The species was described in 2021 by the Indonesian ornithologist Mohammed Irham and his colleagues based on genetic, morphological, and vocal differences from other Zosterops white-eyes.

It is thought to be locally common within the small area it inhabits and is not currently threatened, although the songbird trade may represent a future threat.

The Meratus Mountains of southeastern Borneo are a small isolated patch of montane forest, surrounded by heavily degraded lowland habitats and separated from Borneo's main mountain range by a distance of around 300 km (190 mi).

[2] Zosterops white-eyes representing a previously unknown species were first documented from the mountain range in July 2016;[2][3] specimens of the species were collected the next year by an expedition of the Bogor Zoology Museum and the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science.

[3] The species was described in 2021 as Zosterops meratusensis by the Indonesian ornithologist Mohammed Irham and his colleagues on the basis of an adult male specimen collected from Mount Besar in 2017.

The exact amount of yellow on the underside varies between individuals.The uppertail-coverts are between yellowish olive-green to citrine and brighter than the rest of the upperside.

The undertail-coverts are sulfur yellow with an orange-yellow that increases towards the tip, while the tail is dusky brown with paler edges.

This appears conspicuous in the field, with the pinkish-orange mandible contrasting with its greyish tip and the darker grey maxilla.

The iris is dark brown and the feet are grayish-horn or steel-grey, with paler toe pads.

Individuals thought to be juveniles have paler, duller bills and may also have thinner eye-rings with a post-ocular gap.

Compared to that species, the Meratus white-eye is darker overall, has a longer bill and tail, and has a thinner, less yellowish line above the lores.

[6] The song of the Meratus white-eye is one to three second long "warbling series of high-pitched short notes, ending with a faster, lower-pitched jumble".

[2] The species' abundance has not been formally quantified, but it is thought to be locally common within the small area it inhabits.

Although this threat is not currently considered very severe, other Zosterops white-eyes have been popular in Indonesia and consequently the species requires monitoring.

[1] Anecdotal reports from the Meratus Mountains have found that increasing ecotourism for birdwatching in the region may reduce incentives to poach birds.