diff --git a/after/syntax/gitlab.vim b/after/syntax/gitlab.vim
index 865337c0..d19182c5 100644
--- a/after/syntax/gitlab.vim
+++ b/after/syntax/gitlab.vim
@@ -2,32 +2,26 @@ if filereadable($VIMRUNTIME . '/syntax/markdown.vim')
   source $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/markdown.vim
 endif
 
-syntax match Date "\v\d+\s+\w+\s+ago"
-highlight link Date GitlabDate
-
-execute 'syntax match Unresolved /\s' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unresolved . '\s\?/'
-highlight link Unresolved GitlabUnresolved
-
-execute 'syntax match Unlinked /\s' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unlinked . '\s\?/'
-highlight link Unlinked GitlabUnlinked
-
-execute 'syntax match Resolved /\s' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_resolved . '\s\?/'
-highlight link Resolved GitlabResolved
-
-execute 'syntax match GitlabDiscussionOpen /^\s*' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_open . '/'
-highlight link GitlabDiscussionOpen GitlabExpander
-
-execute 'syntax match GitlabDiscussionClosed /^\s*' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_closed . '/'
-highlight link GitlabDiscussionClosed GitlabExpander
-
-execute 'syntax match Draft /' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_draft . '/'
-highlight link Draft GitlabDraft
-
-execute 'syntax match Username "@[a-zA-Z0-9.]\+"'
-highlight link Username GitlabUsername
-
-execute 'syntax match Mention "\%(' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_open . '\|'
-  \ . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_closed . '\)\@<!@[a-zA-Z0-9.]*"'
-highlight link Mention GitlabMention
+let expanders = '^\s*\%(' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_open . '\|' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_closed . '\)'
+let username = '@[a-zA-Z0-9.]\+'
+
+" Covers times like '14 days ago', 'just now', as well as 'October  3, 2024'
+let time_ago = '\d\+ \w\+ ago'
+let formatted_date = '\w\+ \{1,2}\d\{1,2}, \d\{4}'
+let date = '\%(' . time_ago . '\|' . formatted_date . '\|just now\)'
+
+let published = date . ' \%(' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_resolved . '\|' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unresolved . '\|' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unlinked . '\)\?'
+let state = ' \%(' . published . '\|' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_draft . '\)'
+
+execute 'syntax match GitlabNoteHeader "' . expanders . username . state . '" contains=GitlabDate,GitlabUnresolved,GitlabUnlinked,GitlabResolved,GitlabExpander,GitlabDraft,GitlabUsername'
+
+execute 'syntax match GitlabDate "' . date . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabUnresolved "' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unresolved . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabUnlinked "' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_unlinked . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabResolved "' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_resolved . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabExpander "' . expanders . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabDraft "' . g:gitlab_discussion_tree_draft . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabUsername "' . username . '" contained'
+execute 'syntax match GitlabMention "' . username . '"'
 
 let b:current_syntax = 'gitlab'
diff --git a/doc/gitlab.nvim.txt b/doc/gitlab.nvim.txt
index a04c5272..c9dd0dff 100644
--- a/doc/gitlab.nvim.txt
+++ b/doc/gitlab.nvim.txt
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ you call this function with no values the defaults will be used:
         relative = "editor", -- Position of tree split relative to "editor" or "window"
         resolved = '✓', -- Symbol to show next to resolved discussions
         unresolved = '-', -- Symbol to show next to unresolved discussions
+        unlinked = "󰌸", -- Symbol to show next to unliked comments (i.e., not threads)
+        draft = "✎", -- Symbol to show next to draft comments/notes
         tree_type = "simple", -- Type of discussion tree - "simple" means just list of discussions, "by_file_name" means file tree with discussions under file
         draft_mode = false, -- Whether comments are posted as drafts as part of a review
         winbar = nil -- Custom function to return winbar title, should return a string. Provided with WinbarTable (defined in annotations.lua)
diff --git a/lua/gitlab/actions/common.lua b/lua/gitlab/actions/common.lua
index 99d5a57d..a6734d26 100644
--- a/lua/gitlab/actions/common.lua
+++ b/lua/gitlab/actions/common.lua
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ local M = {}
 ---@return string
 M.build_note_header = function(note)
   if note.note then
-    return "@" .. state.USER.username .. " " .. "✎"
+    return "@" .. state.USER.username .. " " .. state.settings.discussion_tree.draft
   end
   return "@" .. note.author.username .. " " .. u.time_since(note.created_at)
 end
diff --git a/lua/gitlab/actions/discussions/winbar.lua b/lua/gitlab/actions/discussions/winbar.lua
index 09c4c6a9..8f92f433 100644
--- a/lua/gitlab/actions/discussions/winbar.lua
+++ b/lua/gitlab/actions/discussions/winbar.lua
@@ -222,7 +222,14 @@ end
 
 M.get_drafts_text = function(base_title, drafts_count, focused)
   return get_connector(base_title)
-    .. string.format("%d%s", drafts_count, (focused and ("%#GitlabDraft#" .. "✎" .. "%#Text#") or "✎"))
+    .. string.format(
+      "%d%s",
+      drafts_count,
+      (
+        focused and ("%#GitlabDraft#" .. state.settings.discussion_tree.draft .. "%#Text#")
+        or state.settings.discussion_tree.draft
+      )
+    )
 end
 
 M.get_nonresolveable_text = function(base_title, non_resolvable_count, focused)
diff --git a/lua/gitlab/actions/help.lua b/lua/gitlab/actions/help.lua
index 4e1b652a..991a1623 100644
--- a/lua/gitlab/actions/help.lua
+++ b/lua/gitlab/actions/help.lua
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ M.open = function()
   table.insert(
     help_content_lines,
     string.format(
-      "✎ = draft; %s = unlinked comment; %s = resolved",
+      "%s = draft; %s = unlinked comment; %s = resolved",
+      state.settings.discussion_tree.draft,
       state.settings.discussion_tree.unlinked,
       state.settings.discussion_tree.resolved
     )
diff --git a/lua/gitlab/colors.lua b/lua/gitlab/colors.lua
index 98eeb62a..54d557a5 100644
--- a/lua/gitlab/colors.lua
+++ b/lua/gitlab/colors.lua
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ local state = require("gitlab.state")
 local colors = state.settings.colors
 
 -- Set icons into global vim variables for syntax matching
-local expanders = state.settings.discussion_tree.expanders
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_open = expanders.expanded
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_closed = expanders.collapsed
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_draft = "✎"
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_resolved = "✓"
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_unresolved = "-"
-vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_unlinked = "󰌸"
+local discussion_tree = state.settings.discussion_tree
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_open = discussion_tree.expanders.expanded
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_expander_closed = discussion_tree.expanders.collapsed
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_draft = discussion_tree.draft
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_resolved = discussion_tree.resolved
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_unresolved = discussion_tree.unresolved
+vim.g.gitlab_discussion_tree_unlinked = discussion_tree.unlinked
 
 local discussion = colors.discussion_tree
 
diff --git a/lua/gitlab/state.lua b/lua/gitlab/state.lua
index 25529efe..e615ee32 100644
--- a/lua/gitlab/state.lua
+++ b/lua/gitlab/state.lua
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ M.settings = {
     resolved = "✓",
     unresolved = "-",
     unlinked = "󰌸",
+    draft = "✎",
     tree_type = "simple",
     draft_mode = false,
   },