diff --git a/lisp/hi-lock.el b/lisp/hi-lock.el
index 081b604d5b2..53e6f779b31 100644
--- a/lisp/hi-lock.el
+++ b/lisp/hi-lock.el
@@ -729,9 +729,10 @@ with completion and history."
 	 face)
     (if (and hi-lock-auto-select-face (not current-prefix-arg))
 	(setq face (or (pop hi-lock--unused-faces) (car defaults)))
-      (setq face (read-face-name
-                  (format-prompt "Highlight using face" (car defaults))
-                  defaults))
+      (setq face (symbol-name
+                  (read-face-name
+                   (format-prompt "Highlight using face" (car defaults))
+                   defaults)))
       ;; Update list of un-used faces.
       (setq hi-lock--unused-faces (remove face hi-lock--unused-faces))
       ;; Grow the list of defaults.
diff --git a/test/lisp/hi-lock-tests.el b/test/lisp/hi-lock-tests.el
index 71983c713d2..760b319a926 100644
--- a/test/lisp/hi-lock-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/hi-lock-tests.el
@@ -30,10 +30,9 @@
   (let ((faces hi-lock-face-defaults))
     (with-temp-buffer
       (insert "a A b B\n")
-      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'completing-read)
-                   (lambda (_prompt _coll
-                                    &optional _x _y _z _hist defaults _inherit)
-                     (car defaults))))
+      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'read-face-name)
+                   (lambda (_prompt &optional defaults)
+                     (intern (car defaults)))))
         (dotimes (_ 2)
           (let ((face (hi-lock-read-face-name)))
             (hi-lock-set-pattern "a" face))))
@@ -43,10 +42,9 @@
   (let ((faces hi-lock-face-defaults))
     (with-temp-buffer
       (insert "foo bar")
-      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'completing-read)
-                 (lambda (_prompt _coll
-                                  &optional _x _y _z _hist defaults _inherit)
-                   (car defaults))))
+      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'read-face-name)
+                   (lambda (_prompt &optional defaults)
+                     (intern (car defaults)))))
         (hi-lock-set-pattern "9999" (hi-lock-read-face-name)) ; No match
         (hi-lock-set-pattern "foo" (hi-lock-read-face-name)))
       ;; Only one match, then we have used just 1 face