diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/ConvenienceNodeWrapper.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/ConvenienceNodeWrapper.java
index 343498b3a4..52208c9b71 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/ConvenienceNodeWrapper.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/ConvenienceNodeWrapper.java
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.util.fxdesigner.util;
 
+import java.util.Collection;
+
+import org.fxmisc.richtext.model.StyledDocument;
+
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.Node;
 
 
@@ -14,6 +18,9 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.Node;
 public interface ConvenienceNodeWrapper {
 
 
+    StyledDocument<Collection<String>, String, Collection<String>> getNodeRichText();
+
+
     Node getNode();
 
 
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/DesignerUtil.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/DesignerUtil.java
index 4bb50d1bec..7e6ff5f1c3 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/DesignerUtil.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/DesignerUtil.java
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ public final class DesignerUtil {
     }
 
 
+    public static URL getCss(String simpleName) {
+        return DesignerUtil.class.getResource("/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/css/" + simpleName);
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Name of the designer's settings file.
      *
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/codearea/NodeStyleSpan.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/codearea/NodeStyleSpan.java
index dac53324d6..5c32769103 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/codearea/NodeStyleSpan.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/codearea/NodeStyleSpan.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import org.fxmisc.richtext.model.Paragraph;
+import org.fxmisc.richtext.model.StyledDocument;
 
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.Node;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.fxdesigner.util.ConvenienceNodeWrapper;
@@ -117,6 +118,11 @@ class NodeStyleSpan {
         }
 
 
+        @Override
+        public StyledDocument<Collection<String>, String, Collection<String>> getNodeRichText() {
+            return codeArea.subDocument(beginIndex, endIndex);
+        }
+
         public int getBeginIndex() {
             return beginIndex;
         }
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/XpathViolationListCell.java b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/XpathViolationListCell.java
index 3503ddec63..f8013d06aa 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/XpathViolationListCell.java
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/util/controls/XpathViolationListCell.java
@@ -5,11 +5,18 @@
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.util.fxdesigner.util.controls;
 
 
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import org.fxmisc.richtext.model.StyleSpan;
+import org.fxmisc.richtext.model.StyledDocument;
+
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.fxdesigner.util.ConvenienceNodeWrapper;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.util.fxdesigner.util.DesignerUtil;
 
 import javafx.scene.control.ListCell;
+import javafx.scene.text.Text;
+import javafx.scene.text.TextFlow;
 
 
 /**
@@ -27,9 +34,42 @@ public class XpathViolationListCell extends ListCell<ConvenienceNodeWrapper> {
             setText(null);
             setGraphic(null);
         } else {
-            String text = TRUNCATION_PATTERN.matcher(item.getNodeText()).replaceFirst("...");
-            setText("(l. " + item.getNode().getBeginLine() + ", c. " + item.getNode().getBeginColumn() + "): " + text);
+            setGraphic(richTextForNode(item));
+//            String text = TRUNCATION_PATTERN.matcher(item.getNodeText()).replaceFirst("...");
+//            setText("(l. " + item.getNode().getBeginLine() + ", c. " + item.getNode().getBeginColumn() + "): " + text);
         }
     }
 
+
+    private TextFlow richTextForNode(ConvenienceNodeWrapper node) {
+        StyledDocument<Collection<String>, String, Collection<String>> richText = node.getNodeRichText();
+
+        TextFlow result = new TextFlow();
+        int lastSpanEnd = 0;
+        for (StyleSpan<Collection<String>> span : richText.getStyleSpans(0, richText.length())) {
+            String spanText = richText.getText(lastSpanEnd, lastSpanEnd + span.getLength());
+            int truncateTo = spanText.indexOf("\n");
+
+            Text text = new Text(truncateTo < 0 ? spanText : spanText.substring(0, truncateTo));
+            text.getStyleClass().addAll(span.getStyle());
+            text.getStyleClass().removeIf(s -> s.endsWith("-highlight"));
+
+            result.getChildren().add(text);
+
+            lastSpanEnd += text.getText().length();
+            if (truncateTo > 0) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // we truncated
+        if (lastSpanEnd < richText.length()) {
+            result.getChildren().add(new Text("..."));
+        }
+
+        result.getStylesheets().add(DesignerUtil.getCss("editor-theme.css").toExternalForm());
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/pmd-ui/src/main/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/less/editor-theme.less b/pmd-ui/src/main/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/less/editor-theme.less
index fbc266e346..dcc14b5f3c 100644
--- a/pmd-ui/src/main/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/less/editor-theme.less
+++ b/pmd-ui/src/main/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/fxdesigner/less/editor-theme.less
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
         rgba(214, 93, 177, 0.7),
         rgba(132, 94, 194, 0.8);
 
+@active-line-focus-color: #fbf4e1;
 
 /* With syntax highlighting, it's more readable to not change the fill color */
 .focus-highlight {
@@ -82,7 +83,6 @@
     -fx-background-color: derive(black, 90%);
 }
 
-@active-line-focus-color: #fbf4e1;
 
 .paragraph-box:has-caret {
     -fx-background-color: #fbf4e1;
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@
 
 .text {
     -fx-fill: #585858;
+}
+
+.styled-text-area .text {
     -fx-font-size: 10.5pt;
 }
 
@@ -124,33 +127,33 @@
 /* Syntax highlighting base */
 /****************************/
 
-.styled-text-area .keyword {
+.keyword {
     -fx-fill: #B58900;
     /* -fx-font-weight: bold; */
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .punctuation {
+.punctuation {
 
 }
 
 
-.styled-text-area .literal {
+.literal {
     -fx-fill: #317ECC;
 }
 
 
-.styled-text-area .comment {
+.comment {
     -fx-fill: #93A1A1;
     -fx-font-style: italic; /* doesn't work... */
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .annotation {
+.annotation {
     -fx-fill: #d30102;
 }
 
 /* Java specific */
 
-.styled-text-area .java.class-identifier {
+.java.class-identifier {
     -fx-fill: #B05A65;
 }
 
@@ -162,48 +165,48 @@
     -fx-font-size: 11.5pt;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xpath.path {
+.xpath.path {
     -fx-font-weight: bold;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xpath.axis {
+.xpath.axis {
     -fx-fill: #B05A65;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xpath.bracket {
+.xpath.bracket {
     -fx-font-weight: bolder;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xpath.attribute {
+.xpath.attribute {
     -fx-fill: #B05A65;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xpath.function {
+.xpath.function {
     -fx-fill: #cc971b;
 }
 
 /* XML specific */
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.xml-prolog {
+.xml.xml-prolog {
     -fx-font-weight: bolder;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.tag-name {
+.xml.tag-name {
     -fx-fill: #B05A65;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.lt-gt {
+.xml.lt-gt {
     -fx-fill: #B05A65;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.attribute-name {
+.xml.attribute-name {
     -fx-fill: #B58900;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.cdata-tag {
+.xml.cdata-tag {
     -fx-fill: #B58900;
 }
 
-.styled-text-area .xml.cdata-content {
+.xml.cdata-content {
     -fx-fill: #93A1A1;
 }
\ No newline at end of file