diff --git a/doc/xschem_man/developer_info.html b/doc/xschem_man/developer_info.html
index 33adf7b2..587186bc 100644
--- a/doc/xschem_man/developer_info.html
+++ b/doc/xschem_man/developer_info.html
@@ -642,6 +642,8 @@ C {verilog_timescale.sym} 1050 -100 0 0 {name=s1 timestep="1ns" precision="1ns"
    if '3' argument is given combine '1' and '2' </pre>
    <li><kbd>       copy</kbd></li><pre>
    Copy selection to clipboard </pre>
+   <li><kbd>       copy_hilights</kbd></li><pre>
+   Copy hilights hash table from previous schematic to new created tab/window </pre>
    <li><kbd>       copy_hierarchy to from</kbd></li><pre>
    Copy hierarchy info from tab/window "from" to tab/window "to"
    Example: xschem copy_hierarchy .drw .x1.drw </pre>
@@ -1768,6 +1770,7 @@ C {verilog_timescale.sym} 1050 -100 0 0 {name=s1 timestep="1ns" precision="1ns"
 
 
 
+
 
 
  </ul>
diff --git a/src/hilight.c b/src/hilight.c
index d2b4cf83..2ad7e632 100644
--- a/src/hilight.c
+++ b/src/hilight.c
@@ -206,6 +206,38 @@ Hilight_hashentry *hier_hilight_hash_lookup(const char *token, int value, const
   return entry;
 }
 
+/* copy hilight hash table to new created schematic. Used for Alt-e descend */
+void copy_hilights(void)
+{
+  int i;
+  Hilight_hashentry **entry, **new_entry;
+  Xschem_ctx *old_xctx = get_old_xctx();
+
+  for(i=0;i<HASHSIZE; ++i) {
+    entry = &old_xctx->hilight_table[i];
+    new_entry = &xctx->hilight_table[i];
+    while(entry && *entry) {
+      Hilight_hashentry *new = (Hilight_hashentry *)my_calloc(_ALLOC_ID_, 1, sizeof( Hilight_hashentry ));
+        
+      if(*new_entry) (*new_entry) = new;
+      xctx->hilight_nets = 1;
+      
+      my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &(new->token), (*entry)->token);
+      my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &(new->path), (*entry)->path);
+      new->hash = (*entry)->hash;
+      new->oldvalue = (*entry)->oldvalue;
+      new->value = (*entry)->value;
+      new->time = (*entry)->time;
+      new->next = NULL;
+
+      *new_entry = new;
+      entry = &(*entry)->next;
+      new_entry = &(*new_entry)->next;
+    }
+    if(*new_entry) (*new_entry)->next = NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 /* what:
  *  1: list only nets
  *  2: list only intances
diff --git a/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler.c
index 64554b15..85751494 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler.c
@@ -669,6 +669,14 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
       Tcl_ResetResult(interp);
     }
 
+    /* copy_hilights
+     *   Copy hilights hash table from previous schematic to new created tab/window */
+    else if(!strcmp(argv[1], "copy_hilights"))
+    {
+      if(!xctx) {Tcl_SetResult(interp, not_avail, TCL_STATIC); return TCL_ERROR;}
+      copy_hilights();
+      Tcl_ResetResult(interp);
+    }
 
     /* copy_hierarchy to from
      *   Copy hierarchy info from tab/window "from" to tab/window "to"
@@ -1464,7 +1472,7 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
           break;
           case 'l':
           if(!strcmp(argv[2], "last_created_window")) { /* return win_path of last created tab or window */
-            Tcl_SetResult(interp, get_last_created_window(), TCL_VOLATILE);
+            Tcl_SetResult(interp, get_last_created_window_path(), TCL_VOLATILE);
           }
           else if(!strcmp(argv[2], "lastsel")) { /* number of selected objects */
             if(!xctx) {Tcl_SetResult(interp, not_avail, TCL_STATIC); return TCL_ERROR;}
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index 45bd9edd..45c679b6 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ static char window_path[MAX_NEW_WINDOWS][WINDOW_PATH_SIZE];
 /* ==0 if no additional windows/tabs, ==1 if one additional window/tab, ... */
 static int window_count = 0;
 static int last_created_window = -1;
+static Xschem_ctx *old_xctx;
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* EWMH message handling routines 20071027... borrowed from wmctrl code */
@@ -95,7 +96,18 @@ char *get_window_path(int i)
   return window_path[i];
 }
 
-char *get_last_created_window(void)
+Xschem_ctx *get_old_xctx(void)
+{   
+  return old_xctx;
+}   
+
+
+int get_last_created_window(void)
+{
+  return last_created_window;
+}
+
+char *get_last_created_window_path(void)
 {
   if(last_created_window >= 0) {
     return window_path[last_created_window];
@@ -1653,6 +1665,7 @@ static void create_new_window(int *window_count, const char *noconfirm, const ch
     win_id = Tk_WindowId(Tk_NameToWindow(interp, window_path[n], mainwindow));
     Tk_ChangeWindowAttributes(Tk_NameToWindow(interp, window_path[n], mainwindow), CWBackingStore, &winattr);
   }
+  old_xctx = xctx;
   xctx = NULL;
   alloc_xschem_data(toppath, window_path[n]); /* alloc data into xctx */
   xctx->netlist_type = CAD_SPICE_NETLIST; /* for new windows start with spice netlist mode */
@@ -1764,6 +1777,7 @@ static void create_new_tab(int *window_count, const char *noconfirm, const char
 
   my_snprintf(win_path, S(win_path), ".x%d.drw", i);
   my_strncpy(window_path[i], win_path, S(window_path[i]));
+  old_xctx = xctx;
   xctx = NULL;
   alloc_xschem_data("", win_path); /* alloc data into xctx */
   xctx->netlist_type = CAD_SPICE_NETLIST; /* for new windows start with spice netlist mode */
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index b149e9fb..6afcf066 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -1535,10 +1535,12 @@ extern int get_tab_or_window_number(const char *win_path);
 extern void swap_tabs(void);
 extern void swap_windows(int dr);
 extern int check_loaded(const char *f, char *win_path);
-extern char *get_last_created_window(void);
+extern char *get_last_created_window_path(void);
+extern int get_last_created_window(void);
 extern char *get_window_path(int i);
 extern int get_window_count(void);
 extern Xschem_ctx **get_save_xctx(void);
+extern Xschem_ctx *get_old_xctx(void);
 extern void link_symbols_to_instances(int from);
 extern void load_ascii_string(char **ptr, FILE *fd);
 extern char *read_line(FILE *fp, int dbg_level);
@@ -1737,6 +1739,7 @@ extern void propagate_hilights(int set, int clear, int mode);
 extern void  select_connected_nets(int stop_at_junction);
 extern char *resolved_net(const char *net);
 extern void draw_hilight_net(int on_window);
+extern void copy_hilights(void);
 extern void display_hilights(int what, char **str);
 extern void redraw_hilights(int clear);
 extern void set_tcl_netlist_type(void);
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index 4697cf75..281dc473 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -3988,6 +3988,7 @@ proc open_sub_schematic {{inst {}} {inst_number 0}} {
   set res [xschem schematic_in_new_window force]
   # if successfull descend into indicated sub-schematic
   if {$res} {
+    xschem copy_hilights
     xschem new_schematic switch [xschem get last_created_window]
     if { $rawfile ne {}} {
       if {$sim_type eq {op}} {