diff --git a/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/ft-nix-support.patch b/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/ft-nix-support.patch
index ed508784813..cbbe1ccb212 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/ft-nix-support.patch
+++ b/pkgs/applications/editors/vim/ft-nix-support.patch
@@ -23,39 +23,42 @@ new file mode 100644
 index 0000000..a2f9918
 --- /dev/null
 +++ b/runtime/syntax/nix.vim
-@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
 +" Vim syntax file
 +" Language:	nix
 +" Maintainer:	Marc Weber <marco-oweber@gmx.de>
 +"               Modify and commit if you feel that way
-+" Last Change:	2007 Dec
++" Last Change:	2011 Jun
 +"
 +" this syntax file can be still be enhanced very much..
 +" Don't ask, do it :-)
++" This file (github.com/MarcWeber/vim-addon-nix) is periodically synced with
++" the patch found in vim_configurable (nixpkgs)
 +
 +" Quit when a (custom) syntax file was already loaded
 +if exists("b:current_syntax")
 +  finish
 +endif
 +
-+syn keyword	nixKeyword	let in rec assert inherit import true false null with ...
-+syn keyword	nixBuiltin	import abort baseNameOf dirOf isNull builtins map removeAttrs throw toString derivation
++
++sy cluster nixStrings contains=nixStringParam,nixStringIndented
++
++syn keyword	nixKeyword	let throw inherit import true false null with
 +syn keyword	nixConditional	if else then
 +syn keyword     nixBrace        ( ) { } =
 +syn keyword     nixBuiltin         __currentSystem __currentTime __isFunction __getEnv __trace __toPath __pathExists 
 +  \ __readFile __toXML __toFile __filterSource __attrNames __getAttr __hasAttr __isAttrs __listToAttrs __isList 
 +  \ __head __tail __add __sub __lessThan __substring __stringLength
 +
-+syn match nixAttr "[a-zA-Z0-9-_]\+\ze\s*="
-+syn match nixFuncArg "\zs[a-zA-Z0-9-_]\+\ze\s*:"
-+syn region nixStringParam start=+\${+ end=+}+
++syn region nixStringIndented start=+''+ skip=+'''\|''${\|"+ end=+''+ contains=nixStringParam
++" syn region nixString         start=+"+ skip=+\\"+ end=+"+
++syn match nixAttr "\w\+\ze\s*="
++syn match nixFuncArg "\zs\w\+\ze\s*:"
++syn region nixStringParam start=+\${+ end=+}+ contains=@nixStrings
 +syn region nixMultiLineComment start=+/\*+ skip=+\\"+ end=+\*/+
 +syn match  nixEndOfLineComment "#.*$"
-+syn region nixStringIndented start=+''+ skip=+'''\|''${\|"+ end=+''+ contains=nixStringParam
-+syn region nixString         start=+"+ skip=+\\"+ end=+"+ contains=nixStringParam
 +
 +hi def link nixKeyword       Keyword
-+hi def link nixBuiltin       Function
 +hi def link nixConditional   Conditional
 +hi def link nixBrace         Special
 +hi def link nixString        String
@@ -67,9 +70,20 @@ index 0000000..a2f9918
 +hi def link nixAttr        Identifier
 +hi def link nixFuncArg     Identifier
 +
++syn sync maxlines=20000
++syn sync minlines=50000
++
 +let b:current_syntax = "nix"
 +
++" thanks to iElectric
 +" scan backwards to find begining of multiline statements
 +syn sync ccomment nixMultiLineComment minlines=10 maxlines=500
 +syn sync ccomment nixStringIndented minlines=10 maxlines=500
 +syn sync ccomment nixString maxlines=10
+diff --git a/runtime/ftplugin/nix.vim b/runtime/ftplugin/nix.vim
+new file mode 100644
+--- /dev/null
++++ b/runtime/ftplugin/nix.vim
+@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
++" coding conventions
++setlocal sw=2 ts=2 expandtab