diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
index 9501099997f..eb8414bb32e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
@@ -83,12 +83,14 @@ import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.fielddata.FieldDataFieldsContext;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.fielddata.FieldDataFieldsContext.FieldDataField;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.fielddata.FieldDataFieldsFetchSubPhase;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.script.ScriptFieldsContext.ScriptField;
+import org.elasticsearch.search.highlight.HighlightBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.internal.*;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.internal.SearchContext.Lifetime;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.query.*;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.warmer.IndexWarmersMetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
@@ -656,7 +658,7 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> imp
         }
     }
 
-    private void parseSource(SearchContext context, SearchSourceBuilder source) throws SearchParseException {
+    private void parseSource(SearchContext context, SearchSourceBuilder source) throws SearchContextException {
         // nothing to parse...
         if (source == null) {
             return;
@@ -807,19 +809,11 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> imp
             fieldDataFieldsContext.setHitExecutionNeeded(true);
         }
         if (source.highlighter() != null) {
-            XContentParser highlighterParser = null;
+            HighlightBuilder highlightBuilder = source.highlighter();
             try {
-                highlighterParser = XContentFactory.xContent(source.highlighter()).createParser(source.highlighter());
-                this.elementParsers.get("highlight").parse(highlighterParser, context);
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                String sSource = "_na_";
-                try {
-                    sSource = source.toString();
-                } catch (Throwable e1) {
-                    // ignore
-                }
-                XContentLocation location = highlighterParser != null ? highlighterParser.getTokenLocation() : null;
-                throw new SearchParseException(context, "failed to parse suggest source [" + sSource + "]", location, e);
+                context.highlight(highlightBuilder.build(context.indexShard().getQueryShardContext()));
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                throw new SearchContextException(context, "failed to create SearchContextHighlighter", e);
             }
         }
         if (source.innerHits() != null) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/metrics/tophits/TopHitsBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/metrics/tophits/TopHitsBuilder.java
index 32b5d7390d2..1efd4a7cd24 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/metrics/tophits/TopHitsBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/metrics/tophits/TopHitsBuilder.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.metrics.tophits;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.script.Script;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.AbstractAggregationBuilder;
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ public class TopHitsBuilder extends AbstractAggregationBuilder {
         return sourceBuilder;
     }
 
-    public BytesReference highlighter() {
+    public HighlightBuilder highlighter() {
         return sourceBuilder().highlighter();
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
index 7963b678fb3..2428d1e5f7d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
 
     private List<BytesReference> aggregations;
 
-    private BytesReference highlightBuilder;
+    private HighlightBuilder highlightBuilder;
 
     private BytesReference suggestBuilder;
 
@@ -405,22 +405,14 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
      * Adds highlight to perform as part of the search.
      */
     public SearchSourceBuilder highlighter(HighlightBuilder highlightBuilder) {
-        try {
-            XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
-            builder.startObject();
-            highlightBuilder.innerXContent(builder);
-            builder.endObject();
-            this.highlightBuilder = builder.bytes();
-            return this;
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
-        }
+        this.highlightBuilder = highlightBuilder;
+        return this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Gets the bytes representing the hightlighter builder for this request.
+     * Gets the hightlighter builder for this request.
      */
-    public BytesReference highlighter() {
+    public HighlightBuilder highlighter() {
         return highlightBuilder;
     }
 
@@ -813,8 +805,7 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
                     }
                     builder.aggregations = aggregations;
                 } else if (context.parseFieldMatcher().match(currentFieldName, HIGHLIGHT_FIELD)) {
-                    XContentBuilder xContentBuilder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder().copyCurrentStructure(parser);
-                    builder.highlightBuilder = xContentBuilder.bytes();
+                    builder.highlightBuilder = HighlightBuilder.fromXContent(context);
                 } else if (context.parseFieldMatcher().match(currentFieldName, INNER_HITS_FIELD)) {
                     XContentBuilder xContentBuilder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder().copyCurrentStructure(parser);
                     builder.innerHitsBuilder = xContentBuilder.bytes();
@@ -1012,10 +1003,7 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
         }
 
         if (highlightBuilder != null) {
-            builder.field(HIGHLIGHT_FIELD.getPreferredName());
-            XContentParser parser = XContentFactory.xContent(XContentType.JSON).createParser(highlightBuilder);
-            parser.nextToken();
-            builder.copyCurrentStructure(parser);
+            this.highlightBuilder.toXContent(builder, params);
         }
 
         if (innerHitsBuilder != null) {
@@ -1158,7 +1146,7 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
         }
         builder.from = in.readVInt();
         if (in.readBoolean()) {
-            builder.highlightBuilder = in.readBytesReference();
+            builder.highlightBuilder = HighlightBuilder.PROTOTYPE.readFrom(in);
         }
         boolean hasIndexBoost = in.readBoolean();
         if (hasIndexBoost) {
@@ -1259,7 +1247,7 @@ public final class SearchSourceBuilder extends ToXContentToBytes implements Writ
         boolean hasHighlightBuilder = highlightBuilder != null;
         out.writeBoolean(hasHighlightBuilder);
         if (hasHighlightBuilder) {
-            out.writeBytesReference(highlightBuilder);
+            highlightBuilder.writeTo(out);
         }
         boolean hasIndexBoost = indexBoost != null;
         out.writeBoolean(hasIndexBoost);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/fetch/innerhits/InnerHitsBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/fetch/innerhits/InnerHitsBuilder.java
index 7941e177750..2e76a4c3703 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/fetch/innerhits/InnerHitsBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/fetch/innerhits/InnerHitsBuilder.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.innerhits;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilder;
@@ -266,7 +265,7 @@ public class InnerHitsBuilder implements ToXContent {
             return this;
         }
 
-        public BytesReference highlighter() {
+        public HighlightBuilder highlighter() {
             return sourceBuilder().highlighter();
         }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilder.java
index 4b627340324..c4c874d4754 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilder.java
@@ -308,9 +308,15 @@ public class HighlightBuilder extends AbstractHighlighterBuilder<HighlightBuilde
      */
     @SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
     private static void transferOptions(AbstractHighlighterBuilder highlighterBuilder, SearchContextHighlight.FieldOptions.Builder targetOptionsBuilder, QueryShardContext context) throws IOException {
-        targetOptionsBuilder.preTags(highlighterBuilder.preTags);
-        targetOptionsBuilder.postTags(highlighterBuilder.postTags);
-        targetOptionsBuilder.scoreOrdered("score".equals(highlighterBuilder.order));
+        if (highlighterBuilder.preTags != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.preTags(highlighterBuilder.preTags);
+        }
+        if (highlighterBuilder.postTags != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.postTags(highlighterBuilder.postTags);
+        }
+        if (highlighterBuilder.order != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.scoreOrdered("score".equals(highlighterBuilder.order));
+        }
         if (highlighterBuilder.highlightFilter != null) {
             targetOptionsBuilder.highlightFilter(highlighterBuilder.highlightFilter);
         }
@@ -326,9 +332,15 @@ public class HighlightBuilder extends AbstractHighlighterBuilder<HighlightBuilde
         if (highlighterBuilder.boundaryMaxScan != null) {
             targetOptionsBuilder.boundaryMaxScan(highlighterBuilder.boundaryMaxScan);
         }
-        targetOptionsBuilder.boundaryChars(convertCharArray(highlighterBuilder.boundaryChars));
-        targetOptionsBuilder.highlighterType(highlighterBuilder.highlighterType);
-        targetOptionsBuilder.fragmenter(highlighterBuilder.fragmenter);
+        if (highlighterBuilder.boundaryChars != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.boundaryChars(convertCharArray(highlighterBuilder.boundaryChars));
+        }
+        if (highlighterBuilder.highlighterType != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.highlighterType(highlighterBuilder.highlighterType);
+        }
+        if (highlighterBuilder.fragmenter != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.fragmenter(highlighterBuilder.fragmenter);
+        }
         if (highlighterBuilder.noMatchSize != null) {
             targetOptionsBuilder.noMatchSize(highlighterBuilder.noMatchSize);
         }
@@ -338,7 +350,9 @@ public class HighlightBuilder extends AbstractHighlighterBuilder<HighlightBuilde
         if (highlighterBuilder.phraseLimit != null) {
             targetOptionsBuilder.phraseLimit(highlighterBuilder.phraseLimit);
         }
-        targetOptionsBuilder.options(highlighterBuilder.options);
+        if (highlighterBuilder.options != null) {
+            targetOptionsBuilder.options(highlighterBuilder.options);
+        }
         if (highlighterBuilder.highlightQuery != null) {
             targetOptionsBuilder.highlightQuery(highlighterBuilder.highlightQuery.toQuery(context));
         }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
index 891ebf7e2d1..b80810fc6d5 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SettingsFilter;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SettingsModule;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.*;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentType;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.AbstractQueryTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.EmptyQueryBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders;
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.AggregationBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.innerhits.InnerHitsBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.innerhits.InnerHitsBuilder.InnerHit;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.fetch.source.FetchSourceContext;
-import org.elasticsearch.search.highlight.HighlightBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.search.highlight.HighlightBuilderTests;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.rescore.RescoreBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.sort.SortBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.sort.SortOrder;
@@ -251,8 +255,7 @@ public class SearchSourceBuilderTests extends ESTestCase {
             }
         }
         if (randomBoolean()) {
-            // NORELEASE need a random highlight builder method
-            builder.highlighter(new HighlightBuilder().field(randomAsciiOfLengthBetween(5, 20)));
+            builder.highlighter(HighlightBuilderTests.randomHighlighterBuilder());
         }
         if (randomBoolean()) {
             // NORELEASE need a random suggest builder method
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilderTests.java
index f527367daca..19068d9506a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightBuilderTests.java
@@ -426,9 +426,9 @@ public class HighlightBuilderTests extends ESTestCase {
     }
 
     /**
-     * create random shape that is put under test
+     * create random highlight builder that is put under test
      */
-    private static HighlightBuilder randomHighlighterBuilder() {
+    public static HighlightBuilder randomHighlighterBuilder() {
         HighlightBuilder testHighlighter = new HighlightBuilder();
         setRandomCommonOptions(testHighlighter);
         testHighlighter.useExplicitFieldOrder(randomBoolean());