diff --git a/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh b/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c3c3558
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/t1330-ls-highlighting.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+
+test_description='list highlighting
+
+This test checks the highlighting (with colors) of prioritized tasks.
+'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+TEST_TODO_=todo.cfg
+
+#
+# check the highlighting of prioritized tasks
+#
+cat > todo.txt <<EOF
+(A) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri A
+(B) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri B
+(C) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri C
+(D) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri D
+(E) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri E
+(Z) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri Z
+@con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, no priority
+@con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, no priority
+EOF
+test_todo_session 'default highlighting' <<EOF
+>>> todo.sh ls
+1 (A) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri A
+2 (B) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri B
+3 (C) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri C
+4 (D) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri D
+5 (E) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri E
+6 (Z) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri Z
+7 @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, no priority
+8 @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, no priority
+--
+TODO: 8 of 8 tasks shown
+EOF
+
+#
+# check changing the color definitions into something other than ANSI color
+# escape sequences
+#
+TEST_TODO_CUSTOM=todo-custom.cfg
+cat todo.cfg > "$TEST_TODO_CUSTOM"
+cat >> "$TEST_TODO_CUSTOM" <<'EOF'
+export YELLOW='${color yellow}'
+export GREEN='${color green}'
+export LIGHT_BLUE='${color LightBlue}'
+export WHITE='${color white}'
+export DEFAULT='${color}'
+export PRI_A=$YELLOW
+export PRI_B=$GREEN
+export PRI_C=$LIGHT_BLUE
+export PRI_X=$WHITE
+EOF
+test_todo_session 'customized highlighting' <<'EOF'
+>>> todo.sh -d "$TEST_TODO_CUSTOM" ls
+${color yellow}1 (A) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri A${color}
+${color green}2 (B) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri B${color}
+${color LightBlue}3 (C) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri C${color}
+${color white}4 (D) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri D${color}
+${color white}5 (E) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri E${color}
+${color white}6 (Z) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri Z${color}
+7 @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, no priority
+8 @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, no priority
+--
+TODO: 8 of 8 tasks shown
+EOF
+
+#
+# check defining highlightings for more priorities than the default A, B, C
+#
+TEST_TODO_ADDITIONAL=todo-additional.cfg
+cat todo.cfg > "$TEST_TODO_ADDITIONAL"
+cat >> "$TEST_TODO_ADDITIONAL" <<'EOF'
+export PRI_E=$BROWN
+export PRI_Z=$LIGHT_PURPLE
+EOF
+test_todo_session 'additional highlighting pri E+Z' <<'EOF'
+>>> todo.sh -d "$TEST_TODO_ADDITIONAL" ls
+1 (A) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri A
+2 (B) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri B
+3 (C) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri C
+4 (D) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri D
+5 (E) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri E
+6 (Z) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri Z
+7 @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, no priority
+8 @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, no priority
+--
+TODO: 8 of 8 tasks shown
+EOF
+
+# check changing the fallback highlighting for undefined priorities
+#
+TEST_TODO_PRI_X=todo-pri-x.cfg
+cat todo.cfg > "$TEST_TODO_PRI_X"
+cat >> "$TEST_TODO_PRI_X" <<'EOF'
+export PRI_X=$BROWN
+EOF
+test_todo_session 'different highlighting for pri X' <<'EOF'
+>>> todo.sh -d "$TEST_TODO_PRI_X" ls
+1 (A) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri A
+2 (B) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri B
+3 (C) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri C
+4 (D) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri D
+5 (E) @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, pri E
+6 (Z) @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, pri Z
+7 @con01 +prj01 -- Some project 01 task, no priority
+8 @con02 +prj02 -- Some project 02 task, no priority
+--
+TODO: 8 of 8 tasks shown
+EOF
+
+test_done
diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index cad4312..9e54ee8 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -460,9 +460,9 @@ ACTION=${1:-$TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION}
 [ -f "$REPORT_FILE" ] || cp /dev/null "$REPORT_FILE"
 
 if [ $TODOTXT_PLAIN = 1 ]; then
-    PRI_A=$NONE
-    PRI_B=$NONE
-    PRI_C=$NONE
+    for clr in ${!PRI_@}; do
+        export $clr=$NONE
+    done
     PRI_X=$NONE
     DEFAULT=$NONE
 fi
@@ -570,14 +570,14 @@ _list() {
             s/^ /0/;
           ''' \
         | eval ${TODOTXT_SORT_COMMAND}                                        \
-        | sed '''
-            /^[0-9]\{'$PADDING'\} x /! {
-                /(A)/ s|^.*|'$PRI_A'&'$DEFAULT'|
-                /(B)/ s|^.*|'$PRI_B'&'$DEFAULT'|
-                /(C)/ s|^.*|'$PRI_C'&'$DEFAULT'|
-                /([D-Z])/ s|^.*|'$PRI_X'&'$DEFAULT'|
-            }
-          '''                                                   \
+        | awk '''{
+            pos = match($0, /\([A-Z]\)/)
+            if( pos > 0 && match($0, /^[0-9]+ x /) != 1 ) {
+                clr=ENVIRON["PRI_" substr($0, pos+1, 1)]
+                str = ( clr ? clr : ENVIRON["PRI_X"] ) $0 ENVIRON["DEFAULT"]
+                gsub( /\\+033/, "\033", str) ; print str
+            } else { print }
+          }'''  \
         | sed '''
             s/'${HIDE_PRIORITY_SUBSTITUTION:-^}'//g
             s/'${HIDE_PROJECTS_SUBSTITUTION:-^}'//g