diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartUtils.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartUtils.tsx
index 53e43dd8524..5188506049e 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartUtils.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/chart/ChartUtils.tsx
@@ -206,9 +206,21 @@ export function byInteractionState(series: {
 
 export function getInteractionStateForSeries(
     series: ChartSeries,
-    activeSeriesNames: SeriesName[]
+    props: {
+        activeSeriesNames: SeriesName[]
+        // usually the interaction mode is active when there is
+        // at least one active element. But sometimes the interaction
+        // mode might be active although there are no active elements.
+        // For example, when the facet legend is hovered but a particular
+        // chart doesn't plot the hovered element.
+        isInteractionModeActive?: boolean
+    }
 ): InteractionState {
+    const activeSeriesNames = props.activeSeriesNames
+    const isInteractionModeActive =
+        props.isInteractionModeActive ?? activeSeriesNames.length > 0
+
     const active = activeSeriesNames.includes(series.seriesName)
-    const background = activeSeriesNames.length > 0 && !active
+    const background = isInteractionModeActive && !active
     return { active, background }
 }
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/facetChart/FacetChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/facetChart/FacetChart.tsx
index cc760503661..54d821f2dc4 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/facetChart/FacetChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/facetChart/FacetChart.tsx
@@ -724,6 +724,11 @@ export class FacetChart
         return this.getExternalLegendProp("equalSizeBins")
     }
 
+    @computed get hoverColors(): Color[] | undefined {
+        if (!this.legendHoverBin) return undefined
+        return [this.legendHoverBin.color]
+    }
+
     @computed get numericLegendData(): ColorScaleBin[] {
         if (!this.isNumericLegend || !this.hideFacetLegends) return []
         const allBins: ColorScaleBin[] = this.externalLegends.flatMap(
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/horizontalColorLegend/HorizontalColorLegends.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/horizontalColorLegend/HorizontalColorLegends.tsx
index 7ae57544011..c5ce14e262e 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/horizontalColorLegend/HorizontalColorLegends.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/horizontalColorLegend/HorizontalColorLegends.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import {
     GRAPHER_FONT_SCALE_12,
     GRAPHER_FONT_SCALE_12_8,
     GRAPHER_FONT_SCALE_14,
+    GRAPHER_OPACITY_MUTE,
 } from "../core/GrapherConstants"
 import { darkenColorForLine } from "../color/ColorUtils"
 
@@ -91,8 +92,9 @@ export interface HorizontalColorLegendManager {
     onLegendMouseLeave?: () => void
     onLegendMouseOver?: (d: ColorScaleBin) => void
     onLegendClick?: (d: ColorScaleBin) => void
-    activeColors?: string[]
-    focusColors?: string[]
+    activeColors?: string[] // inactive colors are grayed out
+    focusColors?: string[] // focused colors are bolded
+    hoverColors?: string[] // non-hovered colors are muted
     isStatic?: boolean
 }
 
@@ -808,12 +810,15 @@ export class HorizontalCategoricalColorLegend extends HorizontalColorLegend {
 
     renderLabels(): React.ReactElement {
         const { manager, marks } = this
-        const { focusColors } = manager
+        const { focusColors, hoverColors = [] } = manager
 
         return (
             <g id={makeIdForHumanConsumption("labels")}>
                 {marks.map((mark, index) => {
                     const isFocus = focusColors?.includes(mark.bin.color)
+                    const isNotHovered =
+                        hoverColors.length > 0 &&
+                        !hoverColors.includes(mark.bin.color)
 
                     return (
                         <text
@@ -826,6 +831,7 @@ export class HorizontalCategoricalColorLegend extends HorizontalColorLegend {
                             dy={dyFromAlign(VerticalAlign.middle)}
                             fontSize={mark.label.fontSize}
                             fontWeight={isFocus ? "bold" : undefined}
+                            opacity={isNotHovered ? GRAPHER_OPACITY_MUTE : 1}
                         >
                             {mark.label.text}
                         </text>
@@ -837,12 +843,15 @@ export class HorizontalCategoricalColorLegend extends HorizontalColorLegend {
 
     renderSwatches(): React.ReactElement {
         const { manager, marks } = this
-        const { activeColors } = manager
+        const { activeColors, hoverColors = [] } = manager
 
         return (
             <g id={makeIdForHumanConsumption("swatches")}>
                 {marks.map((mark, index) => {
                     const isActive = activeColors?.includes(mark.bin.color)
+                    const isNotHovered =
+                        hoverColors.length > 0 &&
+                        !hoverColors.includes(mark.bin.color)
 
                     const color = mark.bin.patternRef
                         ? `url(#${mark.bin.patternRef})`
@@ -851,6 +860,10 @@ export class HorizontalCategoricalColorLegend extends HorizontalColorLegend {
                     const fill =
                         isActive || activeColors === undefined ? color : "#ccc"
 
+                    const opacity = isNotHovered
+                        ? GRAPHER_OPACITY_MUTE
+                        : manager.legendOpacity
+
                     return (
                         <rect
                             id={makeIdForHumanConsumption(mark.label.text)}
@@ -862,7 +875,7 @@ export class HorizontalCategoricalColorLegend extends HorizontalColorLegend {
                             fill={fill}
                             stroke={manager.categoricalBinStroke}
                             strokeWidth={0.4}
-                            opacity={manager.legendOpacity}
+                            opacity={opacity}
                         />
                     )
                 })}
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
index 0c25e385244..e1ec07006ad 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/lineCharts/LineChart.tsx
@@ -748,7 +748,13 @@ export class LineChart
     }
 
     @computed get isHoverModeActive(): boolean {
-        return this.hoveredSeriesNames.length > 0
+        return (
+            this.hoveredSeriesNames.length > 0 ||
+            // if the external legend is hovered, we want to mute
+            // all non-hovered series even if the chart doesn't plot
+            // the currently hovered series
+            (!!this.manager.externalLegendHoverBin && !this.hasColorScale)
+        )
     }
 
     @computed private get hasEntityYearHighlight(): boolean {
@@ -1290,7 +1296,10 @@ export class LineChart
     }
 
     private hoverStateForSeries(series: LineChartSeries): InteractionState {
-        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, this.hoveredSeriesNames)
+        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, {
+            isInteractionModeActive: this.isHoverModeActive,
+            activeSeriesNames: this.hoveredSeriesNames,
+        })
     }
 
     @computed get renderSeries(): RenderLineChartSeries[] {
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/slopeCharts/SlopeChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/slopeCharts/SlopeChart.tsx
index 21e3ede222c..38c2ac2d62d 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/slopeCharts/SlopeChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/slopeCharts/SlopeChart.tsx
@@ -237,7 +237,13 @@ export class SlopeChart
     }
 
     @computed private get isHoverModeActive(): boolean {
-        return this.hoveredSeriesNames.length > 0
+        return (
+            this.hoveredSeriesNames.length > 0 ||
+            // if the external legend is hovered, we want to mute
+            // all non-hovered series even if the chart doesn't plot
+            // the currently hovered series
+            !!this.manager.externalLegendHoverBin
+        )
     }
 
     @computed private get yColumns(): CoreColumn[] {
@@ -448,7 +454,10 @@ export class SlopeChart
     }
 
     private hoverStateForSeries(series: SlopeChartSeries): InteractionState {
-        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, this.hoveredSeriesNames)
+        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, {
+            isInteractionModeActive: this.isHoverModeActive,
+            activeSeriesNames: this.hoveredSeriesNames,
+        })
     }
 
     @computed private get renderSeries(): RenderSlopeChartSeries[] {
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/stackedCharts/StackedAreaChart.tsx b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/stackedCharts/StackedAreaChart.tsx
index 4f87c513af2..5b5cfc4db5a 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/stackedCharts/StackedAreaChart.tsx
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/stackedCharts/StackedAreaChart.tsx
@@ -301,7 +301,10 @@ export class StackedAreaChart extends AbstractStackedChart {
     private hoverStateForSeries(
         series: StackedSeries<number>
     ): InteractionState {
-        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, this.hoveredSeriesNames)
+        return getInteractionStateForSeries(series, {
+            isInteractionModeActive: this.isHoverModeActive,
+            activeSeriesNames: this.hoveredSeriesNames,
+        })
     }
 
     @computed get lineLegendSeries(): LineLabelSeries[] {
@@ -438,6 +441,16 @@ export class StackedAreaChart extends AbstractStackedChart {
         )
     }
 
+    @computed get isHoverModeActive(): boolean {
+        return (
+            !!this.hoveredSeriesName ||
+            // if the external legend is hovered, we want to mute
+            // all non-hovered series even if the chart doesn't plot
+            // the currently hovered series
+            !!this.manager.externalLegendHoverBin
+        )
+    }
+
     @computed get hoveredSeriesNames(): string[] {
         return this.hoveredSeriesName ? [this.hoveredSeriesName] : []
     }