diff --git a/sphinx/highlighting.py b/sphinx/highlighting.py
index 977b71f28..0a6cf8d6e 100644
--- a/sphinx/highlighting.py
+++ b/sphinx/highlighting.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from sphinx.ext import doctest
 from sphinx.locale import __
 from sphinx.pygments_styles import SphinxStyle, NoneStyle
 from sphinx.util import logging
-from sphinx.util.texescape import tex_hl_escape_map_new
+from sphinx.util.texescape import get_hlescape_func, tex_hl_escape_map_new
 
 if False:
     # For type annotation
@@ -68,9 +68,11 @@ class PygmentsBridge:
     html_formatter = HtmlFormatter
     latex_formatter = LatexFormatter
 
-    def __init__(self, dest='html', stylename='sphinx', trim_doctest_flags=None):
-        # type: (str, str, bool) -> None
+    def __init__(self, dest='html', stylename='sphinx', trim_doctest_flags=None,
+                 latex_engine=None):
+        # type: (str, str, bool, str) -> None
         self.dest = dest
+        self.latex_engine = latex_engine
 
         style = self.get_style(stylename)
         self.formatter_args = {'style': style}  # type: Dict[str, Any]
@@ -192,7 +194,8 @@ class PygmentsBridge:
         if self.dest == 'html':
             return hlsource
         else:
-            return hlsource.translate(tex_hl_escape_map_new)
+            escape = get_hlescape_func(self.latex_engine)
+            return escape(hlsource)
 
     def get_stylesheet(self):
         # type: () -> str
diff --git a/sphinx/util/texescape.py b/sphinx/util/texescape.py
index 4e7055119..c3231d3d3 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/texescape.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/texescape.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ tex_replacements = [
     ('¶', r'\P{}'),
     ('§', r'\S{}'),
     ('€', r'\texteuro{}'),
-    ('∞', r'\(\infty\)'),
     ('±', r'\(\pm\)'),
     ('→', r'\(\rightarrow\)'),
     ('‣', r'\(\rightarrow\)'),
@@ -53,6 +52,8 @@ tex_replacements = [
 # A map Unicode characters to LaTeX representation
 # (for LaTeX engines which don't support unicode)
 unicode_tex_replacements = [
+    # map special Unicode characters to TeX commands
+    ('∞', r'\(\infty\)'),
     # superscript
     ('⁰', r'\(\sp{\text{0}}\)'),
     ('¹', r'\(\sp{\text{1}}\)'),
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ unicode_tex_replacements = [
 tex_escape_map = {}  # type: Dict[int, str]
 tex_escape_map_without_unicode = {}  # type: Dict[int, str]
 tex_replace_map = {}
-tex_hl_escape_map_new = {}
+tex_hl_escape_map_new = {}  # type: Dict[int, str]
+tex_hl_escape_map_new_without_unicode = {}  # type: Dict[int, str]
 
 
 def get_escape_func(latex_engine: str) -> Callable[[str], str]:
@@ -101,6 +103,24 @@ def escape_for_unicode_latex_engine(s: str) -> str:
     return s.translate(tex_escape_map_without_unicode)
 
 
+def get_hlescape_func(latex_engine: str) -> Callable[[str], str]:
+    """Get hlescape() function for given latex_engine."""
+    if latex_engine in ('lualatex', 'xelatex'):
+        return hlescape_for_unicode_latex_engine
+    else:
+        return hlescape
+
+
+def hlescape(s: str) -> str:
+    """Escape text for LaTeX highlighter."""
+    return s.translate(tex_hl_escape_map_new)
+
+
+def hlescape_for_unicode_latex_engine(s: str) -> str:
+    """Escape text for unicode supporting LaTeX engine."""
+    return s.translate(tex_hl_escape_map_new_without_unicode)
+
+
 def escape_abbr(text: str) -> str:
     """Adjust spacing after abbreviations. Works with @ letter or other."""
     return re.sub(r'\.(?=\s|$)', r'.\@{}', text)
@@ -120,3 +140,7 @@ def init() -> None:
         if a in '[]{}\\':
             continue
         tex_hl_escape_map_new[ord(a)] = b
+        tex_hl_escape_map_new_without_unicode[ord(a)] = b
+
+    for a, b in unicode_tex_replacements:
+        tex_hl_escape_map_new[ord(a)] = b
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 29367a79e..5facdc40c 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -653,7 +653,8 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(SphinxTranslator):
             self.elements['classoptions'] += ',' + \
                                              self.elements['extraclassoptions']
 
-        self.highlighter = highlighting.PygmentsBridge('latex', self.config.pygments_style)
+        self.highlighter = highlighting.PygmentsBridge('latex', self.config.pygments_style,
+                                                       latex_engine=self.config.latex_engine)
         self.context = []                   # type: List[Any]
         self.descstack = []                 # type: List[str]
         self.table = None                   # type: Table
diff --git a/tests/test_markup.py b/tests/test_markup.py
index b8c9b66d9..94d1af951 100644
--- a/tests/test_markup.py
+++ b/tests/test_markup.py
@@ -312,6 +312,24 @@ def test_inline(get_verifier, type, rst, html_expected, latex_expected):
     verifier(rst, html_expected, latex_expected)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.sphinx(confoverrides={'latex_engine': 'xelatex'})
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('type,rst,html_expected,latex_expected', [
+    (
+        # in verbatim code fragments
+        'verify',
+        '::\n\n @Γ\\∞${}',
+        None,
+        ('\\begin{sphinxVerbatim}[commandchars=\\\\\\{\\}]\n'
+         '@Γ\\PYGZbs{}∞\\PYGZdl{}\\PYGZob{}\\PYGZcb{}\n'
+         '\\end{sphinxVerbatim}'),
+    ),
+])
+def test_inline_for_unicode_latex_engine(get_verifier, type, rst,
+                                         html_expected, latex_expected):
+    verifier = get_verifier(type)
+    verifier(rst, html_expected, latex_expected)
+
+
 def test_samp_role(parse):
     # no braces
     text = ':samp:`a{b}c`'