diff --git a/plugins/builtin/include/content/text_highlighting/pattern_language.hpp b/plugins/builtin/include/content/text_highlighting/pattern_language.hpp
index e91b76ca8..82b6c0c66 100644
--- a/plugins/builtin/include/content/text_highlighting/pattern_language.hpp
+++ b/plugins/builtin/include/content/text_highlighting/pattern_language.hpp
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ namespace hex::plugin::builtin {
         };
         std::atomic<bool>  m_needsToUpdateColors = true;
         std::atomic<bool>  m_wasInterrupted = false;
+        std::atomic<bool>  m_interrupt = false;
+
+
+        void interrupt() {
+            m_interrupt = true;
+        }
 
         TextHighlighter(ViewPatternEditor *viewPatternEditor, std::unique_ptr<pl::PatternLanguage> *patternLanguage ) :
                 m_viewPatternEditor(viewPatternEditor), patternLanguage(patternLanguage), m_needsToUpdateColors(true) {}
@@ -315,6 +321,10 @@ namespace hex::plugin::builtin {
         }
 
         void next(i32 count = 1) {
+            if (m_interrupt) {
+                m_interrupt = false;
+                throw std::out_of_range("Highlights were deliberately interrupted");
+            }
             if (count == 0)
                 return;
             i32 id = getTokenId(m_curr->location);
diff --git a/plugins/builtin/source/content/views/view_pattern_editor.cpp b/plugins/builtin/source/content/views/view_pattern_editor.cpp
index b105a8bfe..5bf38ae69 100644
--- a/plugins/builtin/source/content/views/view_pattern_editor.cpp
+++ b/plugins/builtin/source/content/views/view_pattern_editor.cpp
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ namespace hex::plugin::builtin {
                     m_changesWereParsed = false;
                     taskHolder = TaskManager::createBackgroundTask("HighlightSourceCode", [this](auto &) { m_textHighlighter.highlightSourceCode(); });
                 } else {
-                    taskHolder.interrupt();
+                    m_textHighlighter.interrupt();
                 }
             }
         }