diff --git a/crates/theme/src/registry.rs b/crates/theme/src/registry.rs
index 55f61f7eb2..5a89ce4fc5 100644
--- a/crates/theme/src/registry.rs
+++ b/crates/theme/src/registry.rs
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ impl ThemeRegistry {
                                 .color
                                 .as_ref()
                                 .and_then(|color| try_parse_color(color).ok()),
+                            background_color: highlight
+                                .background_color
+                                .as_ref()
+                                .and_then(|color| try_parse_color(color).ok()),
                             font_style: highlight.font_style.map(Into::into),
                             font_weight: highlight.font_weight.map(Into::into),
                             ..Default::default()
diff --git a/crates/theme/src/schema.rs b/crates/theme/src/schema.rs
index b4b494a803..e79b80ff44 100644
--- a/crates/theme/src/schema.rs
+++ b/crates/theme/src/schema.rs
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ impl ThemeStyleContent {
                             .color
                             .as_ref()
                             .and_then(|color| try_parse_color(color).ok()),
+                        background_color: style
+                            .background_color
+                            .as_ref()
+                            .and_then(|color| try_parse_color(color).ok()),
                         font_style: style
                             .font_style
                             .map(|font_style| FontStyle::from(font_style)),
@@ -1304,6 +1308,9 @@ impl From<FontWeightContent> for FontWeight {
 pub struct HighlightStyleContent {
     pub color: Option<String>,
 
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "treat_error_as_none")]
+    pub background_color: Option<String>,
+
     #[serde(deserialize_with = "treat_error_as_none")]
     pub font_style: Option<FontStyleContent>,
 
@@ -1313,7 +1320,10 @@ pub struct HighlightStyleContent {
 
 impl HighlightStyleContent {
     pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.color.is_none() && self.font_style.is_none() && self.font_weight.is_none()
+        self.color.is_none()
+            && self.background_color.is_none()
+            && self.font_style.is_none()
+            && self.font_weight.is_none()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/theme_importer/src/vscode/converter.rs b/crates/theme_importer/src/vscode/converter.rs
index b323354965..1213ab387f 100644
--- a/crates/theme_importer/src/vscode/converter.rs
+++ b/crates/theme_importer/src/vscode/converter.rs
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ impl VsCodeThemeConverter {
 
             let highlight_style = HighlightStyleContent {
                 color: token_color.settings.foreground.clone(),
+                background_color: token_color.settings.background.clone(),
                 font_style: token_color
                     .settings
                     .font_style