diff --git a/lib/pkp b/lib/pkp
index 6870c2e6eb2..1c377fdce64 160000
--- a/lib/pkp
+++ b/lib/pkp
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 6870c2e6eb2f86cf71be5ab21f0366623a1305e2
+Subproject commit 1c377fdce64c1dbe1c2c20e0bc3d1bebc5e13a8e
diff --git a/plugins/themes/default/DefaultThemePlugin.php b/plugins/themes/default/DefaultThemePlugin.php
index 619dc6018e1..23967785bd4 100644
--- a/plugins/themes/default/DefaultThemePlugin.php
+++ b/plugins/themes/default/DefaultThemePlugin.php
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 /**
  * @file plugins/themes/default/DefaultThemePlugin.php
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2021 Simon Fraser University
- * Copyright (c) 2003-2021 John Willinsky
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2024 Simon Fraser University
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2024 John Willinsky
  * Distributed under the GNU GPL v3. For full terms see the file docs/COPYING.
  *
  * @class DefaultThemePlugin
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@
 use PKP\config\Config;
 use PKP\session\SessionManager;
 
+use APP\facades\Repo;
+use APP\issue\Collector;
+use APP\services\NavigationMenuService;
+use PKP\plugins\ThemePlugin;
+use PKP\plugins\Hook;
+
+
 class DefaultThemePlugin extends \PKP\plugins\ThemePlugin
 {
     /**
@@ -210,6 +217,9 @@ public function init()
 
         // Add navigation menu areas for this theme
         $this->addMenuArea(['primary', 'user']);
+
+
+		Hook::add('TemplateManager::display', array($this, 'checkCurrentPage'));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -253,6 +263,57 @@ public function getDescription()
     {
         return __('plugins.themes.default.description');
     }
+
+	/**
+	 * @param $hookname string
+	 * @param $args array
+	 */
+	public function checkCurrentPage($hookname, $args) {
+		$templateMgr = $args[0];
+		// TODO check the issue with multiple calls of the hook on settings/website
+		if (!isset($templateMgr->registered_plugins["function"]["default_item_active"])) {
+			$templateMgr->registerPlugin('function', 'default_item_active', array($this, 'isActiveItem'));
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param $params array
+	 * @param $smarty Smarty_Internal_Template
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	public function isActiveItem($params, $smarty) {
+
+		$navigationMenuItem = $params['item'];
+		$emptyMarker = '';
+		$activeMarker = ' active';
+		
+		// Get URL of the current page
+		$request = $this->getRequest();
+		$currentUrl = $request->getCompleteUrl();
+		$currentPage = $request->getRequestedPage();
+
+		// Do not add an active marker if it's a dropdown menu
+		if ($navigationMenuItem->getIsChildVisible()) return $emptyMarker;
+
+		// Retrieve URL and its components for a menu item
+		$itemUrl = $navigationMenuItem->getUrl();
+       
+		// Check whether menu item points to the current page
+		$context = $request->getContext();
+		if ($context) {
+			$currentIssue = Repo::issue()->getCurrent($context->getId());
+			if ($navigationMenuItem->getType() === NavigationMenuService::NMI_TYPE_CURRENT) {
+				$issue = $smarty->getTemplateVars('issue');
+				if ($issue && ($issue->getId() === $currentIssue->getId()) && $currentPage == "issue") return $activeMarker;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if ($currentUrl === $itemUrl) return $activeMarker;
+
+		return $emptyMarker;
+	}
+
 }
 
 if (!PKP_STRICT_MODE) {
diff --git a/plugins/themes/default/styles/head.less b/plugins/themes/default/styles/head.less
index 2c2540fabef..ee47c3c1ea4 100644
--- a/plugins/themes/default/styles/head.less
+++ b/plugins/themes/default/styles/head.less
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
 
 	a {
 		display: inline-block;
-		padding: 0.125rem 0;
+		padding: 0.86rem 0;
 		color: @text-bg-base;
 		text-decoration: none;
 
@@ -127,6 +127,18 @@
 			text-decoration: underline;
 		}
 	}
+	@media (max-width: @screen-desktop) {
+
+		.active {
+			background-color: @bg-base-border-color;
+			
+		}
+		.active a {
+			font-weight: bold;
+			
+		}
+	}
+
 
 	#siteNav {
 		position: absolute;
@@ -358,6 +370,19 @@
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Visualy highlighting the current menu item
+		> li.active {
+			> a {
+				//background: @primary-lift;
+				border-color: @text-bg-base;
+				outline: 0;
+			}
+				&:hover {
+					color: @bg-base;
+					border-color: red;
+				}			
+		}
+
 		// Reproduce positioning of dropdown menu from Popper.js
 		> li:hover ul {
 			position: absolute;
@@ -377,7 +402,8 @@
 		}
 
 		.dropdown-menu a:focus,
-		.dropdown-menu a:hover {
+		.dropdown-menu a:hover,
+		.dropdown-menu li.active a {
 			border-color: @primary;
 		}