diff --git a/src/libutil/fmt.cc b/src/libutil/fmt.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..914fb62b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/fmt.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <regex>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+std::string hiliteMatches(const std::string &s, std::vector<std::smatch> matches, std::string prefix, std::string postfix) {
+    // Avoid copy on zero matches
+    if (matches.size() == 0)
+        return s;
+
+    std::sort(matches.begin(), matches.end(), [](const auto &a, const auto &b) {
+        return a.position() < b.position();
+    });
+
+    std::string out;
+    ssize_t last_end = 0;
+
+    for (auto it = matches.begin(); it != matches.end();) {
+        auto m = *it;
+        size_t start = m.position();
+        out.append(s.substr(last_end, m.position() - last_end));
+        // Merge continous matches
+        ssize_t end = start + m.length();
+        while(++it != matches.end() && (*it).position() <= end) {
+            auto n = *it;
+            ssize_t nend = start + (n.position() - start + n.length());
+            if(nend > end)
+                end = nend;
+        }
+        out.append(prefix);
+        out.append(s.substr(start, end - start));
+        out.append(postfix);
+        last_end = end;
+    }
+    out.append(s.substr(last_end));
+    return out;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/libutil/fmt.hh b/src/libutil/fmt.hh
index fd335b811..06c4a2049 100644
--- a/src/libutil/fmt.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/fmt.hh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
 #include <string>
+#include <regex>
 #include "ansicolor.hh"
 
 
@@ -154,4 +155,6 @@ inline hintformat hintfmt(std::string plain_string)
     // we won't be receiving any args in this case, so just print the original string
     return hintfmt("%s", normaltxt(plain_string));
 }
+
+std::string hiliteMatches(const std::string &s, std::vector<std::smatch> matches, std::string prefix, std::string postfix);
 }
diff --git a/src/nix/search.cc b/src/nix/search.cc
index 01211bae3..0d10d8c2e 100644
--- a/src/nix/search.cc
+++ b/src/nix/search.cc
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 #include "shared.hh"
 #include "eval-cache.hh"
 #include "attr-path.hh"
+#include "fmt.hh"
 
-#include <iterator>
 #include <regex>
 #include <fstream>
 
@@ -21,52 +21,6 @@ std::string wrap(std::string prefix, std::string s)
     return prefix + s + ANSI_NORMAL;
 }
 
-#define HILITE_COLOR ANSI_GREEN
-
-std::string hilite(const std::string & s, const std::smatch & m, std::string postfix)
-{
-    return
-        m.empty()
-        ? s
-        : std::string(m.prefix())
-          + HILITE_COLOR + std::string(m.str()) + postfix
-          + std::string(m.suffix());
-}
-
-template<class Iter>
-std::string hilite_all(const std::string &s, Iter matches_first, Iter matches_last, std::string postfix) {
-    // Avoid copy on zero matches
-    if (matches_first == matches_last)
-        return s;
-
-    std::sort(matches_first, matches_last, [](const auto &a, const auto &b) {
-        return a.position() < b.position();
-    });
-
-    std::string out;
-    ssize_t last_end = 0;
-
-    for (Iter it = matches_first; it != matches_last; ++it) {
-        auto m = *it;
-        size_t start = m.position();
-        out.append(s.substr(last_end, m.position() - last_end));
-        // Merge continous matches
-        ssize_t end = start + m.length();
-        while(it + 1 != matches_last && (*(it + 1)).position() <= end) {
-            auto n = *++it;
-            ssize_t nend = start + (n.position() - start + n.length());
-            if(nend > end)
-                end = nend;
-        }
-        out.append(HILITE_COLOR);
-        out.append(s.substr(start, end - start));
-        out.append(postfix);
-        last_end = end;
-    }
-    out.append(s.substr(last_end));
-    return out;
-}
-
 struct CmdSearch : InstallableCommand, MixJSON
 {
     std::vector<std::string> res;
@@ -177,15 +131,15 @@ struct CmdSearch : InstallableCommand, MixJSON
                             jsonElem.attr("version", name.version);
                             jsonElem.attr("description", description);
                         } else {
-                            auto name2 = hilite_all(name.name, nameMatches.begin(), nameMatches.end(), "\e[0;2m");
+                            auto name2 = hiliteMatches(name.name, std::move(nameMatches), ANSI_GREEN, "\e[0;2m");
                             if (results > 1) logger->cout("");
                             logger->cout(
                                 "* %s%s",
-                                wrap("\e[0;1m", hilite_all(attrPath2, attrPathMatches.begin(), attrPathMatches.end(), "\e[0;1m")),
+                                wrap("\e[0;1m", hiliteMatches(attrPath2, std::move(attrPathMatches), ANSI_GREEN, "\e[0;1m")),
                                 name.version != "" ? " (" + name.version + ")" : "");
                             if (description != "")
                                 logger->cout(
-                                    "  %s", hilite_all(description, descriptionMatches.begin(), descriptionMatches.end(), ANSI_NORMAL));
+                                    "  %s", hiliteMatches(description, std::move(descriptionMatches), ANSI_GREEN, ANSI_NORMAL));
                         }
                     }
                 }