diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac8beaf..7f0fe28 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,24 @@ custom widgets have been created (i.e., after all `zle -N` calls and after
 running `compinit`).  Widgets created later will work, but will not update the
 syntax highlighting.
 
+### Why does syntax highlighting not work while searching history?
+
+_This problem is fixed in zsh 5.3 and newer._
+
+Highlighting the command line during an incremental history search
+(with the `history-incremental-search-backward` widget, which is
+bound by default to <kbd>Ctrl+R</kbd> in zsh's emacs keymap) requires zsh 5.3
+or newer.
+
+Under zsh 5.2 and older, the zsh-default underlining of the matched portion
+of the buffer remains available, but zsh-syntax-highlighting's additional
+highlighting is unavailable.  (Those versions of zsh do not provide enough
+information to allow computing the highlighting correctly.)
+
+See [issue #288][i288] for details.
+
+[i288]: https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting/pull/288
+
 ### How are new releases announced?
 
 There is currently no "push" announcements channel.  However, the following
diff --git a/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh b/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
index 80f5a4e..de3fea9 100644
--- a/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
+++ b/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ _zsh_highlight()
   # Store the previous command return code to restore it whatever happens.
   local ret=$?
 
+  # Remove all highlighting in isearch, so that only the underlining done by zsh itself remains.
+  # For details see FAQ entry 'Why does syntax highlighting not work while searching history?'.
+  if [[ $WIDGET == zle-isearch-update ]]; then
+    region_highlight=()
+    return $ret
+  fi
+
   setopt localoptions warncreateglobal
   setopt localoptions noksharrays
   local REPLY # don't leak $REPLY into global scope
@@ -258,6 +265,10 @@ _zsh_highlight_bind_widgets()
   # E.g. remove cursor imprint, don't highlight partial paths, ...
   widgets_to_bind+=(zle-line-finish)
 
+  # Always wrap special zle-isearch-update widget to be notified of updates in isearch.
+  # This is needed because we need to disable highlighting in that case.
+  widgets_to_bind+=(zle-isearch-update)
+
   local cur_widget
   for cur_widget in $widgets_to_bind; do
     case $widgets[$cur_widget] in