diff --git a/src/docx/oxml/text/font.py b/src/docx/oxml/text/font.py
index 32eb567ba..df87b40f0 100644
--- a/src/docx/oxml/text/font.py
+++ b/src/docx/oxml/text/font.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 from docx.enum.dml import MSO_THEME_COLOR
 from docx.enum.text import WD_COLOR_INDEX, WD_UNDERLINE
-from docx.oxml.ns import nsdecls
+from docx.oxml.ns import nsdecls, qn
 from docx.oxml.parser import parse_xml
 from docx.oxml.simpletypes import (
     ST_HexColor,
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ def highlight_val(self) -> WD_COLOR_INDEX | None:
         highlight = self.highlight
         if highlight is None:
             return None
+        # w:val="none" is a valid ST_HighlightColor value meaning "no highlight";
+        # it's not in WD_COLOR_INDEX so we return None to match the no-element case.
+        if highlight.get(qn("w:val")) == "none":
+            return None
         return highlight.val
 
     @highlight_val.setter
diff --git a/tests/text/test_font.py b/tests/text/test_font.py
index 471c5451b..4416e9bea 100644
--- a/tests/text/test_font.py
+++ b/tests/text/test_font.py
@@ -381,6 +381,8 @@ def it_can_change_its_underline_type(
             ("w:r/w:rPr", None),
             ("w:r/w:rPr/w:highlight{w:val=default}", WD_COLOR.AUTO),
             ("w:r/w:rPr/w:highlight{w:val=blue}", WD_COLOR.BLUE),
+            # w:val="none" is a valid ST_HighlightColor meaning "no highlight"
+            ("w:r/w:rPr/w:highlight{w:val=none}", None),
         ],
     )
     def it_knows_its_highlight_color(self, r_cxml: str, expected_value: WD_COLOR | None):