diff --git a/after/plugin/snipMate.vim b/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
index 03e79ae2..8a3c7c7c 100644
--- a/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
+++ b/after/plugin/snipMate.vim
@@ -29,7 +29,4 @@ if empty(snippets_dir)
 	finish
 endif
 
-call GetSnippets(snippets_dir, '_') " Get global snippets
-
-au FileType * if &ft != 'help' | call GetSnippets(snippets_dir, &ft) | endif
 " vim:noet:sw=4:ts=4:ft=vim
diff --git a/autoload/snipMate.vim b/autoload/snipMate.vim
index 0ad5a58d..f2bb5fa9 100644
--- a/autoload/snipMate.vim
+++ b/autoload/snipMate.vim
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+" config which can be overridden (shared lines)
+if !exists('g:snipMate')
+  let g:snipMate = {}
+endif
+let s:snipMate = g:snipMate
+
+" if filetype is objc, cpp, or cs also append snippets from scope 'c'
+" you can add multiple by separating scopes by ',', see s:ScopeAliases
+" TODO add documentation to doc/*
+let s:snipMate['scope_aliases'] = get(s:snipMate,'scope_aliases', {'objc'  :'c', 'cpp': 'c', 'cs':'c'} )
+
 fun! Filename(...)
 	let filename = expand('%:t:r')
 	if filename == '' | return a:0 == 2 ? a:2 : '' | endif
@@ -432,4 +443,107 @@ fun s:UpdateVars()
 	let s:oldWord = newWord
 	let g:snipPos[s:curPos][2] = newWordLen
 endf
+
+" should be moved to utils or such?
+fun! snipMate#SetByPath(dict, path, value)
+	let d = a:dict
+	for p in a:path[:-2]
+		if !has_key(d,p) | let d[p] = {} | endif
+		let d = d[p]
+	endfor
+	let d[a:path[-1]] = a:value
+endf
+
+" reads a .snippets file
+" returns list of
+" ['triggername', 'name', 'contents']
+fun! snipMate#ReadSnippetsFile(file)
+	let result = []
+	if !filereadable(a:file) | return result | endif
+	let text = readfile(a:file)
+
+	let text = readfile(a:file)
+	let inSnip = 0
+	for line in text + ["\n"]
+		if inSnip && (line[0] == "\t" || line == '')
+			let content .= strpart(line, 1)."\n"
+			continue
+		elseif inSnip
+			call add(result, [trigger, name == '' ? 'default' : name, content[:-2]])
+			let inSnip = 0
+		endif
+
+		if line[:6] == 'snippet'
+			let inSnip = 1
+			let trigger = strpart(line, 8)
+			let name = ''
+			let space = stridx(trigger, ' ') + 1
+			if space " Process multi snip
+				let name = strpart(trigger, space)
+				let trigger = strpart(trigger, 0, space - 1)
+			endif
+			let content = ''
+		endif
+	endfor
+	return result
+endf
+
+
+let s:read_snippets_cached  = {'func' : function('snipMate#ReadSnippetsFile'), 'version': 3, 'use_file_cache':1}
+
+fun! s:ScopeAliases(list)
+  let result = []
+  let scope_aliases = get(s:snipMate,'scope_aliases', {})
+  for i in a:list
+	if has_key(scope_aliases, i)
+	  call add(result, split(scope_aliases[i],','))
+	endif
+  endfor
+  return result
+endf
+
+" return a dict of snippets found in runtimepath matching trigger
+" scopes: list of scopes. usually this is the filetype. eg ['c','cpp']
+" trigger may contain glob patterns. Thus use '*' to get all triggers
+fun! snipMate#GetSnippets(scopes, trigger)
+	let result = {}
+	let triggerR = substitute(a:trigger,'*','.*','g')
+	let scopes = a:scopes + s:ScopeAliases(a:scopes)
+	for scope in scopes
+
+		for r in split(&runtimepath,',')
+
+			" .snippets files (many snippets per file). cache result for
+			" performance reason
+			" assume everything is a file..
+			for snippetsF in split(glob(r.'/snippets/'.scope.'.snippets'),"\n")
+				for [trigger, name, contents] in cached_file_contents#CachedFileContents(snippetsF, s:read_snippets_cached, 0)
+					if trigger !~ triggerR | continue | endif
+					call snipMate#SetByPath(result, [trigger, name], contents)
+				endfor
+			endfor
+
+			" == one file per snippet: ==
+
+			" without name snippets/<filetype>/<trigger>.snippet
+			for f in split(glob(r.'/snippets/'.scope.'/'.a:trigger.'.snippet'),"\n")
+				let trigger = fnamemodify(f,':t:r')
+				" lazily read files as needed
+				call snipMate#SetByPath(result, [trigger, 'default'], funcref#Function('return readfile('.string(f).')'))
+			endfor
+			" add /snippets/trigger/*.snippet files (TODO)
+
+			" with name (multi-snip) snippets/<filetype>/<trigger>/<name>.snippet
+			for f in split(glob(r.'/snippets/'.scope.'/'.a:trigger.'/*.snippet'),"\n")
+				let name = fnamemodify(f,':t:r')
+				let trigger = fnamemodify(f,':h:t')
+				" lazily read files as needed
+				call snipMate#SetByPath(result, [trigger, name], funcref#Function('return readfile('.string(f).')'))
+			endfor
+		endfor
+	endfor
+	return result
+endf
+
+
 " vim:noet:sw=4:ts=4:ft=vim
diff --git a/plugin/snipMate.vim b/plugin/snipMate.vim
index 9df0843e..af8cbe34 100644
--- a/plugin/snipMate.vim
+++ b/plugin/snipMate.vim
@@ -18,47 +18,18 @@ if !exists('snips_author') | let snips_author = 'Me' | endif
 au BufRead,BufNewFile *.snippets\= set ft=snippet
 au FileType snippet setl noet fdm=indent
 
-" bind local dict to global dict (debugging purposes)
-" you should use MakeSnip to add custom snippets
-if !exists('g:multi_snips')
-  let g:multi_snips = {}
+" config which can be overridden (shared lines)
+if !exists('g:snipMate')
+  let g:snipMate = {}
 endif
-let s:multi_snips = g:multi_snips
+let s:snipMate = g:snipMate
+
+let s:snipMate['get_snippets'] = get(s:snipMate, 'get_snippets', funcref#Function("snipMate#GetSnippets"))
 
 if !exists('snippets_dir')
 	let snippets_dir = substitute(globpath(&rtp, 'snippets/'), "\n", ',', 'g')
 endif
 
-fun! MakeSnip(scope, trigger, content, ...)
-  let description = a:0 > 0 ? a:1 : "default"
-  if description == ""
-	let description = "default"
-  endif
-  let s:multi_snips[a:scope] = get(s:multi_snips, a:scope, {})
-  let scopeDict = s:multi_snips[a:scope]
-  let scopeDict[a:trigger] = get(scopeDict, a:trigger, {})
-  let triggerDict = scopeDict[a:trigger]
-  if has_key(triggerDict, description)
-	echom 'Warning in snipMate.vim: Snippet '.a:trigger.' is already defined.'
-			\ .' See :h multi_snip for help on snippets with multiple matches.'
-  endif
-  " override existing snippet. User may have reloaded something
-  let triggerDict[description] = a:content
-endf
-
-fun! ExtractSnips(dir, ft)
-	for path in split(globpath(a:dir, '*'), "\n")
-		if isdirectory(path)
-			let pathname = fnamemodify(path, ':t')
-			for snipFile in split(globpath(path, '*.snippet'), "\n")
-				call s:ProcessFile(snipFile, a:ft, pathname)
-			endfor
-		elseif fnamemodify(path, ':e') == 'snippet'
-			call s:ProcessFile(path, a:ft)
-		endif
-	endfor
-endf
-
 " Processes a single-snippet file; optionally add the name of the parent
 " directory for a snippet with multiple matches.
 fun s:ProcessFile(file, ft, ...)
@@ -73,88 +44,6 @@ fun s:ProcessFile(file, ft, ...)
 			\  : MakeSnip(a:ft, keyword, text)
 endf
 
-fun! ExtractSnipsFile(file, ft)
-	if !filereadable(a:file) | return | endif
-	let text = readfile(a:file)
-	let inSnip = 0
-	for line in text + ["\n"]
-		if inSnip && (line[0] == "\t" || line == '')
-			let content .= strpart(line, 1)."\n"
-			continue
-		elseif inSnip
-			call MakeSnip(a:ft, trigger, content[:-2], name)
-			let inSnip = 0
-		endif
-
-		if line[:6] == 'snippet'
-			let inSnip = 1
-			let trigger = strpart(line, 8)
-			let name = ''
-			let space = stridx(trigger, ' ') + 1
-			if space " Process multi snip
-				let name = strpart(trigger, space)
-				let trigger = strpart(trigger, 0, space - 1)
-			endif
-			let content = ''
-		endif
-	endfor
-endf
-
-" Reset snippets for filetype.
-fun! ResetSnippets(ft)
-	let ft = a:ft == '' ? '_' : a:ft
-	for dict in [s:multi_snips, g:did_ft]
-		if has_key(dict, ft)
-			unlet dict[ft]
-		endif
-	endfor
-endf
-
-" Reset snippets for all filetypes.
-fun! ResetAllSnippets()
-	let s:multi_snips = {} | let g:did_ft = {}
-endf
-
-" Reload snippets for filetype.
-fun! ReloadSnippets(ft)
-	let ft = a:ft == '' ? '_' : a:ft
-	call ResetSnippets(ft)
-	call GetSnippets(g:snippets_dir, ft)
-endf
-
-" Reload snippets for all filetypes.
-fun! ReloadAllSnippets()
-	for ft in keys(g:did_ft)
-		call ReloadSnippets(ft)
-	endfor
-endf
-
-let g:did_ft = {}
-fun! GetSnippets(dir, filetypes)
-	for ft in split(a:filetypes, '\.')
-		if has_key(g:did_ft, ft) | continue | endif
-		call s:DefineSnips(a:dir, ft, ft)
-		if ft == 'objc' || ft == 'cpp' || ft == 'cs'
-			call s:DefineSnips(a:dir, 'c', ft)
-		elseif ft == 'xhtml'
-			call s:DefineSnips(a:dir, 'html', 'xhtml')
-		endif
-		let g:did_ft[ft] = 1
-	endfor
-endf
-
-" Define "aliasft" snippets for the filetype "realft".
-fun s:DefineSnips(dir, aliasft, realft)
-	for path in split(globpath(a:dir, a:aliasft.'/')."\n".
-					\ globpath(a:dir, a:aliasft.'-*/'), "\n")
-		call ExtractSnips(path, a:realft)
-	endfor
-	for path in split(globpath(a:dir, a:aliasft.'.snippets')."\n".
-					\ globpath(a:dir, a:aliasft.'-*.snippets'), "\n")
-		call ExtractSnipsFile(path, a:realft)
-	endfor
-endf
-
 fun! TriggerSnippet()
 	if exists('g:SuperTabMappingForward')
 		if g:SuperTabMappingForward == "<tab>"
@@ -217,8 +106,10 @@ endf
 fun s:GetSnippet(word, scope)
 	let word = a:word | let snippet = ''
 	while snippet == ''
-		if exists('s:multi_snips["'.a:scope.'"]["'.escape(word, '\"').'"]')
-			let snippet = s:ChooseSnippet(a:scope, word)
+		let snippetD = get(snipMate#GetSnippets([a:scope], word),word, {})
+		if !empty(snippetD)
+			let s = s:ChooseSnippet(snippetD)
+			let snippet =  s
 			if snippet == '' | break | endif
 		else
 			if match(word, '\W') == -1 | break | endif
@@ -231,10 +122,11 @@ fun s:GetSnippet(word, scope)
 	return [word, snippet]
 endf
 
-fun s:ChooseSnippet(scope, trigger)
+" snippets: dict containing snippets by name
+" usually this is just {'default' : snippet_contents }
+fun s:ChooseSnippet(snippets)
 	let snippet = []
-	let triggerDict = get(s:multi_snips[a:scope], a:trigger, {})
-	let keys = keys(triggerDict)
+	let keys = keys(a:snippets)
 	let i = 1
 	for snip in keys
 		let snippet += [i.'. '.snip]
@@ -245,7 +137,12 @@ fun s:ChooseSnippet(scope, trigger)
 	else
 	  let idx = inputlist(snippet) - 1
 	endif
-	return idx == -1 ? '' : triggerDict[keys[idx]]
+	" if a:snippets[..] is a String Call returns it
+	" If it's a function or a function string the result is returned
+	if idx == -1
+	  return ''
+	endif
+	return funcref#Call(a:snippets[keys(a:snippets)[idx]])
 endf
 
 fun! ShowAvailableSnips()
@@ -258,17 +155,16 @@ fun! ShowAvailableSnips()
 	endif
 	let matchlen = 0
 	let matches = []
-	for scope in [bufnr('%')] + split(&ft, '\.') + ['_']
-		for trigger in keys(get(s:multi_snips, scope, {}))
-			for word in words
-				if word == ''
-					let matches += [trigger] " Show all matches if word is empty
-				elseif trigger =~ '^'.word
-					let matches += [trigger]
-					let len = len(word)
-					if len > matchlen | let matchlen = len | endif
-				endif
-			endfor
+	let snips = snipMate#GetSnippets([bufnr('%')] + split(&ft, '\.') + ['_'], word.'*')
+	for trigger in keys(snips)
+		for word in words
+			if word == ''
+				let matches += [trigger] " Show all matches if word is empty
+			elseif trigger =~ '^'.word
+				let matches += [trigger]
+				let len = len(word)
+				if len > matchlen | let matchlen = len | endif
+			endif
 		endfor
 	endfor
 
diff --git a/snipMate-addon-info.txt b/snipMate-addon-info.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a440df95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/snipMate-addon-info.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "name" : "snipMate",
+  "author" : "Michael Sanders -> original project http://github.com/msanders/snipmate.vim",
+  "maintainer" : "Marc Weber <marco-oweber@gmx.de> (I mantain this fork only)",
+  "repository" : {"type": "git", "url": "git://github.com/MarcWeber/snipMate.vim.git"},
+  "dependencies" : {
+    "vim-addon-mw-utils": {}
+  },
+  "description" : "TextMate-style snippets for Vim - this fork loads snippets on demand lazily thus no need to reload any snippets ever"
+}