diff --git a/panels/strudel.html b/panels/strudel.html
index 69bea11..12940e7 100644
--- a/panels/strudel.html
+++ b/panels/strudel.html
@@ -17,13 +17,7 @@
 
       const strudel = new StrudelSession({
         onError: (...args) => send('onError', args),
-        onHighlight: (docId, phase, haps) => {
-          const settings = window.parent.getSettings();
-          if (!settings.strudelHighlightsEnabled) {
-            return;
-          }
-          highlightMiniLocations(editorViews.get(docId), phase, haps);
-        },
+        onHighlight: (docId, phase, haps) => highlightMiniLocations(editorViews.get(docId), phase, haps),
         onUpdateMiniLocations: (docId, miniLocations) => updateMiniLocations(editorViews.get(docId), miniLocations),
       });
 
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 3a22e7b..1162104 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ const pastingModeCheckbox = document.querySelector('#settings-pasting-mode');
 const fontFamilySelect = document.querySelector('#settings-font-family');
 const strudelHighlightsEnabledCheckbox = document.querySelector('#settings-strudel-highlights-enabled');
 
-console.log(strudelCheckbox.checked);
 function inferSettingsFromDom() {
   const inferredSettings = {
     username: usernameInput?.value ?? defaultSettings.username,
@@ -198,8 +197,11 @@ export async function applySettingsToNudel(settings = getSettings()) {
 
   // Clear all active strudel highlights if the setting is turned off
   if (isSettingChanged('strudelHighlightsEnabled', diff)) {
-    if (!next.strudelHighlightsEnabled) {
+    if (next.strudelHighlightsEnabled) {
+      window.strudel?.framer?.start();
+    } else {
       clearStrudelHighlights();
+      window.strudel?.framer?.stop();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/strudel.js b/src/strudel.js
index f21784d..89177a8 100644
--- a/src/strudel.js
+++ b/src/strudel.js
@@ -110,7 +110,15 @@ export class StrudelSession {
         console.error('[strudel] draw error', err);
       },
     );
-    this.framer.start(); // tbd allow disabling highlighting
+
+    const settings = window.parent.getSettings?.();
+    if (!settings) {
+      throw new Error(`Couldn't get nudel settings within strudel`);
+    }
+
+    if (settings.strudelHighlightsEnabled) {
+      this.framer.start();
+    }
   }
 
   hush() {