D) task
+--
+TODO: 3 of 3 tasks shown
+EOF
+
 test_done
diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index a21356e..04718ca 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -720,11 +720,10 @@ _list() {
                 return color
             }
             {
-                pos = match($0, /\([A-Z]\)/)
                 if (match($0, /^[0-9]+ x /)) {
                     print highlight("COLOR_DONE") $0 highlight("DEFAULT")
-                } else if (pos > 0) {
-                    clr = highlight("PRI_" substr($0, pos+1, 1))
+                } else if (match($0, /^[0-9]+ \([A-Z]\)[[:space:]]/)) {
+                    clr = highlight("PRI_" substr($0, RSTART + RLENGTH - 3, 1))
                     print ( clr ? clr : highlight("PRI_X") ) $0 highlight("DEFAULT")
                 } else { print }
             }