diff --git a/editor/plugins/script_text_editor.cpp b/editor/plugins/script_text_editor.cpp
index bdeeaa106d..d4ddaf274f 100644
--- a/editor/plugins/script_text_editor.cpp
+++ b/editor/plugins/script_text_editor.cpp
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ void ScriptTextEditor::_notification(int p_what) {
 	switch (p_what) {
 		case NOTIFICATION_READY:
 			_load_theme_settings();
+			_change_syntax_highlighter(EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("script_text_editor", "syntax_highlighter", 0));
 			break;
 	}
 }
@@ -1058,6 +1059,7 @@ void ScriptTextEditor::_change_syntax_highlighter(int p_idx) {
 	}
 	// highlighter_menu->set_item_checked(p_idx, true);
 	set_syntax_highlighter(highlighters[highlighter_menu->get_item_text(p_idx)]);
+	EditorSettings::get_singleton()->set_project_metadata("script_text_editor", "syntax_highlighter", p_idx);
 }
 
 void ScriptTextEditor::_bind_methods() {
diff --git a/editor/plugins/text_editor.cpp b/editor/plugins/text_editor.cpp
index 3bf4140591..4ff7046a35 100644
--- a/editor/plugins/text_editor.cpp
+++ b/editor/plugins/text_editor.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ void TextEditor::_change_syntax_highlighter(int p_idx) {
 		el = el->next();
 	}
 	set_syntax_highlighter(highlighters[highlighter_menu->get_item_text(p_idx)]);
+	EditorSettings::get_singleton()->set_project_metadata("text_editor", "syntax_highlighter", p_idx);
 }
 
 void TextEditor::_load_theme_settings() {
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ void TextEditor::_notification(int p_what) {
 	switch (p_what) {
 		case NOTIFICATION_READY:
 			_load_theme_settings();
-			set_syntax_highlighter(NULL);
+			_change_syntax_highlighter(EditorSettings::get_singleton()->get_project_metadata("text_editor", "syntax_highlighter", 0));
 			break;
 	}
 }