diff --git a/packages/component-faraday-selectors/src/index.js b/packages/component-faraday-selectors/src/index.js
index 8969b158dc356e794a2ed50e061e320cb69a8a0c..2cd317cd3b51cbffacd63559edb2fb690431f2ba 100644
--- a/packages/component-faraday-selectors/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/component-faraday-selectors/src/index.js
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ export const canHeViewEditorialComments = (state, collection = {}) => {
   return isHE && canHeViewEditorialCommentsStatuses.includes(status)
 }
 
-const canEICViewEditorialCommentsStatuses = ['rejected', 'accepted', 'inQA']
+const canEICViewEditorialCommentsStatuses = [
+  'rejected',
+  'accepted',
+  'inQA',
+  'pendingApproval',
+]
 export const canEICViewEditorialComments = (state, collection = {}) => {
   const isEIC = currentUserIs(state, 'adminEiC')
   const status = get(collection, 'status', 'draft')
diff --git a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptLayout.js b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptLayout.js
index 44414cf04113d8822ace002256b938b6cc2e46c8..fcd451edd3f1b063518ac0d99b8c448ce9c0429b 100644
--- a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptLayout.js
+++ b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptLayout.js
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ const ManuscriptLayout = ({
             fetchingError={fetchingError}
             fragment={fragment}
             getSignedUrl={getSignedUrl}
-            highlight={reviewerReports.length === 0}
+            highlight={
+              reviewerReports.length === 0 &&
+              get(collection, 'status', 'draft') !== 'pendingApproval'
+            }
             invitations={invitationsWithReviewers}
             isFetching={isFetching.publonsFetching}
             journal={journal}