diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index b2839f10..edf60c44 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ const CommandDesc add_highlighter_cmd = {
             throw runtime_error("no parent in path");
 
         auto auto_name = [](ConstArrayView<String> params) {
-            return join(params | transform([](StringView s) { return replace(s, "/", "_"); }), "_");
+            return join(params | transform([](StringView s) { return replace(s, "/", "<slash>"); }), "<slash>");
         };
 
         String name{slash.base(), path.end()};
diff --git a/src/highlighter_group.cc b/src/highlighter_group.cc
index a686fc4d..e98ab4aa 100644
--- a/src/highlighter_group.cc
+++ b/src/highlighter_group.cc
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ void HighlighterGroup::add_child(String name, std::unique_ptr<Highlighter>&& hl)
     if ((hl->passes() & passes()) != hl->passes())
         throw runtime_error{"cannot add that highlighter to this group, passes don't match"};
 
-    name = replace(name, "/", "<slash>");
-
     if (m_highlighters.contains(name))
         throw runtime_error(format("duplicate id: '{}'", name));