An electric discharge lamp comprising: a light-transmissive ceramic lamp vessel (1); a first and a second current conductor (2,3) entering the lamp vessel (1), and each supporting an electrode (4,5) in the lamp vessel (1); an ionizable filling comprising a rare gas and a metal halide in the lamp vessel (1); at least the first current conductor (2) within the lamp vessel (1) being halide-resistant, characterized in that the first current conductor (2) at least substantially comprises a material with an at least substantially isotropic coefficient of thermal expansion, said material preferably being chosen from the group of pentamolybdenum boride disilicide, pentamolybdenum diboride silicide, or a combination of these two materials.