diff --git a/internal/gui/lightweight.go b/internal/gui/lightweight.go
index d318a6eb..1fe2683f 100644
--- a/internal/gui/lightweight.go
+++ b/internal/gui/lightweight.go
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ func (h *host) makePanel() *application.WebviewWindow {
 	if h.tray != nil {
 		h.tray.AttachWindow(w).WindowOffset(6)
 	}
+	// the icon stays lit while the panel is open (the Mac's)
+	trayOwnClicks()
+	w.OnWindowEvent(events.Mac.WindowShow, func(*application.WindowEvent) { trayHighlight(true) })
+	w.OnWindowEvent(events.Mac.WindowHide, func(*application.WindowEvent) { trayHighlight(false) })
 	return w
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/gui/trayimage_darwin.go b/internal/gui/trayimage_darwin.go
index 9bbb1e49..61a4c69f 100644
--- a/internal/gui/trayimage_darwin.go
+++ b/internal/gui/trayimage_darwin.go
@@ -320,6 +320,31 @@ static void mpHide(void) {
 	});
 }
 
+// mpHighlight lights the item while its panel is open, as the system's own
+// items do.
+static void mpHighlight(int on) {
+	dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+		[mpButton() highlight:on != 0];
+	});
+}
+
+// mpOwnClicks hands a left click on the item to its action before the
+// button sees it: the button's own tracking would light it on mouse-down
+// and put it out on mouse-up, a flicker before mpHighlight's.
+static void mpOwnClicks(void) {
+	static dispatch_once_t once;
+	dispatch_once(&once, ^{
+		dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+			[NSEvent addLocalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask:NSEventMaskLeftMouseDown handler:^NSEvent *(NSEvent *e) {
+				NSStatusBarButton *b = mpButton();
+				if (b == nil || e.window != b.window) return e;
+				[NSApp sendAction:b.action to:b.target from:b];
+				return nil;
+			}];
+		});
+	});
+}
+
 // mpPNG draws the image as the menu bar would at scale, light or dark, on
 // the bar's colour when bg is set: for tests and previews.
 static void *mpPNG(mpTrayCell *cells, int n, const void *bird, int len, CGFloat h, CGFloat scale, int dark, int bg, int *outLen, int *pxW, int *pxH) {
@@ -431,6 +456,12 @@ func trayImageFrame(bird []byte) bool {
 // trayImageHide takes the cells down; the icon set next is the bird alone.
 func trayImageHide() { C.mpHide() }
 
+// trayHighlight lights the tray icon, or puts it out.
+func trayHighlight(on bool) { C.mpHighlight(cBool(on)) }
+
+// trayOwnClicks keeps the button's own highlight out of a click (mpOwnClicks).
+func trayOwnClicks() { C.mpOwnClicks() }
+
 // trayImagePNG is the image as the menu bar h points high draws it at
 // scale (2 for a Retina screen), light or dark, on the bar's colour when
 // bg; with its size in pixels.
diff --git a/internal/gui/trayimage_other.go b/internal/gui/trayimage_other.go
index 4f23a070..41c4bf2f 100644
--- a/internal/gui/trayimage_other.go
+++ b/internal/gui/trayimage_other.go
@@ -10,3 +10,7 @@ func trayImageShow([]trayCell, []byte) bool { return false }
 func trayImageFrame([]byte) bool { return false }
 
 func trayImageHide() {}
+
+func trayHighlight(bool) {}
+
+func trayOwnClicks() {}