diff --git a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
index c4e15e4854..67083e1233 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
@@ -2687,6 +2687,8 @@ fn run_edit(doc: &mut pdfcraft_cos::Document, edit: &Edit, cx: &mut EditCtx) ->
             let ran = xfa::on_event(doc, &tpl, som, activity, &mut run);
             cx.xfa_datasets = run.datasets;
             cx.xfa_ran_away |= run.ran_away;
+            // The next edit of a batch reads the highlight this one's scripts set.
+            cx.highlight = run.highlight;
             ran.map_err(EditError::Invalid)?;
         }
         Edit::SetFieldImage { name, image } => {
@@ -3484,6 +3486,8 @@ fn xfa_after_data_change(doc: &mut pdfcraft_cos::Document, cx: &mut EditCtx, cal
             .unwrap_or_else(|m| Err(format!("laying the form out again failed unexpectedly ({m})")));
         cx.xfa_datasets = run.datasets;
         cx.xfa_ran_away |= run.ran_away;
+        // The next edit of a batch reads the highlight this one's scripts set.
+        cx.highlight = run.highlight;
         if let Err(e) = r {
             cx.xfa_out.errors.push(e);
         }
@@ -4071,6 +4075,8 @@ impl Session {
                     .unwrap_or_else(|m| Err(format!("the form's scripts failed unexpectedly ({m})")));
                 cx.xfa_datasets = run.datasets;
                 cx.xfa_ran_away |= run.ran_away;
+                // The next edit of a batch reads the highlight this one's scripts set.
+                cx.highlight = run.highlight;
                 if let Err(e) = ran {
                     cx.xfa_out.errors.push(e);
                 }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
index 16278390cc..8b739e3056 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
@@ -8102,6 +8102,35 @@ fn a_forms_layout_ready_scripts_run_once_it_is_laid_out() {
     assert!(s.take_js_output(id).requests.is_empty());
 }
 
+/// In a batch of XFA events, a later event's scripts read the field highlight an earlier one's set:
+/// `on`'s click turns it on, and `look`'s click, in the same batch, records what it reads.
+#[test]
+fn a_later_xfa_event_in_a_batch_reads_the_highlight_an_earlier_one_set() {
+    let script = |js: &str| format!(r#"<event activity="click"><script contentType="application/x-javascript">{js}</script></event>"#);
+    let xdp = format!(
+        r##"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<xdp:xdp xmlns:xdp="http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/">
+<template xmlns="http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-template/3.3/">
+<subform name="form" layout="tb">
+ <pageSet><pageArea name="front"><contentArea x="0.5in" y="0.5in" w="7.5in" h="10in"/><medium short="8.5in" long="11in"/></pageArea></pageSet>
+ <field name="on" w="1in" h="0.3in"><ui><button/></ui>{on}</field>
+ <field name="look" w="1in" h="0.3in"><ui><button/></ui>{look}</field>
+ <field name="seen" w="2in" h="0.3in"><ui><textEdit/></ui></field>
+</subform>
+</template>
+</xdp:xdp>
+"##,
+        on = script("app.runtimeHighlight = true;"),
+        look = script("xfa.form.form.seen.rawValue = String(app.runtimeHighlight);"),
+    );
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    let id = s.open("batch.pdf", None, Arc::new(pdfcraft_xfa::fixtures::shell(&xdp)), None).expect("opens");
+    let click = |som: &str| Edit::XfaEvent { som: som.into(), activity: "click".into() };
+    s.apply(id, Edit::Batch { edits: vec![click("form[0].on[0]"), click("form[0].look[0]")], label: "Click".into() }).expect("clicks");
+    let seen = s.get(id).unwrap().form.iter().find(|f| f.name == "seen").map(|f| f.value.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
+    assert_eq!(seen, vec!["true".to_string()]);
+}
+
 /// Field scripts of one edit read the field highlight an earlier one set: `on`'s calculation turns
 /// it on, and `seen`'s, which runs after it, records what it reads.
 #[test]
diff --git a/crates/js/src/tests.rs b/crates/js/src/tests.rs
index d29899125c..9ceb8dbcf2 100644
--- a/crates/js/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/js/src/tests.rs
@@ -1579,6 +1579,16 @@ mod runtime_highlight {
         assert_eq!(o.effects, vec![XfaEffect::Highlight(true)]);
         let o = run_xfa(script, &ev, &XfaDoc { highlight: true, ..Default::default() }, &root, Limits::default());
         assert_eq!((o.result.as_deref(), o.effects.len()), (Some("true,true"), 0), "already on: nothing to ask for");
+        // Past the effect cap the request is dropped, and the script still reads the setting the
+        // viewer has.
+        let full = format!(
+            "for (var i = 0; i < {}; i++) {{ xfa.host.beep(); }} app.runtimeHighlight = true; String(app.runtimeHighlight)",
+            crate::xfa::MAX_EFFECTS
+        );
+        let o = run_xfa(&full, &ev, &XfaDoc::default(), &root, Limits::default());
+        assert_eq!(o.error, None, "{o:?}");
+        assert_eq!(o.result.as_deref(), Some("false"));
+        assert!(!o.effects.contains(&XfaEffect::Highlight(true)));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/js/src/xfa.rs b/crates/js/src/xfa.rs
index 3ad410c0d6..766fbf566c 100644
--- a/crates/js/src/xfa.rs
+++ b/crates/js/src/xfa.rs
@@ -1159,9 +1159,12 @@ fn runtime_highlight(_: &JsValue, _: &[JsValue], ctx: &mut Context) -> JsResult<
 fn set_runtime_highlight(_: &JsValue, args: &[JsValue], ctx: &mut Context) -> JsResult<JsValue> {
     let on = arg(args, 0).to_boolean();
     let mut h = host(ctx)?.borrow_mut();
-    if h.doc.highlight != on {
+    let e = XfaEffect::Highlight(on);
+    // Changed only when the request is kept: past the effect cap the script goes on reading the
+    // setting the viewer has.
+    if h.doc.highlight != on && h.reserve(&e, payload(&e)) {
         h.doc.highlight = on;
-        h.push(XfaEffect::Highlight(on));
+        h.record(e);
     }
     Ok(JsValue::undefined())
 }