diff --git a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
index b0c5c92..91be6ca 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight() {
   integer start=$1 end=$2
   shift 2
 
-  (( highlighted_alias )) && return
-  (( in_alias )) && highlighted_alias=1
+  if (( in_alias )); then
+    [[ $1 == unknown-token ]] && alias_style=unknown-token
+    return
+  fi
 
   # The calculation was relative to $buf but region_highlight is relative to $BUFFER.
   (( start += buf_offset ))
@@ -377,15 +379,16 @@ _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
 _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
 {
   integer start_pos end_pos=0 buf_offset=$1 has_end=$3
+  # alias_style is the style to apply to an alias once in_alias=0
+  #     Usually 'alias' but set to 'unknown-token' if any word expanded from
+  #     the alias would be highlighted as unknown-token
   # last_alias is the last alias arg (lhs) expanded (if in an alias).
   #     This allows for expanding alias ls='ls -l' while avoiding loops.
-  local arg buf=$4 highlight_glob=true last_alias style
+  local alias_style arg buf=$4 highlight_glob=true last_alias style
   local in_array_assignment=false # true between 'a=(' and the matching ')'
-  # highlighted_alias is 1 when the alias arg has been highlighted with a non-alias style.
-  #     E.g. alias x=ls;  x has been highlighted as alias AND command.
   # in_alias is equal to the number of shifts needed until arg=args[1] pops an
   #     arg from BUFFER and not added by an alias.
-  integer highlighted_alias=0 in_alias=0 len=$#buf
+  integer in_alias=0 len=$#buf
   local -a match mbegin mend list_highlights
   # seen_alias is a map of aliases already seen to avoid loops like alias a=b b=a
   local -A seen_alias
@@ -458,7 +461,11 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
     shift args
     if (( in_alias )); then
       (( in_alias-- ))
-      (( in_alias == 0 )) && highlighted_alias=0 last_alias= seen_alias=()
+      if (( in_alias == 0 )); then
+        last_alias= seen_alias=()
+        # start_pos and end_pos are of the alias (previous $arg) here
+        _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight $start_pos $end_pos $alias_style
+      fi
     fi
 
     # Initialize this_word and next_word.
@@ -535,6 +542,7 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
         # Avoid looping forever on alias a=b b=c c=b, but allow alias foo='foo bar'
         # Also mark insane aliases as unknown-token (cf. #263).
         if (( $+seen_alias[$arg] )) || [[ $arg == ?*=* ]]; then
+          (( in_alias == 0 )) && in_alias=1
           _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight $start_pos $end_pos unknown-token
           continue
         fi
@@ -550,7 +558,7 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
         fi
         args=( $alias_args $args )
         if (( in_alias == 0 )); then
-          _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight $start_pos $end_pos alias
+          alias_style=alias
           # Add one because we will in_alias-- on the next loop iteration so
           # this iteration should be considered in in_alias as well
           (( in_alias += $#alias_args + 1 ))
@@ -909,6 +917,7 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
     fi
     _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight $start_pos $end_pos $style
   done
+  (( in_alias == 1 )) && in_alias=0 _zsh_highlight_main_add_region_highlight $start_pos $end_pos $alias_style
   [[ "$proc_buf" = (#b)(#s)(([[:space:]]|\\$'\n')#) ]]
   REPLY=$(( end_pos + ${#match[1]} - 1 ))
   reply=($list_highlights)
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment1.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment1.zsh
index 0c449e1..dd5068f 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment1.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment1.zsh
@@ -33,6 +33,5 @@ alias x=$'# foo\npwd'
 BUFFER='x'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
-  '1 1 alias' # x
-  '1 1 comment' # x (#)
+  '1 1 alias "issue #616"' # x
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment2.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment2.zsh
index 8bdc5a8..5a49822 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment2.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-comment2.zsh
@@ -33,6 +33,5 @@ alias x=$'# foo\npwd'
 BUFFER='x'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
-  '1 1 alias' # x
   '1 1 unknown-token' # x (#)
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-complex.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-complex.zsh
index 7a9626e..5ad7c0a 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-complex.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-complex.zsh
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ BUFFER='x file echo'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 1 alias' # x
-  '1 1 builtin' # x (echo)
   '3 6 default' # file
   '8 11 builtin' # echo
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-loop.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-loop.zsh
index b36d1c9..baa122b 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-loop.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-loop.zsh
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ alias a=b b=c c=b
 BUFFER='a foo; :'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
-  '1 1 alias' # a
   '1 1 unknown-token' # a (invalid alias loop)
   '3 5 default' # foo
   '6 6 commandseparator' # ;
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested-precommand.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested-precommand.zsh
index 7c2eeeb..6d4172b 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested-precommand.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested-precommand.zsh
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ BUFFER='a -u phy1729 echo; :'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 1 alias' # a
-  '1 1 precommand' # a (sudo)
   '3 4 single-hyphen-option' # -u
   '6 12 default' # phy1729
   '14 17 builtin' # echo
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested.zsh
index 44ab22b..b24b496 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-nested.zsh
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ BUFFER='a foo; :'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 1 alias' # a
-  '1 1 builtin' # a (:)
   '3 5 default' # foo
   '6 6 commandseparator' # ;
   '8 8 builtin' # :
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument1.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument1.zsh
index ad16962..ecdd9f9 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument1.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument1.zsh
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ BUFFER='sdu phy1729 echo foo'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 3 alias' # sdu
-  '1 3 precommand' # sdu (sudo)
   '5 11 default' # phy1729
   '13 16 commmand "issue #540"' # echo (not builtin)
   '18 20 default' # foo
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument2.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument2.zsh
index ebbb17b..95d71f8 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument2.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-precommand-option-argument2.zsh
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ BUFFER='sbu phy1729 echo foo'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 3 alias' # sbu
-  '1 3 precommand' # sbu (sudo)
   '5 11 default' # phy1729
   '13 16 commmand "issue #540"' # echo (not builtin)
   '18 20 default' # foo
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-redirect.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-redirect.zsh
index a6a0aab..acc3dcb 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-redirect.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-redirect.zsh
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ BUFFER='x foo echo bar'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 1 alias' # x
-  '1 1 redirection' # x (>)
   '3 5 default' # foo
   '7 10 builtin' # echo
   '12 14 default' # bar
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-self.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-self.zsh
index 88ed3c8..c6f12b1 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-self.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-self.zsh
@@ -34,6 +34,5 @@ BUFFER='echo bar'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   '1 4 alias' # echo
-  '1 4 builtin' # echo
   '6 8 default' # bar
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-to-dir.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-to-dir.zsh
index 93aaa62..767d3c7 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-to-dir.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias-to-dir.zsh
@@ -32,6 +32,5 @@ alias x=/
 BUFFER=$'x'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
-  '1 1 alias' # x
   '1 1 unknown-token "issue #202"' # x (/)
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias.zsh
index 03ca0be..4cafa80 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/alias.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/alias.zsh
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ fi
 expected_region_highlight+=(
   "9 9 commandseparator" # ;
   "11 16 alias" # alias1
-  "11 16 command" # alias1 (ls)
   "17 17 commandseparator" # ;
   "19 24 unknown-token" # alias2
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/noglob-alias.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/noglob-alias.zsh
index 5676b5a..2f96445 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/noglob-alias.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/noglob-alias.zsh
@@ -32,6 +32,5 @@ BUFFER='x ls'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   "1 1 alias" # x
-  "1 1 precommand" # x (command)
   "3 4 command" # ls
 )
diff --git a/highlighters/main/test-data/off-by-one.zsh b/highlighters/main/test-data/off-by-one.zsh
index 7d6961a..872143a 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/test-data/off-by-one.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/test-data/off-by-one.zsh
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ BUFFER='a;f;'
 
 expected_region_highlight=(
   "1 1 alias" # a
-  "1 1 builtin" # a (:)
   "2 2 commandseparator" # ;
   "3 3 function" # f
   "4 4 commandseparator" # ;