diff --git a/sphinx/builders/latex/transforms.py b/sphinx/builders/latex/transforms.py
index 9fe44bc95ee..251d7ff900e 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/latex/transforms.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/latex/transforms.py
@@ -600,6 +600,17 @@ def apply(self):
                     node.parent.insert(i + 1, index)
 
 
+class InlineCodeTransform(SphinxTransform):
+    """Mark inline nodes just under literal node as "code" to handle them in writer"""
+    default_priority = 200
+
+    def apply(self):
+        for node in self.document.traverse(nodes.literal):
+            for subnode in node:
+                if isinstance(subnode, nodes.inline):
+                    subnode['code'] = True
+
+
 def setup(app: Sphinx) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     app.add_transform(FootnoteDocnameUpdater)
     app.add_post_transform(BibliographyTransform)
@@ -610,6 +621,7 @@ def setup(app: Sphinx) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     app.add_post_transform(LiteralBlockTransform)
     app.add_post_transform(MathReferenceTransform)
     app.add_post_transform(ShowUrlsTransform)
+    app.add_post_transform(InlineCodeTransform)
 
     return {
         'version': 'builtin',
diff --git a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
index bc9bf49a74e..4804c89c52e 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 default_settings = {
     'embed_stylesheet': False,
     'cloak_email_addresses': True,
+    'syntax_highlight': 'short',
     'pep_base_url': 'https://www.python.org/dev/peps/',
     'pep_references': None,
     'rfc_base_url': 'https://tools.ietf.org/html/',
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/html.py b/sphinx/writers/html.py
index 9ac76901bc5..bb66278ae4a 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/html.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/html.py
@@ -537,8 +537,11 @@ def visit_literal(self, node):
             self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'kbd', '',
                                            CLASS='docutils literal notranslate'))
         else:
+            classes = 'docutils literal notranslate'
+            if 'code' in node['classes']:
+                classes += ' highlight'
             self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'code', '',
-                                           CLASS='docutils literal notranslate'))
+                                           CLASS=classes))
             self.protect_literal_text += 1
 
     def depart_literal(self, node):
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/html5.py b/sphinx/writers/html5.py
index fe57f42bff5..7fbfa0c11c6 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/html5.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/html5.py
@@ -484,8 +484,11 @@ def visit_literal(self, node):
             self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'kbd', '',
                                            CLASS='docutils literal notranslate'))
         else:
+            classes = 'docutils literal notranslate'
+            if 'code' in node['classes']:
+                classes += ' highlight'
             self.body.append(self.starttag(node, 'code', '',
-                                           CLASS='docutils literal notranslate'))
+                                           CLASS=classes))
             self.protect_literal_text += 1
 
     def depart_literal(self, node):
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index d0bd38ce2dc..501fb946bf7 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -2294,6 +2294,9 @@ def visit_inline(self, node):
         elif classes in [['accelerator']]:
             self.body.append(r'\sphinxaccelerator{')
             self.context.append('}')
+        elif classes and node.get('code', False):
+            self.body.append(r'\PYG{%s}{' % ','.join(classes))
+            self.context.append('}')
         elif classes and not self.in_title:
             self.body.append(r'\DUrole{%s}{' % ','.join(classes))
             self.context.append('}')