diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/LayoutManager.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/LayoutManager.java
index f9b220770..350924b04 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/LayoutManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/LayoutManager.java
@@ -825,9 +825,22 @@ public static void drawButtonBackground(int x, int y, int w, int h, boolean edge
         drawTexturedModalRect(x2, y2, tx2, ty2, w2, h2); // bottom right
     }
 
-    public static void drawItemPresenceOverlay(int slotX, int slotY, boolean isPresent) {
-        Image icon = itemPresenceOverlays[isPresent ? 1 : 0];
-        drawIcon(slotX + 16 - icon.width, slotY + 16 - icon.height, icon);
+    public static void drawItemPresenceOverlay(int slotX, int slotY, boolean isPresent, boolean slotHighlight) {
+
+        if (slotHighlight) {
+            if (isPresent) return;
+            GL11.glDisable(GL11.GL_LIGHTING);
+            GL11.glDisable(GL11.GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+            GL11.glTranslatef(0, 0, -150);
+            drawRect(slotX, slotY, 16, 16, 0x80AA0000);
+            GL11.glTranslatef(0, 0, 150);
+            GL11.glEnable(GL11.GL_LIGHTING);
+            GL11.glEnable(GL11.GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+        } else {
+            Image icon = itemPresenceOverlays[isPresent ? 1 : 0];
+            drawIcon(slotX + 16 - icon.width, slotY + 16 - icon.height, icon);
+        }
+
     }
 
     public static LayoutManager instance() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/NEIClientConfig.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/NEIClientConfig.java
index b5cedc258..3a9281b54 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/NEIClientConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/NEIClientConfig.java
@@ -289,6 +289,11 @@ public boolean onClick(int button) {
                 .setComment("Require holding shift to move items when overlaying recipe").getBooleanValue(true);
         API.addOption(new OptionToggleButton("inventory.shift_overlay_recipe", true));
 
+        tag.getTag("inventory.slotHighlight")
+                .setComment("Highlight the entire slot instead of just showing an icon for the recipe overlay")
+                .getBooleanValue(true);
+        API.addOption(new OptionToggleButton("inventory.slotHighlight", true));
+
         tag.getTag("tools.handler_load_from_config").setComment("ADVANCED: Load handlers from config")
                 .getBooleanValue(false);
         API.addOption(new OptionToggleButton("tools.handler_load_from_config", true) {
@@ -629,6 +634,10 @@ public static boolean requireShiftForOverlayRecipe() {
         return getBooleanSetting("inventory.shift_overlay_recipe");
     }
 
+    public static boolean isSlotHighlightEnabled() {
+        return getBooleanSetting("inventory.slotHighlight");
+    }
+
     public static boolean isEnabled() {
         return enabledOverride && getBooleanSetting("inventory.widgetsenabled");
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/recipe/GuiRecipe.java b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/recipe/GuiRecipe.java
index 0e133b080..43c92953a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/recipe/GuiRecipe.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codechicken/nei/recipe/GuiRecipe.java
@@ -1011,6 +1011,7 @@ public void drawGuiContainerForegroundLayer(int mouseX, int mouseY) {
         }
 
         final boolean drawItemPresence = NEIClientConfig.isJEIStyleItemPresenceOverlayVisible();
+        final boolean slotHighlight = NEIClientConfig.isSlotHighlightEnabled();
 
         GL11.glPushMatrix();
         GL11.glTranslatef(5, 32 - ySkip + yShift, 0);
@@ -1036,7 +1037,7 @@ public void drawGuiContainerForegroundLayer(int mouseX, int mouseY) {
                     for (int j = 0; j < ingredients.size(); j++) {
                         PositionedStack stack = ingredients.get(j);
                         boolean isPresent = itemPresenceCacheSlots.get(j);
-                        LayoutManager.drawItemPresenceOverlay(stack.relx, stack.rely, isPresent);
+                        LayoutManager.drawItemPresenceOverlay(stack.relx, stack.rely, isPresent, slotHighlight);
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/assets/nei/lang/en_US.lang b/src/main/resources/assets/nei/lang/en_US.lang
index 367e7d4ae..dac2ca5e8 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/assets/nei/lang/en_US.lang
+++ b/src/main/resources/assets/nei/lang/en_US.lang
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ nei.options.inventory.jei_style_cycled_ingredients.false=No
 nei.options.inventory.shift_overlay_recipe=Require holding shift to move items when overlaying recipe
 nei.options.inventory.shift_overlay_recipe.true=Yes
 nei.options.inventory.shift_overlay_recipe.false=No
+nei.options.inventory.slotHighlight=Highlight the entire slot instead of just showing an icon for the recipe overlay
+nei.options.inventory.slotHighlight.true=Yes
+nei.options.inventory.slotHighlight.false=No
 nei.options.inventory.widgetsenabled.true=NEI Enabled
 nei.options.inventory.widgetsenabled.false=NEI Disabled
 nei.options.inventory.cheatmode.0=Recipe Mode