3 files changed, 11 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/extmark.c b/src/nvim/api/extmark.c
index 320e14b654..f7c3788dad 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/extmark.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/extmark.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Array virt_text_to_array(VirtText vt, bool hl_name, Arena *arena)
     Array hl_array = arena_array(arena, i < j ? j - i + 1 : 0);
     for (; i < j; i++) {
       int hl_id = kv_A(vt, i).hl_id;
-      if (hl_id > 0) {
+      if (hl_id >= 0) {
         ADD_C(hl_array, hl_group_name(hl_id, hl_name));
       }
     }
@@ -131,11 +131,11 @@ Array virt_text_to_array(VirtText vt, bool hl_name, Arena *arena)
     Array chunk = arena_array(arena, 2);
     ADD_C(chunk, CSTR_AS_OBJ(text));
     if (hl_array.size > 0) {
-      if (hl_id > 0) {
+      if (hl_id >= 0) {
         ADD_C(hl_array, hl_group_name(hl_id, hl_name));
       }
       ADD_C(chunk, ARRAY_OBJ(hl_array));
-    } else if (hl_id > 0) {
+    } else if (hl_id >= 0) {
       ADD_C(chunk, hl_group_name(hl_id, hl_name));
     }
     ADD_C(chunks, ARRAY_OBJ(chunk));
@@ -1165,7 +1165,7 @@ VirtText parse_virt_text(Array chunks, Error *err, int *width)
 
     String str = chunk.items[0].data.string;
 
-    int hl_id = 0;
+    int hl_id = -1;
     if (chunk.size == 2) {
       Object hl = chunk.items[1];
       if (hl.type == kObjectTypeArray) {
diff --git a/src/nvim/decoration.c b/src/nvim/decoration.c
index 38b4f8f204..bcfae50c8e 100644
--- a/src/nvim/decoration.c
+++ b/src/nvim/decoration.c
@@ -346,7 +346,12 @@ char *next_virt_text_chunk(VirtText vt, size_t *pos, int *attr)
   for (; text == NULL && *pos < kv_size(vt); (*pos)++) {
     text = kv_A(vt, *pos).text;
     int hl_id = kv_A(vt, *pos).hl_id;
-    *attr = hl_combine_attr(*attr, hl_id > 0 ? syn_id2attr(hl_id) : 0);
+    if (hl_id >= 0) {
+      *attr = MAX(*attr, 0);
+      if (hl_id > 0) {
+        *attr = hl_combine_attr(*attr, syn_id2attr(hl_id));
+      }
+    }
   }
   return text;
 }
diff --git a/src/nvim/decoration_defs.h b/src/nvim/decoration_defs.h
index 8d0075b169..c9475257b1 100644
--- a/src/nvim/decoration_defs.h
+++ b/src/nvim/decoration_defs.h
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 typedef struct {
   char *text;
-  int hl_id;
+  int hl_id;  ///< -1 if not specified
 } VirtTextChunk;
 
 typedef kvec_t(VirtTextChunk) VirtText;