diff --git a/runelite-client/src/main/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPlugin.java b/runelite-client/src/main/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPlugin.java
index e2e2699f2a..16127de3b6 100644
--- a/runelite-client/src/main/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPlugin.java
+++ b/runelite-client/src/main/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPlugin.java
@@ -117,9 +117,12 @@ public class ChatNotificationsPlugin extends Plugin
 		{
 			List<String> items = Text.fromCSV(config.highlightWordsString());
 			String joined = items.stream()
+				.map(Text::escapeJagex) // we compare these strings to the raw Jagex ones
 				.map(Pattern::quote)
 				.collect(Collectors.joining("|"));
-			highlightMatcher = Pattern.compile("\\b(" + joined + ")\\b", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
+			// To match <word> \b doesn't work due to <> not being in \w,
+			// so match \b or \s
+			highlightMatcher = Pattern.compile("(?:\\b|(?<=\\s))(" + joined + ")(?:\\b|(?=\\s))", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -127,7 +130,6 @@ public class ChatNotificationsPlugin extends Plugin
 	public void onChatMessage(ChatMessage chatMessage)
 	{
 		MessageNode messageNode = chatMessage.getMessageNode();
-		String nodeValue = Text.removeTags(messageNode.getValue());
 		boolean update = false;
 
 		switch (chatMessage.getType())
@@ -177,6 +179,7 @@ public class ChatNotificationsPlugin extends Plugin
 
 		if (highlightMatcher != null)
 		{
+			String nodeValue = messageNode.getValue();
 			Matcher matcher = highlightMatcher.matcher(nodeValue);
 			boolean found = false;
 			StringBuffer stringBuffer = new StringBuffer();
diff --git a/runelite-client/src/test/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPluginTest.java b/runelite-client/src/test/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPluginTest.java
index 6c154eaa9b..ffa54ccbae 100644
--- a/runelite-client/src/test/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPluginTest.java
+++ b/runelite-client/src/test/java/net/runelite/client/plugins/chatnotifications/ChatNotificationsPluginTest.java
@@ -93,6 +93,44 @@ public class ChatNotificationsPluginTest
 		verify(messageNode).setValue("<colHIGHLIGHT>Deathbeam<colNORMAL>, <colHIGHLIGHT>Deathbeam<colNORMAL> OSRS");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testLtGt()
+	{
+		when(config.highlightWordsString()).thenReturn("<test>");
+
+		String message = "test <lt>test<gt> test";
+		MessageNode messageNode = mock(MessageNode.class);
+		when(messageNode.getValue()).thenReturn(message);
+
+		ChatMessage chatMessage = new ChatMessage();
+		chatMessage.setType(ChatMessageType.PUBLICCHAT);
+		chatMessage.setMessageNode(messageNode);
+
+		chatNotificationsPlugin.startUp(); // load highlight config
+		chatNotificationsPlugin.onChatMessage(chatMessage);
+
+		verify(messageNode).setValue("test <colHIGHLIGHT><lt>test<gt><colNORMAL> test");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testFullStop()
+	{
+		when(config.highlightWordsString()).thenReturn("test");
+
+		String message = "foo test. bar";
+		MessageNode messageNode = mock(MessageNode.class);
+		when(messageNode.getValue()).thenReturn(message);
+
+		ChatMessage chatMessage = new ChatMessage();
+		chatMessage.setType(ChatMessageType.PUBLICCHAT);
+		chatMessage.setMessageNode(messageNode);
+
+		chatNotificationsPlugin.startUp(); // load highlight config
+		chatNotificationsPlugin.onChatMessage(chatMessage);
+
+		verify(messageNode).setValue("foo <colHIGHLIGHT>test<colNORMAL>. bar");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void highlightListTest()
 	{