diff --git a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readerlink.lua b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readerlink.lua
index 2ee7ea1d4..c06c2e3b4 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readerlink.lua
+++ b/frontend/apps/reader/modules/readerlink.lua
@@ -1016,6 +1016,7 @@ function ReaderLink:showAsFootnotePopup(link, neglect_current_location)
     -- (which might not be seen when covered by FootnoteWidget)
     local close_callback = nil
     if link.from_xpointer then -- coherent xpointer
+        self.ui.document:highlightXPointer() -- clear any previous one
         self.ui.document:highlightXPointer(link.from_xpointer)
         UIManager:setDirty(self.dialog, "ui")
         close_callback = function(footnote_height)
@@ -1055,10 +1056,14 @@ function ReaderLink:showAsFootnotePopup(link, neglect_current_location)
             UIManager:close(popup)
             self:onGotoLink(link, neglect_current_location)
         end,
-        on_tap_close_callback = function(arg, ges)
-            -- on tap outside, see if we are tapping on another footnote,
+        on_tap_close_callback = function(arg, ges, footnote_height)
+            -- On tap outside, see if we are tapping on another footnote,
             -- and display it if we do (avoid the need for 2 taps)
-            self:onTap(arg, ges)
+            if not self:onTap(arg, ges) then
+                -- If we did tap on another link, onTap has already cleared our
+                -- highlight. If not, call close_callback to unhighlight it.
+                close_callback(footnote_height)
+            end
         end,
         dialog = self.dialog,
     }
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/footnotewidget.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/footnotewidget.lua
index 7b386f543..b07843534 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/footnotewidget.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/footnotewidget.lua
@@ -289,9 +289,6 @@ function FootnoteWidget:onShow()
 end
 
 function FootnoteWidget:onCloseWidget()
-    if self.close_callback then
-        self.close_callback(self.height)
-    end
     UIManager:setDirty(self.dialog, function()
         return "partial", self.container.dimen
     end)
@@ -310,7 +307,9 @@ function FootnoteWidget:onTapClose(arg, ges)
         -- it. This avoids having to tap 2 times to
         -- see another footnote.
         if self.on_tap_close_callback then
-            self.on_tap_close_callback(arg, ges)
+            self.on_tap_close_callback(arg, ges, self.height)
+        elseif self.close_callback then
+            self.close_callback(self.height)
         end
         return true
     end
@@ -320,6 +319,9 @@ end
 function FootnoteWidget:onSwipeFollow(arg, ges)
     if ges.direction == "west" then
         if self.follow_callback then
+            if self.close_callback then
+                self.close_callback(self.height)
+            end
             return self.follow_callback()
         end
     elseif ges.direction == "south" or ges.direction == "east" then
@@ -328,6 +330,9 @@ function FootnoteWidget:onSwipeFollow(arg, ges)
         -- work only when started outside the footnote.
         -- Also allow closing with swipe east (like we do to go back
         -- from link)
+        if self.close_callback then
+            self.close_callback(self.height)
+        end
         self:onClose()
         return true
     elseif ges.direction == "north" then