diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
index 591aaab01d1..1c4a9edca2a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlightPhase.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.regex.Regex;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.DocumentMapper;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.FieldMapper;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.core.KeywordFieldMapper;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.core.StringFieldMapper;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.core.TextFieldMapper;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.internal.SourceFieldMapper;
@@ -113,8 +114,8 @@ public class HighlightPhase extends AbstractComponent implements FetchSubPhase {
                 // If the field was explicitly given we assume that whoever issued the query knew
                 // what they were doing and try to highlight anyway.
                 if (fieldNameContainsWildcards) {
-                    if (fieldMapper.fieldType().typeName().equals(TextFieldMapper.CONTENT_TYPE) == false && fieldMapper.fieldType()
-                        .typeName().equals(StringFieldMapper.CONTENT_TYPE) == false) {
+                    if (fieldMapper.fieldType().typeName().equals(TextFieldMapper.CONTENT_TYPE) == false && fieldMapper.fieldType().typeName().equals
+                        (KeywordFieldMapper.CONTENT_TYPE) == false) {
                         continue;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlighterSearchIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlighterSearchIT.java
index 95be99ac3b6..8b80c7657cf 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlighterSearchIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/highlight/HighlighterSearchIT.java
@@ -2570,4 +2570,34 @@ public class HighlighterSearchIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertNoFailures(search);
         assertThat(search.getHits().totalHits(), equalTo(1L));
     }
+
+    public void testKeywordFieldHighlighting() throws IOException {
+        // check that we do not get an exception for geo_point fields in case someone tries to highlight
+        // it accidential with a wildcard
+        // see https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/17537
+        XContentBuilder mappings = jsonBuilder();
+        mappings.startObject();
+        mappings.startObject("type")
+            .startObject("properties")
+            .startObject("keyword_field")
+            .field("type", "keyword")
+            .endObject()
+            .endObject()
+            .endObject();
+        mappings.endObject();
+        assertAcked(prepareCreate("test")
+            .addMapping("type", mappings));
+        ensureYellow();
+
+        client().prepareIndex("test", "type", "1")
+            .setSource(jsonBuilder().startObject().field("keyword_field", "some text").endObject())
+            .get();
+        refresh();
+        SearchResponse search = client().prepareSearch().setSource(
+            new SearchSourceBuilder().query(QueryBuilders.matchQuery("keyword_field", "some text")).highlighter(new HighlightBuilder().field("*")))
+            .get();
+        assertNoFailures(search);
+        assertThat(search.getHits().totalHits(), equalTo(1L));
+        assertThat(search.getHits().getAt(0).getHighlightFields().get("keyword_field").getFragments()[0].string(), equalTo("<em>some text</em>"));
+    }
 }