diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index 8880088f..36f9dd37 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -334,123 +334,40 @@ void expand_unprintable(const Window& window, DisplayBuffer& display_buffer)
     }
 }
 
-class FlagLines : public OptionManagerWatcher_AutoRegister
-{
-public:
-    FlagLines(Color bg, String option_name, Window& window)
-        : OptionManagerWatcher_AutoRegister(window.options()),
-          m_bg(bg), m_option_name(std::move(option_name)),
-          m_window(window)
-    {
-        // trigger an exception if option is not of right type.
-        m_window.options()[m_option_name].get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
-        update_shared_option_updater();
-    }
-
-    void operator()(const Window&, DisplayBuffer& display_buffer)
-    {
-        update_shared_option_updater();
-        auto& lines = m_window.options()[m_option_name].get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
-
-        CharCount width = 0;
-        for (auto& l : lines)
-             width = std::max(width, std::get<2>(l).char_length());
-        const String empty{' ', width};
-        for (auto& line : display_buffer.lines())
-        {
-            int line_num = (int)line.range().first.line + 1;
-            auto it = find_if(lines, [&](const LineAndFlag& l) { return std::get<0>(l) == line_num; });
-            String content = it != lines.end() ? std::get<2>(*it) : empty;
-            content += String(' ', width - content.char_length());
-            DisplayAtom atom{std::move(content)};
-            atom.colors = { it != lines.end() ? std::get<1>(*it) : Colors::Default , m_bg };
-            line.insert(line.begin(), std::move(atom));
-        }
-    }
-
-private:
-    void on_option_changed(const Option& option) override
-    {
-        if (option.name() == m_option_name)
-            m_window.forget_timestamp();
-    }
-
-    struct OptionUpdater : BufferChangeListener_AutoRegister
-    {
-        OptionUpdater(Buffer& buffer, Option& option)
-            : BufferChangeListener_AutoRegister(buffer), m_option(&option)
-        {
-            // sanity checks
-            kak_assert(&m_option->manager() != &GlobalOptions::instance());
-            m_option->get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
-        }
-
-        void on_insert(const Buffer&, BufferCoord begin, BufferCoord end) override
-        {
-            LineCount new_lines = end.line - begin.line;
-            if (new_lines == 0)
-                return;
-
-            auto lines = m_option->get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
-            for (auto& line : lines)
-            {
-                if (std::get<0>(line) > begin.line)
-                    std::get<0>(line) += new_lines;
-            }
-            m_option->set(lines);
-        }
-
-        void on_erase(const Buffer&, BufferCoord begin, BufferCoord end)  override
-        {
-            LineCount removed_lines = end.line - begin.line;
-            if (removed_lines == 0)
-                return;
-
-            auto lines = m_option->get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
-            for (auto& line : lines)
-            {
-                if (std::get<0>(line) > begin.line)
-                    std::get<0>(line) -= removed_lines;
-            }
-            m_option->set(lines);
-        }
-
-        const Option& option() const { return *m_option; }
-    private:
-        safe_ptr<Option> m_option;
-    };
-    static std::unordered_map<const Option*, std::weak_ptr<OptionUpdater>> ms_updaters;
-
-    void update_shared_option_updater()
-    {
-        const Option& option = m_window.options()[m_option_name];
-        if (&option.manager() == &GlobalOptions::instance() or
-            (m_updater and &option == &m_updater->option()))
-            return;
-        auto& shared_updater = ms_updaters[&option];
-        if (shared_updater.expired())
-        {
-            m_updater = std::make_shared<OptionUpdater>(
-                m_window.buffer(), option.manager().get_local_option(option.name()));
-            shared_updater = m_updater;
-        }
-        else
-           m_updater = shared_updater.lock();
-    }
-
-    Color m_bg;
-    String m_option_name;
-    Window& m_window;
-    std::shared_ptr<OptionUpdater> m_updater;
-};
-std::unordered_map<const Option*, std::weak_ptr<FlagLines::OptionUpdater>> FlagLines::ms_updaters;
-
 HighlighterAndId flag_lines_factory(HighlighterParameters params, Window& window)
 {
     if (params.size() != 2)
         throw runtime_error("wrong parameter count");
 
-    return {"hlflags_" + params[1], FlagLines{str_to_color(params[0]), params[1], window}};
+    const String& option_name = params[1];
+    Color bg = str_to_color(params[0]);
+
+    // throw if wrong option type
+    GlobalOptions::instance()[option_name].get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
+
+    return {"hlflags_" + params[1],
+            [=](const Window& window, DisplayBuffer& display_buffer)
+            {
+                auto& lines_opt = window.options()[option_name];
+                auto& lines = lines_opt.get<std::vector<LineAndFlag>>();
+
+                CharCount width = 0;
+                for (auto& l : lines)
+                     width = std::max(width, std::get<2>(l).char_length());
+                const String empty{' ', width};
+                for (auto& line : display_buffer.lines())
+                {
+                    int line_num = (int)line.range().first.line + 1;
+                    auto it = find_if(lines,
+                                      [&](const LineAndFlag& l)
+                                      { return std::get<0>(l) == line_num; });
+                    String content = it != lines.end() ? std::get<2>(*it) : empty;
+                    content += String(' ', width - content.char_length());
+                    DisplayAtom atom{std::move(content)};
+                    atom.colors = { it != lines.end() ? std::get<1>(*it) : Colors::Default , bg };
+                    line.insert(line.begin(), std::move(atom));
+                }
+            }};
 }
 
 template<void (*highlighter_func)(const Window&, DisplayBuffer&)>