diff --git a/starter-kit-defuns.el b/starter-kit-defuns.el
index 1a32f6d..38ea365 100644
--- a/starter-kit-defuns.el
+++ b/starter-kit-defuns.el
@@ -62,18 +62,30 @@ Symbols matching the text at point are put first in the completion list."
            (position (cdr (assoc selected-symbol name-and-pos))))
       (goto-char position))))
 
-(defun coding-hook ()
-  "Enable things that are convenient across all coding buffers."
-  (set (make-local-variable 'comment-auto-fill-only-comments) t)
+;;; These belong in coding-hook:
+
+(defun local-column-number-mode ()
   (make-local-variable 'column-number-mode)
-  (column-number-mode t)
-  (setq save-place t)
-  (auto-fill-mode) ;; in comments only
-  (if window-system (hl-line-mode t))
-  (pretty-lambdas)
-  ;; TODO: this breaks in js2-mode!
-  ;;(if (functionp 'idle-highlight) (idle-highlight))
-  )
+  (column-number-mode t))
+
+(defun local-comment-auto-fill ()
+  (set (make-local-variable 'comment-auto-fill-only-comments) t)
+  (auto-fill-mode t))
+
+(defun turn-on-hl-line-mode ()
+  (if window-system (hl-line-mode t)))
+
+(defun turn-on-save-place-mode ()
+  (setq save-place t))
+
+(add-hook 'coding-hook 'local-column-number-mode)
+(add-hook 'coding-hook 'local-comment-auto-fill)
+(add-hook 'coding-hook 'turn-on-hl-line-mode)
+(add-hook 'coding-hook 'pretty-lambdas)
+  
+(defun run-coding-hook ()
+  "Enable things that are convenient across all coding buffers."
+  (run-hooks coding-hook))
 
 (defun untabify-buffer ()
   (interactive)
diff --git a/starter-kit-js.el b/starter-kit-js.el
index b67f3e5..46ac146 100644
--- a/starter-kit-js.el
+++ b/starter-kit-js.el
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
      (defun js-lambda () (interactive) (insert "function () {\n}")
        (backward-char 5))
 
-     (add-hook 'js2-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+     (add-hook 'js2-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
 
      (define-key js2-mode-map (kbd "C-c l") 'js-lambda)
      (define-key js2-mode-map "\C-\M-h" 'backward-kill-word)
diff --git a/starter-kit-lisp.el b/starter-kit-lisp.el
index 8a81bc6..d2b7d35 100644
--- a/starter-kit-lisp.el
+++ b/starter-kit-lisp.el
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@
 
 ;;; Emacs Lisp
 
-(add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'eldoc-mode)
-(add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'turn-on-eldoc-mode)
+(add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
 (add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'esk-remove-elc-on-save)
+(add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'idle-highlight)
 
 (defun esk-remove-elc-on-save ()
   "If you're saving an elisp file, likely the .elc is no longer valid."
@@ -42,7 +43,9 @@
 
 ;;; Clojure
 
-(add-hook 'clojure-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'clojure-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'clojure-mode-hook 'idle-highlight)
+
 (font-lock-add-keywords 'clojure-mode
                         '(("(\\|)" . 'esk-paren-face)))
 
@@ -51,13 +54,15 @@
 
 ;;; Scheme
 
-(add-hook 'scheme-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'scheme-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'scheme-mode-hook 'idle-highlight)
 (font-lock-add-keywords 'scheme-mode
 			'(("(\\|)" . 'esk-paren-face)))
 
 ;;; Common Lisp
 
-(add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook 'idle-highlight)
 (font-lock-add-keywords 'lisp-mode
 			'(("(\\|)" . 'esk-paren-face)))
 
diff --git a/starter-kit-misc.el b/starter-kit-misc.el
index 2ccbed9..9bb02b4 100644
--- a/starter-kit-misc.el
+++ b/starter-kit-misc.el
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@
 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill)
 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-flyspell)
 
+(defvar coding-hook nil
+  "Hook that gets run on activation of any programming mode.")
+
 (defalias 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)
 (random t) ;; Seed the random-number generator
 
diff --git a/starter-kit-ruby.el b/starter-kit-ruby.el
index 35531cd..bf16f9a 100644
--- a/starter-kit-ruby.el
+++ b/starter-kit-ruby.el
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ exec-to-string command, but it works and seems fast"
              (delete-region (point-min) (point-max))))))
      (ad-activate 'ruby-do-run-w/compilation)))
 
-(add-hook 'ruby-mode-hook 'coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'ruby-mode-hook 'run-coding-hook)
+(add-hook 'ruby-mode-hook 'idle-highlight)
 
 ;;; Flymake