diff --git a/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-c/highlights.scm b/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-c/highlights.scm
index 1d5012c401..3a2db6c798 100644
--- a/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-c/highlights.scm
+++ b/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-c/highlights.scm
@@ -140,9 +140,10 @@
   declarator: (identifier) @variable.declaration.c)
 
 ; The "x" in `SomeType *x;`
-(declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (identifier) @variable.declaration.pointer.c))
+; (Should work no matter how many pointers deep we are.)
+(pointer_declarator
+  declarator: [(identifier) (field_identifier)] @variable.declaration.pointer.c
+  (#is? test.descendantOfType "declaration field_declaration"))
 
 ; A member of a struct.
 (field_declaration
@@ -193,15 +194,10 @@
   declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.c)
 
 ; The "foo" in `const char *foo` within a parameter list.
-(parameter_declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.c))
-
-; The "foo" in `SomeType **foo` within a parameter list.
-(parameter_declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (pointer_declarator
-      declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.c)))
+; (Should work no matter how many pointers deep we are.)
+(pointer_declarator
+  declarator: [(identifier) (field_identifier)] @variable.parameter.pointer.c
+  (#is? test.descendantOfType "parameter_declaration"))
 
 ; The "foo" in `const char foo[]` within a parameter list.
 (parameter_declaration
diff --git a/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-cpp/highlights.scm b/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-cpp/highlights.scm
index b1243b46ce..bc3fc2c3cf 100644
--- a/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-cpp/highlights.scm
+++ b/packages/language-c/grammars/tree-sitter-cpp/highlights.scm
@@ -230,9 +230,10 @@
   declarator: (identifier) @variable.declaration.cpp)
 
 ; The "x" in `SomeType *x;`
-(declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (identifier) @variable.declaration.pointer.c))
+; (Should work no matter how many pointers deep we are.)
+(pointer_declarator
+  declarator: [(identifier) (field_identifier)] @variable.declaration.pointer.c
+  (#is? test.descendantOfType "declaration field_declaration"))
 
 ; A member of a struct.
 (field_declaration
@@ -286,15 +287,10 @@
   declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.cpp)
 
 ; The "foo" in `const char *foo` within a parameter list.
-(parameter_declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.cpp))
-
-; The "foo" in `SomeType **foo` within a parameter list.
-(parameter_declaration
-  declarator: (pointer_declarator
-    declarator: (pointer_declarator
-      declarator: (identifier) @variable.parameter.c)))
+; (Should work no matter how many pointers deep we are.)
+(pointer_declarator
+  declarator: [(identifier) (field_identifier)] @variable.parameter.pointer.c
+  (#is? test.descendantOfType "parameter_declaration"))
 
 (parameter_declaration
   declarator: (reference_declarator