diff --git a/main.lua b/main.lua
index fb3bf43..ce6a066 100644
--- a/main.lua
+++ b/main.lua
@@ -876,6 +876,20 @@ function Bookhoard:collectAnnotations()
         return p or ""
     end
 
+    local function echoColor(bm)
+        -- Color the device can vouch for as user intent:
+        --  - entries we applied ourselves carry the device DEFAULT color
+        --    (set at apply time); pushing it back would clobber the web
+        --    color. Suppress it unless the user has edited the entry since
+        --    (datetime_updated — set by KOReader on any modification).
+        --  - device-native entries carry a user-chosen (or default) color;
+        --    those push their color as before.
+        if bm.bookhoard_dedup_key and not bm.datetime_updated then
+            return nil
+        end
+        return bm.color
+    end
+
     for _, bm in ipairs(entries) do
         local sel_text, user_note
         if model == "v2" then
@@ -936,8 +950,9 @@ function Bookhoard:collectAnnotations()
             table.insert(notes, entry)
         elseif has_text then
             entry.type = "highlight"
-            if bm.color then
-                entry.color = bm.color
+            local ec = echoColor(bm)
+            if ec then
+                entry.color = ec
             end
             table.insert(highlights, entry)
         else
@@ -1325,10 +1340,15 @@ function Bookhoard:applyServerAnnotations(annotations)
                 entry.drawer = "lighten"
                 entry.text = srv_text
                 if srv_notes ~= "" then entry.note = srv_notes end
-                -- No color imposed: devices render their own default and
-                -- cannot round-trip web colors; the web color only changes
-                -- when the highlight is edited here (the edit sets a device
-                -- color, which syncs back by name).
+                -- Match the device's native highlight look exactly: native
+                -- highlights carry view.highlight.saved_color ("yellow" on
+                -- color screens); a nil color renders grey (darkenRect).
+                -- Synced entries still never push this color back (see
+                -- collectAnnotations) — the web color only changes when the
+                -- highlight is edited here.
+                local default_color = (self.ui.view and self.ui.view.highlight
+                    and self.ui.view.highlight.saved_color) or "yellow"
+                entry.color = default_color
             else
                 if srv_text ~= "" then entry.note = srv_text end -- bookmark label
             end
@@ -1426,8 +1446,12 @@ function Bookhoard:applyServerAnnotations(annotations)
         if self.ui.saveSettings then
             self.ui:saveSettings()
         end
-        -- ReaderView paints annotations from the model on each repaint;
-        -- request one so applied highlights appear immediately.
+        -- ReaderView caches each rendered page's highlight boxes and only
+        -- invalidates them on AnnotationsModified — without this, applied
+        -- annotations don't paint until restart despite the repaint.
+        -- A non-table payload clears the whole cache (per-item payloads
+        -- only remove the pages of the listed items).
+        self.ui:handleEvent(Event:new("AnnotationsModified", nil))
         if self.ui.dialog then
             UIManager:setDirty(self.ui.dialog, "ui")
         end