diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8de8c0f49a3cded8ba4e93315c15dc68ee11122e..18c307c3c05181f70e85416bf62815966ced7b0c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ CVS code -
 	- More cleanups with DISABLE flags, better free_shortcutage and
 	  free_toggle, and get rid of unnecessary variable decls with 
 	  NANO_SMALL in shortcut_init() by David Benbennick.
+	- Added "syntax" command to .nanorc file, to allow multiple 
+	  syntaxes.  New function color.c:update_color(), calls in various
+	  files.c places, syntaxtype struct, global variables syntaxes,
+	  syntaxfile_regexp and synfilematches.
 - configure.ac:
 	- Define NDEBUG to silence asserts (David Benbennick).
 - files.c:
diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
index e9f6a9b65aa68d220a19b1fcd6d22afb229b6403..7135a395e4b767822d4d964c79a7a3faa62ac609 100644
--- a/color.c
+++ b/color.c
@@ -177,5 +177,25 @@ int do_colorinit(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* Update the color information based on the current filename */
+void update_color(void)
+{
+    syntaxtype *tmpsyntax;
+
+    colorstrings = NULL;
+    for (tmpsyntax = syntaxes; tmpsyntax != NULL; tmpsyntax = tmpsyntax->next) {
+	exttype *e;
+	for (e = tmpsyntax->extensions; e != NULL; e = e->next) {
+	    regcomp(&syntaxfile_regexp, e->val, 0);
+
+	    /* Set colorstrings if we matched the extension regex */
+            if (!regexec(&syntaxfile_regexp, filename, 1, synfilematches, 0)) 
+		colorstrings = tmpsyntax->color; 
+	}
+    }
+    do_colorinit();
+    edit_refresh();
+}
+
 #endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
 
diff --git a/files.c b/files.c
index ecf5368019929301d61ee07ee75ba312042c1b63..9f864c874eb4bd5b692a7167790e29152810dd2d 100644
--- a/files.c
+++ b/files.c
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ void load_file(int quiet)
     add_open_file(quiet);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+    update_color();
+#endif
+
     wmove(edit, current_y, current_x);
 }
 
@@ -487,6 +491,10 @@ int do_insertfile(int loading_file)
 	else
 	    edit_refresh();
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	update_color();
+#endif    
+
 	UNSET(KEEP_CUTBUFFER);
 	display_main_list();
 	return i;
@@ -612,6 +620,7 @@ int open_file_change_name(void)
  */
 int load_open_file(void)
 {
+
     if (!open_files)
 	return 1;
 
@@ -650,6 +659,10 @@ int load_open_file(void)
     if (ISSET(CONSTUPDATE))
 	do_cursorpos(0);
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+    update_color();
+#endif    
+
     /* now we're done */
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/global.c b/global.c
index 09080adfeff5879468d16b907d077254621a55b1..501af2e58466834ee944ffafe333cde17782337e 100644
--- a/global.c
+++ b/global.c
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ shortcut *browser_list = NULL;
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
     colorstruct colors[NUM_NCOLORS];
     colortype *colorstrings = NULL;
+    syntaxtype *syntaxes = NULL;
 #endif
 
 #if !defined(DISABLE_BROWSER) || !defined(DISABLE_MOUSE) || !defined (DISABLE_HELP)
@@ -129,6 +130,9 @@ regmatch_t regmatches[10];	/* Match positions for parenthetical
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
 regex_t color_regexp;		/* Global to store compiled search regexp */
 regmatch_t colormatches[1];	/* Match positions for parenthetical */
+
+regex_t syntaxfile_regexp;	/* Global to store compiled search regexp */
+regmatch_t synfilematches[1];	/* Match positions for parenthetical */
 #endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
 
 #endif
diff --git a/nano.h b/nano.h
index c11ba051c43848c4642f01db7b9c7de7d790f7af..799729c973e04e9f10be71963cecb218b3c973ac 100644
--- a/nano.h
+++ b/nano.h
@@ -137,6 +137,18 @@ typedef struct colortype {
     struct colortype *next;
 } colortype;
 
+typedef struct exttype {
+    char *val;
+    struct exttype *next;
+} exttype;
+
+typedef struct syntaxtype {
+    char *desc;			/* Name of this syntax type */
+    struct exttype *extensions;	/* List of extensions that this applies to */
+    colortype *color;		/* color struct for this syntax */
+    struct syntaxtype *next;
+} syntaxtype;
+
 #endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
 
 
diff --git a/nanorc.sample b/nanorc.sample
index 4b1681e9341de7716f0be734f0e664330f849c1d..be6117113c23c060b26029e58e42ae62b9b1c67d 100644
--- a/nanorc.sample
+++ b/nanorc.sample
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@
 
 #
 # Color setup
-# Format: color foreground,background "regex" ["regex"...]
+# Format: 
+# syntax "short description" ["filename regex" ...]
+# color foreground,background "regex" ["regex"...]
 #
 # Legal colors are: white, black, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, cyan
 # You may use the prefix "bright" to mean a stronger color highlight
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@
 # color will use a transparent color.  If you don't want this, be sure
 # to set the background color to black or white.
 #
+#syntax "c-file" ".*\.c" ".*\.h"
 #color brightred "float " "char " "int " "void "  "NULL" "[A-Z_]\{2,\}" 
 #color brightred "static" "const" "[\ ]struct" "^struct" "if " "while[\ \n\(]" 
 #color brightred "do[\ \n\(]" "else[\ \n]" "case " "switch " "break;"
diff --git a/proto.h b/proto.h
index 6f97abf531400509862ba769869886cdede769c1..ffdbec3a62f434df6cf3506d13c31071caa3a022 100644
--- a/proto.h
+++ b/proto.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ extern openfilestruct *open_files;
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
 extern colortype *colorstrings;
+extern syntaxtype *syntaxes;
 #endif
 
 extern shortcut *shortcut_list;
@@ -90,6 +91,9 @@ extern regmatch_t regmatches[10];
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
 extern regex_t color_regexp;
 extern regmatch_t colormatches[1];  
+
+extern regex_t syntaxfile_regexp;
+extern regmatch_t synfilematches[1];  
 #endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
 #endif
 
@@ -279,6 +283,7 @@ char *do_browse_from(char *inpath);
 int do_colorinit(void);
 void color_on(WINDOW *win, int whatever);
 void color_off(WINDOW *win, int whatever);
+void update_color(void);
 
 extern colorstruct colors[NUM_NCOLORS];
 #endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
diff --git a/rcfile.c b/rcfile.c
index 8531b7ce4790f2df8ada55fda90010f39ab925fb..9a0f066aca381d4fc397d27bff775e0c811370ba 100644
--- a/rcfile.c
+++ b/rcfile.c
@@ -183,6 +183,93 @@ int colortoint(char *colorname, int *bright)
 
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+void parse_syntax(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
+{
+    syntaxtype *tmpsyntax = NULL;
+    char *fileregptr = NULL, *nameptr = NULL;
+    exttype *exttmp = NULL;
+
+    while (*ptr == ' ')
+	ptr++;
+
+    if (*ptr == '\n' || *ptr == '\0')
+	return;
+
+    if (*ptr != '"') {
+	rcfile_error(_("regex strings must begin and end with a \" character\n"));
+	exit(1);
+    }
+    ptr++;
+
+    nameptr = ptr;
+    ptr = parse_next_regex(ptr);
+
+    if (ptr == NULL) {
+	rcfile_error(_("Missing syntax name"));
+	exit(1);
+    }
+
+	if (syntaxes == NULL) {
+	    syntaxes = nmalloc(sizeof(syntaxtype));
+	    syntaxes->desc = NULL;
+	    syntaxes->desc = mallocstrcpy(syntaxes->desc, nameptr);
+	    syntaxes->color = NULL;
+	    syntaxes->extensions = NULL;
+	    syntaxes->next = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax = syntaxes;
+#ifdef DEBUG
+	    fprintf(stderr,
+		    "Starting a new syntax type\n");
+	    fprintf(stderr, "string val=%s\n", tmp);
+#endif
+
+	} else {
+	    for (tmpsyntax = syntaxes;
+		 tmpsyntax->next != NULL; tmpsyntax = tmpsyntax->next);
+#ifdef DEBUG
+	    fprintf(stderr, "Adding new syntax after 1st\n");
+#endif
+
+	    tmpsyntax->next = nmalloc(sizeof(syntaxtype));
+	    tmpsyntax->next->desc = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax->next->desc = mallocstrcpy(tmpsyntax->next->desc, nameptr);
+	    tmpsyntax->next->color = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax->next->extensions = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax->next->next = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax = tmpsyntax->next;
+	}
+
+    /* Now load in the extensions to their part of the struct */
+    while (*ptr != '\n' && *ptr != '\0') {
+
+	while (*ptr != '"' && *ptr != '\n' && *ptr != '\0')
+	    ptr++;
+
+	if (*ptr == '\n' || *ptr == '\0')
+	    return;
+	ptr++;
+
+	fileregptr = ptr;
+	ptr = parse_next_regex(ptr);
+
+	if (tmpsyntax->extensions == NULL) {
+	    tmpsyntax->extensions = nmalloc(sizeof(exttype));
+	    tmpsyntax->extensions->val = NULL;
+	    tmpsyntax->extensions->val = mallocstrcpy(tmpsyntax->extensions->val, fileregptr);
+	    tmpsyntax->extensions->next = NULL;
+	}
+	else {
+	    for (exttmp = tmpsyntax->extensions; exttmp->next != NULL;
+		 exttmp = exttmp->next);
+	    exttmp->next = nmalloc(sizeof(exttype));
+	    exttmp->next->val = NULL;
+	    exttmp->next->val = mallocstrcpy(exttmp->next->val, fileregptr);
+	    exttmp->next->next = NULL;
+	}
+   }
+
+}
+
 /* Parse the color stuff into the colorstrings array */
 void parse_colors(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
 {
@@ -190,6 +277,7 @@ void parse_colors(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
     int expectend = 0;		/* Do we expect an end= line? */
     char *tmp = NULL, *beginning, *fgstr, *bgstr;
     colortype *tmpcolor = NULL;
+    syntaxtype *tmpsyntax = NULL;
 
     fgstr = ptr;
     ptr = parse_next_word(ptr);
@@ -208,6 +296,15 @@ void parse_colors(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
     fg = colortoint(fgstr, &bright);
     bg = colortoint(bgstr, &bright);
 
+    if (syntaxes == NULL) {
+	rcfile_error(_("Cannot add a color directive without a syntax line"));
+	exit(1);
+    }
+
+    for (tmpsyntax = syntaxes; tmpsyntax->next != NULL;
+	 tmpsyntax = tmpsyntax->next)
+	;
+
     /* Now the fun part, start adding regexps to individual strings
        in the colorstrings array, woo! */
 
@@ -236,14 +333,14 @@ void parse_colors(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
 	tmp = NULL;
 	tmp = mallocstrcpy(tmp, beginning);
 
-	if (colorstrings == NULL) {
-	    colorstrings = nmalloc(sizeof(colortype));
-	    colorstrings->fg = fg;
-	    colorstrings->bg = bg;
-	    colorstrings->bright = bright;
-	    colorstrings->start = tmp;
-	    colorstrings->next = NULL;
-	    tmpcolor = colorstrings;
+	if (tmpsyntax->color == NULL) {
+	    tmpsyntax->color = nmalloc(sizeof(colortype));
+	    tmpsyntax->color->fg = fg;
+	    tmpsyntax->color->bg = bg;
+	    tmpsyntax->color->bright = bright;
+	    tmpsyntax->color->start = tmp;
+	    tmpsyntax->color->next = NULL;
+	    tmpcolor = tmpsyntax->color;
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	    fprintf(stderr,
 		    "Starting a new colorstring for fg %d bg %d\n",
@@ -252,7 +349,7 @@ void parse_colors(FILE * rcstream, char *buf, char *ptr)
 #endif
 
 	} else {
-	    for (tmpcolor = colorstrings;
+	    for (tmpcolor = tmpsyntax->color;
 		 tmpcolor->next != NULL; tmpcolor = tmpcolor->next);
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	    fprintf(stderr, "Adding new entry for fg %d bg %d\n", fg, bg);
@@ -338,6 +435,8 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE * rcstream)
 	else if (!strcasecmp(keyword, "unset"))
 	    set = -1;
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	else if (!strcasecmp(keyword, "syntax"))
+	    parse_syntax(rcstream, buf, ptr);
 	else if (!strcasecmp(keyword, "color"))
 	    parse_colors(rcstream, buf, ptr);
 #endif				/* ENABLE_COLOR */
@@ -481,9 +580,25 @@ void do_rcfile(void)
 	return;
     }
 
+
     parse_rcfile(rcstream);
     fclose(rcstream);
 
+    {
+	syntaxtype *s;
+	exttype *e;
+	colortype *c;
+
+    for (s = syntaxes; s != NULL; s = s->next) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "Syntax \"%s\"\n", s->desc);
+	for (e = s->extensions; e != NULL; e = e->next)
+	    fprintf(stderr, "  extension \"%s\"\n", e->val);
+	for (c = s->color; c != NULL; c = c->next)
+	    fprintf(stderr, "Color string regex \"%s\"\n", c->start);
+	
+    }
+    }
+
 }