diff --git a/syntax/mkd.vim b/syntax/mkd.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee22365
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syntax/mkd.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+" Vim syntax file
+" Language:	Markdown
+" Maintainer:	Ben Williams <benw@plasticboy.com>
+" URL:		http://plasticboy.com/markdown-vim-mode/
+" Version:	9
+" Last Change:  2009 May 18 
+" Remark:	Uses HTML syntax file
+" Remark:	I don't do anything with angle brackets (<>) because that would too easily
+"		easily conflict with HTML syntax
+" TODO: 	Handle stuff contained within stuff (e.g. headings within blockquotes)
+
+
+" Read the HTML syntax to start with
+if version < 600
+  so <sfile>:p:h/html.vim
+else
+  runtime! syntax/html.vim
+  unlet b:current_syntax
+endif
+
+if version < 600
+  syntax clear
+elseif exists("b:current_syntax")
+  finish
+endif
+
+" don't use standard HiLink, it will not work with included syntax files
+if version < 508
+  command! -nargs=+ HtmlHiLink hi link <args>
+else
+  command! -nargs=+ HtmlHiLink hi def link <args>
+endif
+
+syn spell toplevel
+syn case ignore
+syn sync linebreaks=1
+
+"additions to HTML groups
+syn region htmlBold     start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=\*\@<!\*\*\*\@!/     end=/\\\@<!\*\@<!\*\*\*\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/   contains=@Spell,htmlItalic
+syn region htmlItalic   start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=\*\@<!\*\*\@!/       end=/\\\@<!\*\@<!\*\*\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/      contains=htmlBold,@Spell
+syn region htmlBold     start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=_\@<!___\@!/         end=/\\\@<!_\@<!___\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/       contains=htmlItalic,@Spell
+syn region htmlItalic   start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=_\@<!__\@!/          end=/\\\@<!_\@<!__\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/        contains=htmlBold,@Spell
+
+" [link](URL) | [link][id] | [link][]
+syn region mkdLink matchgroup=mkdDelimiter      start="\!\?\[" end="\]\ze\s*[[(]" contains=@Spell nextgroup=mkdURL,mkdID skipwhite oneline
+syn region mkdID matchgroup=mkdDelimiter        start="\["    end="\]" contained
+syn region mkdURL matchgroup=mkdDelimiter       start="("     end=")"  contained
+
+" Link definitions: [id]: URL (Optional Title)
+" TODO handle automatic links without colliding with htmlTag (<URL>)
+syn region mkdLinkDef matchgroup=mkdDelimiter   start="^ \{,3}\zs\[" end="]:" oneline nextgroup=mkdLinkDefTarget skipwhite
+syn region mkdLinkDefTarget start="<\?\zs\S" excludenl end="\ze[>[:space:]\n]"   contained nextgroup=mkdLinkTitle,mkdLinkDef skipwhite skipnl oneline
+syn region mkdLinkTitle matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start=+"+     end=+"+  contained
+syn region mkdLinkTitle matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start=+'+     end=+'+  contained
+syn region mkdLinkTitle matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start=+(+     end=+)+  contained
+
+"define Markdown groups
+syn match  mkdLineContinue ".$" contained
+syn match  mkdRule      /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
+syn match  mkdRule      /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
+syn match  mkdRule      /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
+syn match  mkdRule      /^\s*-\{3,}$/
+syn match  mkdRule      /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/
+syn match  mkdListItem  "^\s*[-*+]\s\+"
+syn match  mkdListItem  "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
+syn match  mkdCode      /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
+syn match  mkdLineBreak /  \+$/
+syn region mkdCode      start=/\\\@<!`/                   end=/\\\@<!`/
+syn region mkdCode      start=/\s*``[^`]*/          end=/[^`]*``\s*/
+syn region mkdBlockquote start=/^\s*>/              end=/$/                 contains=mkdLineBreak,mkdLineContinue,@Spell
+syn region mkdCode      start="<pre[^>]*>"         end="</pre>"
+syn region mkdCode      start="<code[^>]*>"        end="</code>"
+
+"HTML headings
+syn region htmlH1       start="^\s*#"                   end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn region htmlH2       start="^\s*##"                  end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn region htmlH3       start="^\s*###"                 end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn region htmlH4       start="^\s*####"                end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn region htmlH5       start="^\s*#####"               end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn region htmlH6       start="^\s*######"              end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell
+syn match  htmlH1       /^.\+\n=\+$/ contains=@Spell
+syn match  htmlH2       /^.\+\n-\+$/ contains=@Spell
+
+"highlighting for Markdown groups
+HtmlHiLink mkdString	    String
+HtmlHiLink mkdCode          String
+HtmlHiLink mkdBlockquote    Comment
+HtmlHiLink mkdLineContinue  Comment
+HtmlHiLink mkdListItem      Identifier
+HtmlHiLink mkdRule          Identifier
+HtmlHiLink mkdLineBreak     Todo
+HtmlHiLink mkdLink          htmlLink
+HtmlHiLink mkdURL           htmlString
+HtmlHiLink mkdID            Identifier
+HtmlHiLink mkdLinkDef       mkdID
+HtmlHiLink mkdLinkDefTarget mkdURL
+HtmlHiLink mkdLinkTitle     htmlString
+
+HtmlHiLink mkdDelimiter     Delimiter
+
+let b:current_syntax = "mkd"
+
+delcommand HtmlHiLink
+" vim: ts=8
diff --git a/vimrc b/vimrc
index a90181a..6ca3d78 100644
--- a/vimrc
+++ b/vimrc
@@ -65,3 +65,14 @@ augroup filetype
   au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.proto setfiletype proto
 augroup end
 
+" ============================================
+" = MARK DOWN SYNTAX
+" ============================================
+
+" do we have autocmd?
+if has("autocmd")
+
+    " set file type as markdown
+    autocmd BufNewFile,BufReadPost *.mkd,*.markdown,*.md set filetype=mkd
+endif
+