diff --git a/book/src/themes.md b/book/src/themes.md
index 80fee3d75a53..2ece249124b3 100644
--- a/book/src/themes.md
+++ b/book/src/themes.md
@@ -46,48 +46,55 @@ Possible modifiers:
 
 Possible keys:
 
-| Key                     | Notes                               |
-| ---                     | ---                                 |
-| `attribute`             |                                     |
-| `keyword`               |                                     |
-| `keyword.directive`     | Preprocessor directives (\#if in C) |
-| `namespace`             |                                     |
-| `punctuation`           |                                     |
-| `punctuation.delimiter` |                                     |
-| `operator`              |                                     |
-| `special`               |                                     |
-| `property`              |                                     |
-| `variable`              |                                     |
-| `variable.parameter`    |                                     |
-| `type`                  |                                     |
-| `type.builtin`          |                                     |
-| `constructor`           |                                     |
-| `function`              |                                     |
-| `function.macro`        |                                     |
-| `function.builtin`      |                                     |
-| `comment`               |                                     |
-| `variable.builtin`      |                                     |
-| `constant`              |                                     |
-| `constant.builtin`      |                                     |
-| `string`                |                                     |
-| `number`                |                                     |
-| `escape`                | Escaped characters                  |
-| `label`                 | For lifetimes                       |
-| `module`                |                                     |
-| `ui.background`         |                                     |
-| `ui.linenr`             |                                     |
-| `ui.statusline`         |                                     |
-| `ui.popup`              |                                     |
-| `ui.window`             |                                     |
-| `ui.help`               |                                     |
-| `ui.text`               |                                     |
-| `ui.text.focus`         |                                     |
-| `ui.menu.selected`      |                                     |
-| `ui.selection`          | For selections in the editing area  |
-| `warning`               | LSP warning                         |
-| `error`                 | LSP error                           |
-| `info`                  | LSP info                            |
-| `hint`                  | LSP hint                            |
+| Key                      | Notes                               |
+| ---                      | ---                                 |
+| `attribute`              |                                     |
+| `keyword`                |                                     |
+| `keyword.directive`      | Preprocessor directives (\#if in C) |
+| `namespace`              |                                     |
+| `punctuation`            |                                     |
+| `punctuation.delimiter`  |                                     |
+| `operator`               |                                     |
+| `special`                |                                     |
+| `property`               |                                     |
+| `variable`               |                                     |
+| `variable.parameter`     |                                     |
+| `type`                   |                                     |
+| `type.builtin`           |                                     |
+| `constructor`            |                                     |
+| `function`               |                                     |
+| `function.macro`         |                                     |
+| `function.builtin`       |                                     |
+| `comment`                |                                     |
+| `variable.builtin`       |                                     |
+| `constant`               |                                     |
+| `constant.builtin`       |                                     |
+| `string`                 |                                     |
+| `number`                 |                                     |
+| `escape`                 | Escaped characters                  |
+| `label`                  | For lifetimes                       |
+| `module`                 |                                     |
+| `ui.background`          |                                     |
+| `ui.cursor`              |                                     |
+| `ui.cursor.insert`       |                                     |
+| `ui.cursor.select`       |                                     |
+| `ui.cursor.match`        | Matching bracket etc.               |
+| `ui.cursor.primary`      | Cursor with primary selection       |
+| `ui.linenr`              |                                     |
+| `ui.statusline`          |                                     |
+| `ui.statusline.inactive` |                                     |
+| `ui.popup`               |                                     |
+| `ui.window`              |                                     |
+| `ui.help`                |                                     |
+| `ui.text`                |                                     |
+| `ui.text.focus`          |                                     |
+| `ui.menu.selected`       |                                     |
+| `ui.selection`           | For selections in the editing area  |
+| `ui.selection.primary`   |                                     |
+| `warning`                | LSP warning                         |
+| `error`                  | LSP error                           |
+| `info`                   | LSP info                            |
+| `hint`                   | LSP hint                            |
 
 These keys match [tree-sitter scopes](https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/syntax-highlighting#theme). We half-follow the common scopes from [macromates language grammars](https://macromates.com/manual/en/language_grammars) with some differences.
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
index 7f0d06e983a7..c1f23cbbbf47 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
@@ -275,21 +275,53 @@ impl EditorView {
                 let end = text.line_to_char(last_line + 1);
                 Range::new(start, end)
             };
-            let cursor_style = Style::default()
-                // .bg(Color::Rgb(255, 255, 255))
-                .add_modifier(Modifier::REVERSED);
+
+            let mode = doc.mode();
+            let base_cursor_style = theme
+                .try_get("ui.cursor")
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| Style::default().add_modifier(Modifier::REVERSED));
+            let cursor_style = match mode {
+                Mode::Insert => theme.try_get("ui.cursor.insert"),
+                Mode::Select => theme.try_get("ui.cursor.select"),
+                Mode::Normal => Some(base_cursor_style),
+            }
+            .unwrap_or(base_cursor_style);
+            let primary_cursor_style = theme
+                .try_get("ui.cursor.primary")
+                .map(|style| {
+                    if mode != Mode::Normal {
+                        // we want to make sure that the insert and select highlights
+                        // also affect the primary cursor if set
+                        style.patch(cursor_style)
+                    } else {
+                        style
+                    }
+                })
+                .unwrap_or(cursor_style);
 
             let selection_style = theme.get("ui.selection");
+            let primary_selection_style = theme
+                .try_get("ui.selection.primary")
+                .unwrap_or(selection_style);
+
+            let selection = doc.selection(view.id);
+            let primary_idx = selection.primary_index();
 
-            for selection in doc
-                .selection(view.id)
+            for (i, selection) in selection
                 .iter()
-                .filter(|range| range.overlaps(&screen))
+                .enumerate()
+                .filter(|(_, range)| range.overlaps(&screen))
             {
                 // TODO: render also if only one of the ranges is in viewport
                 let mut start = view.screen_coords_at_pos(doc, text, selection.anchor);
                 let mut end = view.screen_coords_at_pos(doc, text, selection.head);
 
+                let (cursor_style, selection_style) = if i == primary_idx {
+                    (primary_cursor_style, primary_selection_style)
+                } else {
+                    (cursor_style, selection_style)
+                };
+
                 let head = end;
 
                 if selection.head < selection.anchor {
@@ -382,9 +414,12 @@ impl EditorView {
                                 if (pos.col as u16) < viewport.width + view.first_col as u16
                                     && pos.col >= view.first_col
                                 {
-                                    let style = Style::default()
-                                        .add_modifier(Modifier::REVERSED)
-                                        .add_modifier(Modifier::DIM);
+                                    let style =
+                                        theme.try_get("ui.cursor.match").unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                                            Style::default()
+                                                .add_modifier(Modifier::REVERSED)
+                                                .add_modifier(Modifier::DIM)
+                                        });
 
                                     surface
                                         .get_mut(
diff --git a/theme.toml b/theme.toml
index a4f402675d93..6c357ef47d2d 100644
--- a/theme.toml
+++ b/theme.toml
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@
 "ui.text" = { fg = "#a4a0e8" } # lavender
 "ui.text.focus" = { fg = "#dbbfef"} # lilac
 
-"ui.selection" = { bg = "#540099" }
+"ui.selection" = { bg = "#44258b" }
+"ui.selection.primary" = { bg = "#540099" }
 "ui.menu.selected" = { fg = "#281733", bg = "#ffffff" } # revolver
 
 "warning" = "#ffcd1c"