diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/list/topic_list_item_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/list/topic_list_item_view.js
index 2d1f6d714..393f662b9 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/list/topic_list_item_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/list/topic_list_item_view.js
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@ Discourse.TopicListItemView = Discourse.GroupedView.extend({
   highlight: function() {
     var $topic = this.$();
     var originalCol = $topic.css('backgroundColor');
-    $topic.css({
-      backgroundColor: "#ffffcc"
-    }).animate({
-      backgroundColor: originalCol
-    }, 2500);
+    $topic
+      .addClass('highlighted')
+      .stop()
+      .animate({ backgroundColor: originalCol }, 2500, 'swing', function(){
+        $topic.removeClass('highlighted');
+      });
   },
 
   didInsertElement: function() {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/application/topic-list.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/topic-list.css.scss
index 87a5e7b5c..1eeb58355 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/application/topic-list.css.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/topic-list.css.scss
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@
         color: $nav-pills-border-color-active;
       }
     }
+    &.highlighted {
+      background-color: $highlight;
+    }
   }
   th,
   td {