diff --git a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
index 2b898c3..6080987 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
@@ -53,15 +53,16 @@ function! airline#highlighter#reset_hlcache()
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#highlighter#get_highlight(group, ...)
+  let reverse = g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
+      \ ? synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'gui')
+      \ : synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'cterm')
+      \|| synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'term')
   if get(g:, 'airline_highlighting_cache', 0) && has_key(s:hl_groups, a:group)
-    return s:hl_groups[a:group]
+    let res = s:hl_groups[a:group]
+    return reverse ? [ res[1], res[0], res[3], res[2], res[4] ] : res
   else
     let fg = s:get_syn(a:group, 'fg')
     let bg = s:get_syn(a:group, 'bg')
-    let reverse = g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
-          \ ? synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'gui')
-          \ : synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'cterm')
-          \|| synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'term')
     let bold = synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'bold')
     let opts = a:000
     if bold
@@ -165,9 +166,9 @@ function! s:exec_separator(dict, from, to, inverse, suffix)
   if pumvisible()
     return
   endif
+  let group = a:from.'_to_'.a:to.a:suffix
   let l:from = airline#themes#get_highlight(a:from.a:suffix)
   let l:to = airline#themes#get_highlight(a:to.a:suffix)
-  let group = a:from.'_to_'.a:to.a:suffix
   if a:inverse
     let colors = [ l:from[1], l:to[1], l:from[3], l:to[3] ]
   else