diff --git a/browser-entry.js b/browser-entry.js
index c496d2715d..4876ad5614 100644
--- a/browser-entry.js
+++ b/browser-entry.js
@@ -130,12 +130,6 @@ mocha.setup = function(opts) {
   }
   for (var opt in opts) {
     if (opts.hasOwnProperty(opt)) {
-      if (opt === 'noHighlighting' && opt) {
-        require('./lib/utils').deprecate(
-          'noHighlighting is deprecated; provide {reporterOption: {highlight: false}} to mocha.setup().'
-        );
-      }
-
       if (opt === 'reporterOptions') {
         this.options.reporterOptions = opts[opt];
       } else {
diff --git a/lib/mocha.js b/lib/mocha.js
index 106c70a2ac..06b626b631 100644
--- a/lib/mocha.js
+++ b/lib/mocha.js
@@ -682,15 +682,17 @@ Mocha.prototype.asyncOnly = function() {
  * Disables syntax highlighting (in browser).
  *
  * @public
+ * @param {boolean} enableHighlight - Whether to enable highlight.
  * @return {Mocha} this
  * @chainable
  */
-Mocha.prototype.noHighlighting = function() {
+Mocha.prototype.noHighlighting = function(enableHighlight) {
   utils.deprecate(
     'noHighlighting is deprecated; provide {reporterOption: {highlight: false}} to mocha.setup().'
   );
-
-  this.options.noHighlighting = true;
+  this.options.reporterOptions = this.options.reporterOptions || {};
+  this.options.reporterOptions.highlight =
+    enableHighlight !== undefined && enableHighlight !== true;
   return this;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/reporters/html.js b/lib/reporters/html.js
index 6c75d0d660..35d59d7c2a 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/html.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/html.js
@@ -59,19 +59,14 @@ var playIcon = '‣';
  */
 function HTML(runner, options) {
   Base.call(this, runner, options);
-  for (var opt in options) {
-    if (options.hasOwnProperty(opt) && opt === 'reporterOptions') {
-      if (
-        options[opt] &&
-        (options[opt].highlight ||
-          typeof options[opt].highlight === 'undefined')
-      ) {
-        options[opt].highlight = true;
-      }
-      if (!options[opt]) {
-        options[opt] = {highlight: true};
-      }
-    }
+
+  var enableHighlight = true;
+  if (
+    options.reporterOptions &&
+    options.reporterOptions.hasOwnProperty('highlight') &&
+    !options.reporterOptions.highlight
+  ) {
+    enableHighlight = false;
   }
 
   var self = this;
@@ -240,7 +235,7 @@ function HTML(runner, options) {
   });
 
   runner.once(EVENT_RUN_END, function() {
-    if (options.reporterOptions.highlight) {
+    if (enableHighlight) {
       utils.highlightTags('code');
     }
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/mocha.spec.js b/test/unit/mocha.spec.js
index 648853feab..4dfe632b29 100644
--- a/test/unit/mocha.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/mocha.spec.js
@@ -289,10 +289,15 @@ describe('Mocha', function() {
 
   describe('#noHighlighting()', function() {
     // :NOTE: Browser-only option...
-    it('should set the noHighlighting option to true', function() {
+    it('should set the reporterOptions.highlight to false', function() {
       var mocha = new Mocha(opts);
       mocha.noHighlighting();
-      expect(mocha.options, 'to have property', 'noHighlighting', true);
+      expect(
+        mocha.options.reporterOptions,
+        'to have property',
+        'highlight',
+        false
+      );
     });
 
     it('should be chainable', function() {