diff --git a/rc/filetype/ninja.kak b/rc/filetype/ninja.kak
index a3da18eb..e6609845 100644
--- a/rc/filetype/ninja.kak
+++ b/rc/filetype/ninja.kak
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ hook -group ninja-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=ninja %{
     hook -once -always window WinSetOption filetype=.* %{ remove-highlighter window/ninja }
 }
 
-# Lazy loading
+
 provide-module ninja %{
 
 # Highlighters
@@ -40,40 +40,25 @@ add-highlighter shared/ninja regions
 # `#`
 add-highlighter shared/ninja/comment region '#' '\n' fill comment
 
-# `rule`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/rule region '^rule' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/rule/rule regex '^rule' 0:keyword
-
-# `command`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/command region '^\h+command' '[^$]\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/command/command regex 'command' 0:variable
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/command/equal regex '=' 0:operator
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/command/linebreak regex '\$$' 0:operator
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/command/variables regex '\$\w+|\$\{\w+\}' 0:value
+# `subninja`, `include`, `rule`, `pool` and `default` declarations
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/sirpd region '^(subninja|include|rule|pool|default)\b' '[^$]\n' group
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/sirpd/default regex '^(subninja|include)\b' 0:module
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/sirpd/rulepool regex '^(rule|pool|default)\b' 0:keyword
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/sirpd/linebreak regex '\$$' 0:operator
 
 # `build`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/build region '^build\b' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/build regex '^build' 0:keyword
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/rule regex ':\h+(\w+)' 0:function
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/build region '^build\b' '[^$]\n' group
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/build regex '^build\b' 0:keyword
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/rule regex ':\h+((\w|-)+)' 0:function
 add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/colonpipe regex ':|\||\|\|' 0:operator
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/variables regex '\$\w+|\$\{\w+\}' 0:value
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/linebreak regex '\$$' 0:operator
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/build/variables regex '\$(\w|-)+|\$\{(\w|-)+\}' 0:value
 
-# variables
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable region '^\h*\w+\h*=' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/name regex '(\w+)\h*=' 0:variable
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/equal regex '=' 0:operator
-
-# `default`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/default region '^default' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/default/default regex '^default' 0:keyword
-
-# `subninja` and `include`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/subinc region '^subninja|include' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/subinc/default regex '^subninja|include' 0:module
-
-# `pool`
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/pool region '^pool' '\n' group
-add-highlighter shared/ninja/pool/pool regex '^pool' 0:keyword
+# variables declarations
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable region '^\h*(\w|-)+\h*=' '[^$]\n' group
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/declaredname regex '^\h*((\w|-)+)\h*(=)' 1:variable 0:operator
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/linebreak regex '\$$' 0:operator
+add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/variables regex '\$(\w|-)+|\$\{(\w|-)+\}' 0:value
 
 # keywords/builtin variable names
 evaluate-commands %sh{
@@ -86,10 +71,11 @@ evaluate-commands %sh{
 
   reserved_names_regex="$(echo ${reserved_names} | tr ' ' '|')"
   printf %s "
-      add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/reserved_names regex ${reserved_names_regex} 0:meta
+      add-highlighter shared/ninja/variable/reserved_names regex '^\h*(${reserved_names_regex})\b' 0:meta
   "
 }
 
+
 # Indent
 # ‾‾‾‾‾‾
 
@@ -106,8 +92,8 @@ define-command -hidden ninja-indent-on-new-line %{
         try %{ execute-keys -draft \; K <a-&> }
         # filter previous line
         try %{ execute-keys -draft k : ninja-trim-indent <ret> }
-        # indent after lines begining with rule and pool (do people want build too ?)
-        try %{ execute-keys -draft \; k x <a-k> ^(\brule|pool) <ret> j <a-gt> }
+        # indent after lines begining with rule and pool
+        try %{ execute-keys -draft \; k x <a-k> ^(rule|pool|build)\b <ret> j <a-gt> }
     }
 }