diff -r -U4 irssi-0.8.10/src/core/ignore.c irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/core/ignore.c
--- irssi-0.8.10/src/core/ignore.c	2005-10-19 03:13:22.000000000 +0100
+++ irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/core/ignore.c	2006-02-15 19:54:48.000000000 +0000
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@
 static int time_tag;
 
 /* check if `text' contains ignored nick at the start of the line. */
 static int ignore_check_replies_rec(IGNORE_REC *rec, CHANNEL_REC *channel,
-				    const char *text)
+				    const char *text, int level)
 {
 	GSList *nicks, *tmp;
 
 	nicks = nicklist_find_multiple(channel, rec->mask);
@@ -49,17 +49,21 @@
 
 	for (tmp = nicks; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		NICK_REC *nick = tmp->data;
 
-		if (nick_match_msg(channel, text, nick->nick))
-			return TRUE;
+		if (nick_match_msg(channel, text, nick->nick)) {
+			if ((level & MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT) == 0) return TRUE;
+			// for hilights, check that the text is clearly a reply
+			// i.e. "nick:..." not "nick..." or "moo,nick..."
+			if (strlen(text) > strlen(nick->nick) && text[strlen(nick->nick)] == ':') return TRUE;
+		}
 	}
 	g_slist_free(nicks);
 
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
-static int ignore_check_replies(CHANNEL_REC *chanrec, const char *text)
+static int ignore_check_replies(CHANNEL_REC *chanrec, const char *text, int level)
 {
 	GSList *tmp;
 
 	if (text == NULL || chanrec == NULL)
@@ -68,10 +72,10 @@
         /* check reply ignores */
 	for (tmp = ignores; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		IGNORE_REC *rec = tmp->data;
 
-		if (rec->mask != NULL && rec->replies &&
-		    ignore_check_replies_rec(rec, chanrec, text))
+		if (rec->mask != NULL && rec->replies && (level & rec->level) != 0 &&
+		    ignore_check_replies_rec(rec, chanrec, text, level))
 			return TRUE;
 	}
 
 	return FALSE;
@@ -126,8 +130,9 @@
 	for (tmp = list; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		IGNORE_REC *rec = tmp->data;
 
 		if (ignore_match_level(rec, level) &&
+			(!rec->replies || (level & MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT) == 0) &&
 		    ignore_match_pattern(rec, text)) {
 			len = rec->mask == NULL ? 0 : strlen(rec->mask);
 			if (len > best_mask) {
 				best_mask = len;
@@ -141,12 +146,12 @@
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (best_match || (level & MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC) == 0)
+	if (best_match || (level & (MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC|MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT)) == 0)
 		return best_match;
 
-        return ignore_check_replies(channel, text);
+        return ignore_check_replies(channel, text, level);
 }
 
 int ignore_check(SERVER_REC *server, const char *nick, const char *host,
 		 const char *channel, const char *text, int level)
@@ -182,9 +187,10 @@
 		if (ignore_match_level(rec, level) &&
 		    ignore_match_server(rec, server) &&
 		    ignore_match_channel(rec, channel) &&
 		    ignore_match_nickmask(rec, nick, nickmask) &&
-		    ignore_match_pattern(rec, text)) {
+		    ignore_match_pattern(rec, text) &&
+		    (!rec->replies || (level & MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT) == 0)) {
 			len = rec->mask == NULL ? 0 : strlen(rec->mask);
 			if (len > best_mask) {
 				best_mask = len;
 				best_match = !rec->exception;
@@ -198,12 +204,12 @@
 		}
 	}
         g_free(nickmask);
 
-	if (best_match || (level & MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC) == 0)
+	if (best_match || (level & (MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC|MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT)) == 0)
 		return best_match;
 
-        return ignore_check_replies(chanrec, text);
+        return ignore_check_replies(chanrec, text, level);
 }
 
 IGNORE_REC *ignore_find(const char *servertag, const char *mask,
 			char **channels)
diff -r -U4 irssi-0.8.10/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
--- irssi-0.8.10/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c	2005-10-19 03:13:20.000000000 +0100
+++ irssi-0.8.10+byte/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c	2006-02-15 18:49:21.000000000 +0000
@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@
 #include "hilight-text.h"
 #include "nickmatch-cache.h"
 #include "printtext.h"
 #include "formats.h"
+#include "ignore.h"
 
 static NICKMATCH_REC *nickmatch;
 static int never_hilight_level, default_hilight_level;
 GSList *hilights;
@@ -252,20 +253,25 @@
 			if (nickrec->host == NULL)
 				nicklist_set_host(chanrec, nickrec, address);
 
 			rec = nickmatch_find(nickmatch, nickrec);
-			if (rec != NULL && hilight_match_level(rec, level))
+			if (rec != NULL && hilight_match_level(rec, level)) {
+				if (ignore_check(server, nick, address, channel, str, MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT)) return NULL;
 				return rec;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	for (tmp = hilights; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		HILIGHT_REC *rec = tmp->data;
 
 		if (!rec->nickmask && hilight_match_level(rec, level) &&
 		    hilight_match_channel(rec, channel) &&
-		    hilight_match_text(rec, str, match_beg, match_end))
+		    hilight_match_text(rec, str, match_beg, match_end)) {
+
+			if (ignore_check(server, nick, address, channel, str, MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT)) return NULL;
 			return rec;
+		}
 	}
 
         return NULL;
 }