diff --git a/platform/editor-ui-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/markup/HighlighterLayer.java b/platform/editor-ui-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/markup/HighlighterLayer.java
index 831aab757153..779b3f534315 100644
--- a/platform/editor-ui-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/markup/HighlighterLayer.java
+++ b/platform/editor-ui-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/markup/HighlighterLayer.java
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 package com.intellij.openapi.editor.markup;
 
 public interface HighlighterLayer {
-  int CARET_ROW = 1000;
-  int SYNTAX = 2000;
+  int SYNTAX = 1000;
+  int CARET_ROW = 2000;
   int ADDITIONAL_SYNTAX = 3000;
   int GUARDED_BLOCKS = 3500;
   int WARNING = 4000;
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/IterationState.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/IterationState.java
index f1ac3f8a2bd2..8acaf90927fb 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/IterationState.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/IterationState.java
@@ -462,16 +462,16 @@ public final class IterationState {
         guard = null;
       }
 
-      if (syntax != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.SYNTAX) {
-        cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
-        syntax = null;
-      }
-
       if (caret != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.CARET_ROW) {
         cachedAttributes.add(caret);
         caret = null;
       }
 
+      if (syntax != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.SYNTAX) {
+        cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
+        syntax = null;
+      }
+
       TextAttributes textAttributes = highlighter.getTextAttributes();
       if (textAttributes != null && textAttributes != TextAttributes.ERASE_MARKER) {
         cachedAttributes.add(textAttributes);
@@ -484,8 +484,8 @@ public final class IterationState {
     if (selection != null) cachedAttributes.add(selection);
     if (fold != null) cachedAttributes.add(fold);
     if (guard != null) cachedAttributes.add(guard);
-    if (syntax != null) cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
     if (caret != null) cachedAttributes.add(caret);
+    if (syntax != null) cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
 
     Color fore = null;
     Color back = isInGuardedBlock ? myReadOnlyColor : null;
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/view/IterationState.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/view/IterationState.java
index 620208b280e9..f6066c69f1d5 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/view/IterationState.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/editor/impl/view/IterationState.java
@@ -516,16 +516,16 @@ public class IterationState {
         guard = null;
       }
 
-      if (syntax != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.SYNTAX) {
-        cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
-        syntax = null;
-      }
-
       if (caret != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.CARET_ROW) {
         cachedAttributes.add(caret);
         caret = null;
       }
 
+      if (syntax != null && highlighter.getLayer() < HighlighterLayer.SYNTAX) {
+        cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
+        syntax = null;
+      }
+
       TextAttributes textAttributes = highlighter.getTextAttributes();
       if (textAttributes != null && textAttributes != TextAttributes.ERASE_MARKER) {
         cachedAttributes.add(textAttributes);
@@ -535,8 +535,8 @@ public class IterationState {
     if (selection != null) cachedAttributes.add(selection);
     if (fold != null) cachedAttributes.add(fold);
     if (guard != null) cachedAttributes.add(guard);
-    if (syntax != null) cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
     if (caret != null) cachedAttributes.add(caret);
+    if (syntax != null) cachedAttributes.add(syntax);
 
     Color fore = null;
     Color back = isInGuardedBlock ? myReadOnlyColor : null;
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowHasLowerPriorityThanSyntax.png b/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowHasLowerPriorityThanSyntax.png
deleted file mode 100644
index a1abb680a19d..000000000000
Binary files a/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowHasLowerPriorityThanSyntax.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowWinsOverSyntaxEvenInPresenceOfHighlighter.png b/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowWinsOverSyntaxEvenInPresenceOfHighlighter.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c8fb28e88f96
Binary files /dev/null and b/platform/platform-tests/testData/editor/painting/caretRowWinsOverSyntaxEvenInPresenceOfHighlighter.png differ
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/editor/EditorPaintingTest.java b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/editor/EditorPaintingTest.java
index 197f47d77f7a..72bcca058e93 100644
--- a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/editor/EditorPaintingTest.java
+++ b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/editor/EditorPaintingTest.java
@@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ public class EditorPaintingTest extends AbstractEditorTest {
     checkResult();
   }
   
-  public void testCaretRowHasLowerPriorityThanSyntax() throws Exception {
+  public void testCaretRowWinsOverSyntaxEvenInPresenceOfHighlighter() throws Exception {
     initText("foo");
     setUniformEditorHighlighter(new TextAttributes(null, Color.red, null, null, Font.PLAIN));
+    addRangeHighlighter(0, 3, 0, null, Color.blue);
     checkResult();
   }