diff --git a/src/nvim/highlight_group.c b/src/nvim/highlight_group.c
index 6965c53f59..a17fe2fc8c 100644
--- a/src/nvim/highlight_group.c
+++ b/src/nvim/highlight_group.c
@@ -697,10 +697,18 @@ int load_colors(char *name)
   char *buf = xmalloc(buflen);
   apply_autocmds(EVENT_COLORSCHEMEPRE, name, curbuf->b_fname, false, curbuf);
   snprintf(buf, buflen, "colors/%s.vim", name);
-  int retval = source_runtime(buf, DIP_START + DIP_OPT);
+  int retval = source_runtime(buf, 0);
   if (retval == FAIL) {
     snprintf(buf, buflen, "colors/%s.lua", name);
-    retval = source_runtime(buf, DIP_START + DIP_OPT);
+    retval = source_runtime(buf, 0);
+  }
+  if (retval == FAIL) {
+    snprintf(buf, buflen, "colors/%s.vim", name);
+    retval = source_runtime(buf, DIP_NORTP + DIP_START + DIP_OPT);
+  }
+  if (retval == FAIL) {
+    snprintf(buf, buflen, "colors/%s.lua", name);
+    retval = source_runtime(buf, DIP_NORTP + DIP_START + DIP_OPT);
   }
   xfree(buf);
   if (retval == OK) {
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/runtime_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/runtime_spec.lua
index 72c99ac1f3..cd19ea4e49 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/runtime_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/runtime_spec.lua
@@ -61,6 +61,38 @@ describe('runtime:', function()
 
       eq('vim', eval('g:colorscheme'))
     end)
+
+    it("loads lua colorscheme in 'rtp' if vim version only exists in 'pp' #23724", function()
+      local pack_dir = 'Test_Pack'
+      mkdir_p(pack_dir)
+      finally(function()
+        rmdir(pack_dir)
+      end)
+      exec('set pp+=' .. pack_dir)
+
+      local pack_opt_dir = pack_dir .. sep .. 'pack' .. sep .. 'some_name' .. sep .. 'opt'
+      local colors_opt_dir = pack_opt_dir .. sep .. 'some_pack' .. sep .. 'colors'
+      mkdir_p(colors_opt_dir)
+
+      local rtp_colorscheme_file = colorscheme_folder .. sep .. 'new_colorscheme'
+      local pp_opt_colorscheme_file = colors_opt_dir .. sep .. 'new_colorscheme'
+
+      write_file(pp_opt_colorscheme_file .. '.lua', [[vim.g.colorscheme = 'lua_pp']])
+      exec('colorscheme new_colorscheme')
+      eq('lua_pp', eval('g:colorscheme'))
+
+      write_file(pp_opt_colorscheme_file .. '.vim', [[let g:colorscheme = 'vim_pp']])
+      exec('colorscheme new_colorscheme')
+      eq('vim_pp', eval('g:colorscheme'))
+
+      write_file(rtp_colorscheme_file .. '.lua', [[vim.g.colorscheme = 'lua_rtp']])
+      exec('colorscheme new_colorscheme')
+      eq('lua_rtp', eval('g:colorscheme'))
+
+      write_file(rtp_colorscheme_file .. '.vim', [[let g:colorscheme = 'vim_rtp']])
+      exec('colorscheme new_colorscheme')
+      eq('vim_rtp', eval('g:colorscheme'))
+    end)
   end)
 
   describe('compiler', function()