diff --git a/application.py b/application.py
index f0e929a..d96c583 100755
--- a/application.py
+++ b/application.py
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ import util, window2
 from point2 import Point
 
 # modes
-# TODO: mode_c mode_nasm mode_sql mode_javascript mode_tt
+# TODO: mode_sql mode_javascript mode_tt
 import mode2
 import mode_mini, mode_search, mode_replace, mode_which
 import mode_console, mode_consolemini
 import mode_blame, mode_diff
-import mode_python, mode_perl, mode_xml, mode_nasm, mode_sh
+import mode_c, mode_python, mode_perl, mode_xml, mode_nasm, mode_sh
 import mode_life, mode_text, mode_mutt
 
 def run(buffers, jump_to_line=None, init_mode=None):
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class Application(object):
         # initialize our modes
         self.modes = {
             'blame':       mode_blame.Blame,
-#            'c':           mode_c.C,
+            'c':           mode_c.C,
             'console':     mode_console.Console,
             'consolemini':     mode_consolemini.Console,
             'diff':        mode_diff.Diff,
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class Application(object):
             '.pl':     'perl',
             '.pm':     'perl',
             '.t':      'perl',
-#            '.c':      'c',
+            '.c':      'c',
             '.txt':    'text',
             '.s':      'nasm',
             '.sh':     'sh',
diff --git a/mode_c.py b/mode_c.py
index 49f170e..93b8ff2 100644
--- a/mode_c.py
+++ b/mode_c.py
@@ -1,20 +1,106 @@
-import sets, sys
+import color, mode2
+import lex
+from lex2 import Grammar, PatternRule, RegionRule
+# this might not be complete...
+# see http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-2.95.3/cpp_3.html#SEC44
 
-import color, mode, lex, lex_c, method, tab_c
+class MacroGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(name=r'continued', pattern=r'.*\\ *$'),
+    ]
+class IncludeGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(name=r'header', pattern=r'<[-A-Za-z/0-9_\.]+>|"[-A-Za-z/0-9_\.]+"'),
+    ]
 
-class C(mode.Fundamental):
+class CGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(name=r'macro1', pattern=r'#(?:define|import|include|undef)(?!=[a-zA-Z0-9_])'),
+        RegionRule(name=r'macro2', start=r"#(?:assert|cpu|elif|else|error|endif|ident|ifdef|ifndef|if|include_next|line|machine|pragma|pragma_once|system|unassert|warning)", grammar=MacroGrammar(), end=r'(?<!\\) *$'),
+        RegionRule(name=r'include', start=r'#include', grammar=IncludeGrammar(), end=r'$'),
+        RegionRule(name=r'define', start=r'#define', grammar=Grammar(), end='(?<!\\) *$'),
+    ]
+
+    foo = [
+        {'name': 'constant',
+         'expr': r'''(?<=#define) +[A-Za-z0-9_]+(?= |\(|\n|$)''',
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        {'name': 'label',
+         'expr': r"""[a-zA-Z_]+(?=:)""",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "c++ comment",
+         'expr': r'//.*(?:\n|$)',
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        {'name': "c comment",
+         'expr': r"/\*(?:.|\n)*?(?:\*/|$)",
+         'action' : lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': 'control',
+         'expr': r"(?:break|case|continue|default|do|else|for|goto|if|return|switch|while)(?![a-zA-Z_])",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        {'name': 'keyword',
+         'expr': r"(?:auto|break|case|char|const|continue|default|do|double|else|enum|extern|float|for|goto|if|int|long|register|return|short|signed|sizeof|static|struct|switch|typedef|union|unsigned|void|volatile|while)(?![a-zA-z_])",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        {'name': 'builtin',
+         'expr': r"(?:NULL|TRUE|FALSE)",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        {'name': "identifier",
+         'expr': r"[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "unary operator",
+         'expr': r"""\+=|-=|\*=|/=|//=|%=|&=\|\^=|>>=|<<=|\*\*=""",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "operator",
+         'expr': r"""\+|<>|<<|<=|<|-|>>|>=|>|\*\*|&|\*|\||/|\^|==|//|~|!=|%""",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        # this is sketchy as hell
+        {'name': "delimiter",
+         'expr': r"""->|\.|\(|\)|\[|\]|{|}|@|,|:|`|;|=|\?""",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "integer",
+         'expr': r"(?:0(?![x0-9])|[1-9][0-9]*|0[0-7]+|0[xX][0-9a-fA-F]+)[lL]?",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "float",
+         'expr': r"""[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+|(?:[0-9]|[0-9]+\.[0-9]*|\.[0-9]+)[eE][\+-]?[0-9]+""",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "string1",
+         'expr': r'"(?:\\.|[^"])*(?:"|.?$)',
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+
+        # Doesn't handle octal . .  (yeah it does..heh...ughhh)
+        {'name': "char",
+         'expr': r"'(?:\\[^']+|[^'])(?:'|.?$)",
+         'action': lex.make_token},
+        
+        {'name': "default",
+         'expr': r'\\.|.|\n',
+         'action': lex.silent}
+    ]
+
+class C(mode2.Fundamental):
+    #tabbercls  = CTabber
+    grammar = CGrammar()
+    opentoken  = 'delimiter'
+    opentags   = {'(': ')', '[': ']', '{': '}'}
+    closetoken = 'delimiter'
+    closetags  = {')': '(', ']': '[', '}': '{'}
     def __init__(self, w):
-        mode.Fundamental.__init__(self, w)
-
-        self.tag_matching = True
-        self.grammar      = lex_c.CGrammar()
-        self.lexer        = lex.Lexer(self.grammar)
-
+        mode2.Fundamental.__init__(self, w)
         self.add_bindings('close-paren', (')',))
         self.add_bindings('close-brace', ('}',))
         self.add_bindings('close-bracket', (']',))
-
-        self.default_color = color.build('default', 'default')
         self.colors = {
             'control':       color.build('blue', 'default', 'bold'),
             'keyword':       color.build('cyan', 'default', 'bold'),
@@ -34,8 +120,5 @@ class C(mode.Fundamental):
             'float':         color.build('green', 'default'),
             'bizzaro':       color.build('magenta', 'green'),
         }
-
-        self.tabber = tab_c.CTabber(self)
-
     def name(self):
         return "C"
diff --git a/mode_perl.py b/mode_perl.py
index e65fcb1..4eaea5e 100644
--- a/mode_perl.py
+++ b/mode_perl.py
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ class Perl(mode2.Fundamental):
         self.add_bindings('close-bracket', (']'))
         self.add_bindings('close-brace', ('}'))
 
-        self.default_color = color.build('default', 'default')
-
         self.colors = {
             # basic stuff
             'escaped':   color.build('magenta', 'default'),