diff --git a/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.test.ts b/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.test.ts
index ba38812b0e142..6e2acbd43846b 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.test.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.test.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,36 @@ describe('formatHit', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('should highlight a subfield even shouldShowFieldHandler determines it should not be shown ', () => {
+    const highlightHit = buildDataTableRecord(
+      {
+        _id: '2',
+        _index: 'logs',
+        fields: {
+          object: ['object'],
+          'object.value': [42, 13],
+        },
+        highlight: { 'object.value': ['%%'] },
+      },
+      dataViewMock
+    );
+
+    const formatted = formatHit(
+      highlightHit,
+      dataViewMock,
+      (fieldName) => ['object'].includes(fieldName),
+      220,
+      fieldFormatsMock
+    );
+
+    expect(formatted).toEqual([
+      ['object.value', 'formatted:42,13', 'object.value'],
+      ['object', ['object'], 'object'],
+      ['_index', 'formatted:logs', '_index'],
+      ['_score', undefined, '_score'],
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it('should filter fields based on their real name not displayName', () => {
     const formatted = formatHit(
       row,
diff --git a/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.ts b/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.ts
index 99913e32cb78c..b29353253df51 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-discover-utils/src/utils/format_hit.ts
@@ -70,9 +70,14 @@ export function formatHit(
     const pairs = highlights[key] ? renderedPairs : otherPairs;
 
     // If the field is a mapped field, we first check if it should be shown,
-    // if not we always include it into the result.
+    // or if it's highlighted, but the parent is not.
+    // If not we always include it into the result.
     if (displayKey) {
-      if (shouldShowFieldHandler(key)) {
+      const multiParent = field.getSubtypeMulti?.()?.multi.parent;
+      const isHighlighted = Boolean(highlights[key]);
+      const isParentHighlighted = Boolean(multiParent && highlights[multiParent]);
+
+      if ((isHighlighted && !isParentHighlighted) || shouldShowFieldHandler(key)) {
         pairs.push([displayKey, undefined, key]);
       }
     } else {
diff --git a/packages/kbn-unified-data-table/src/components/source_document.test.tsx b/packages/kbn-unified-data-table/src/components/source_document.test.tsx
index f48e2b58c8424..25d61312dc242 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-unified-data-table/src/components/source_document.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/kbn-unified-data-table/src/components/source_document.test.tsx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe('Unified data table source document cell rendering', function () {
       />
     );
     expect(component.html()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
-      `"<dl class=\\"euiDescriptionList unifiedDataTable__descriptionList unifiedDataTable__cellValue css-id58dh-euiDescriptionList-inline-left\\" data-test-subj=\\"discoverCellDescriptionList\\" data-type=\\"inline\\"><dt class=\\"euiDescriptionList__title unifiedDataTable__descriptionListTitle css-1fizlic-euiDescriptionList__title-inline-compressed\\">_index</dt><dd class=\\"euiDescriptionList__description unifiedDataTable__descriptionListDescription css-11rdew2-euiDescriptionList__description-inline-compressed\\">test</dd><dt class=\\"euiDescriptionList__title unifiedDataTable__descriptionListTitle css-1fizlic-euiDescriptionList__title-inline-compressed\\">_score</dt><dd class=\\"euiDescriptionList__description unifiedDataTable__descriptionListDescription css-11rdew2-euiDescriptionList__description-inline-compressed\\">1</dd></dl>"`
+      `"<dl class=\\"euiDescriptionList unifiedDataTable__descriptionList unifiedDataTable__cellValue css-id58dh-euiDescriptionList-inline-left\\" data-test-subj=\\"discoverCellDescriptionList\\" data-type=\\"inline\\"><dt class=\\"euiDescriptionList__title unifiedDataTable__descriptionListTitle css-1fizlic-euiDescriptionList__title-inline-compressed\\">extension</dt><dd class=\\"euiDescriptionList__description unifiedDataTable__descriptionListDescription css-11rdew2-euiDescriptionList__description-inline-compressed\\">.gz</dd><dt class=\\"euiDescriptionList__title unifiedDataTable__descriptionListTitle css-1fizlic-euiDescriptionList__title-inline-compressed\\">_index</dt><dd class=\\"euiDescriptionList__description unifiedDataTable__descriptionListDescription css-11rdew2-euiDescriptionList__description-inline-compressed\\">test</dd><dt class=\\"euiDescriptionList__title unifiedDataTable__descriptionListTitle css-1fizlic-euiDescriptionList__title-inline-compressed\\">_score</dt><dd class=\\"euiDescriptionList__description unifiedDataTable__descriptionListDescription css-11rdew2-euiDescriptionList__description-inline-compressed\\">1</dd></dl>"`
     );
   });
 });