diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index c28985b5..76d4054f 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 #include "file.hh"
 #include "input_handler.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
-#include "highlighter_registry.hh"
-#include "filter_registry.hh"
+#include "highlighter.hh"
+#include "filter.hh"
 #include "register_manager.hh"
 #include "completion.hh"
 #include "shell_manager.hh"
@@ -453,8 +453,8 @@ void add_highlighter(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
        window.highlighters().get_group(parser.option_value("group"))
      : window.highlighters();
 
-    registry.add_highlighter_to_group(window, group, name,
-                                      highlighter_params);
+    auto& factory = registry[name];
+    group.append(factory(window, highlighter_params));
 }
 
 void rm_highlighter(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
@@ -490,7 +490,8 @@ void add_filter(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
        editor.filters().get_group(parser.option_value("group"))
      : editor.filters();
 
-    registry.add_filter_to_group(group, name, filter_params);
+    auto& factory = registry[name];
+    group.append(factory(filter_params));
 }
 
 void rm_filter(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
@@ -809,7 +810,7 @@ void register_commands()
                              if (token_to_complete == 1 and params[0] == "-group")
                                  return w.highlighters().complete_group_id(arg, pos_in_token);
                              else if (token_to_complete == 0 or (token_to_complete == 2 and params[0] == "-group"))
-                                 return HighlighterRegistry::instance().complete_highlighter(arg, pos_in_token);
+                                 return HighlighterRegistry::instance().complete_name(arg, pos_in_token);
                              else
                                  return CandidateList();
                          });
@@ -837,7 +838,7 @@ void register_commands()
                              if (token_to_complete == 1 and params[0] == "-group")
                                  return w.filters().complete_group_id(arg, pos_in_token);
                              else if (token_to_complete == 0 or (token_to_complete == 2 and params[0] == "-group"))
-                                 return FilterRegistry::instance().complete_filter(arg, pos_in_token);
+                                 return FilterRegistry::instance().complete_name(arg, pos_in_token);
                              else
                                  return CandidateList();
                          });
diff --git a/src/filter.hh b/src/filter.hh
index 6f54d496..28fa0202 100644
--- a/src/filter.hh
+++ b/src/filter.hh
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef filter_hh_INCLUDED
 #define filter_hh_INCLUDED
 
-#include "string.hh"
-#include "selection.hh"
 #include <functional>
 
+#include "string.hh"
+#include "utils.hh"
+#include "memoryview.hh"
+#include "selection.hh"
+#include "function_registry.hh"
+
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
@@ -18,6 +22,13 @@ class BufferIterator;
 using FilterFunc = std::function<void (Buffer& buffer, Selection& selection, String& content)>;
 using FilterAndId = std::pair<String, FilterFunc>;
 
+using FilterParameters = memoryview<String>;
+using FilterFactory = std::function<FilterAndId (const FilterParameters& params)>;
+
+struct FilterRegistry : FunctionRegistry<FilterFactory>,
+                        Singleton<FilterRegistry>
+{};
+
 }
 
 #endif // filter_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/filter_registry.cc b/src/filter_registry.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 1a2a1754..00000000
--- a/src/filter_registry.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-#include "filter_registry.hh"
-
-#include "exception.hh"
-#include "filter_group.hh"
-
-namespace Kakoune
-{
-
-struct factory_not_found : public runtime_error
-{
-    factory_not_found(const String& name)
-        : runtime_error("filter factory not found '" + name + "'") {}
-};
-
-void FilterRegistry::register_factory(const String& name,
-                                      const FilterFactory& factory)
-{
-    assert(not m_factories.contains(name));
-    m_factories.append(std::make_pair(name, factory));
-}
-
-void FilterRegistry::add_filter_to_group(FilterGroup& group,
-                                         const String& name,
-                                         const FilterParameters& parameters)
-{
-    auto it = m_factories.find(name);
-    if (it == m_factories.end())
-        throw factory_not_found(name);
-
-    group.append(it->second(parameters));
-}
-
-CandidateList FilterRegistry::complete_filter(const String& prefix,
-                                              ByteCount cursor_pos)
-{
-    return m_factories.complete_id(prefix, cursor_pos);
-}
-
-}
diff --git a/src/filter_registry.hh b/src/filter_registry.hh
deleted file mode 100644
index 0756091c..00000000
--- a/src/filter_registry.hh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
-#define filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
-
-#include <unordered_map>
-
-#include "string.hh"
-#include "filter.hh"
-#include "utils.hh"
-#include "completion.hh"
-#include "memoryview.hh"
-#include "idvaluemap.hh"
-
-namespace Kakoune
-{
-
-class FilterGroup;
-
-typedef memoryview<String> FilterParameters;
-
-typedef std::function<FilterAndId (const FilterParameters& params)> FilterFactory;
-
-class FilterRegistry : public Singleton<FilterRegistry>
-{
-public:
-    void register_factory(const String& name,
-                          const FilterFactory& factory);
-
-    void add_filter_to_group(FilterGroup& group,
-                             const String& factory_name,
-                             const FilterParameters& parameters);
-
-    CandidateList complete_filter(const String& prefix,
-                                  ByteCount cursor_pos);
-
-private:
-    idvaluemap<String, FilterFactory> m_factories;
-};
-
-}
-
-#endif // filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
-
diff --git a/src/filters.cc b/src/filters.cc
index bd24fe23..4503aecf 100644
--- a/src/filters.cc
+++ b/src/filters.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include "filters.hh"
-#include "filter_registry.hh"
 #include "buffer.hh"
 #include "filter_group.hh"
 
@@ -136,11 +135,11 @@ void register_filters()
 {
     FilterRegistry& registry = FilterRegistry::instance();
 
-    registry.register_factory("preserve_indent", SimpleFilterFactory<preserve_indent>("preserve_indent"));
-    registry.register_factory("cleanup_whitespaces", SimpleFilterFactory<cleanup_whitespaces>("cleanup_whitespaces"));
-    registry.register_factory("expand_tabulations", SimpleFilterFactory<expand_tabulations>("expand_tabulations"));
-    registry.register_factory("regex", regex_filter_factory);
-    registry.register_factory("group", filter_group_factory);
+    registry.register_func("preserve_indent", SimpleFilterFactory<preserve_indent>("preserve_indent"));
+    registry.register_func("cleanup_whitespaces", SimpleFilterFactory<cleanup_whitespaces>("cleanup_whitespaces"));
+    registry.register_func("expand_tabulations", SimpleFilterFactory<expand_tabulations>("expand_tabulations"));
+    registry.register_func("regex", regex_filter_factory);
+    registry.register_func("group", filter_group_factory);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/filters.hh b/src/filters.hh
index 0d88da46..4242b013 100644
--- a/src/filters.hh
+++ b/src/filters.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef filters_hh_INCLUDED
 #define filters_hh_INCLUDED
 
+#include "filter.hh"
+
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
diff --git a/src/function_registry.hh b/src/function_registry.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..058c4aa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/function_registry.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#ifndef function_registry_h_INCLUDED
+#define function_registry_h_INCLUDED
+
+#include "string.hh"
+#include "completion.hh"
+#include "idvaluemap.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+struct function_not_found : runtime_error
+{
+    function_not_found(const String& name)
+        : runtime_error("'" + name + "' not found") {}
+};
+
+template<typename FunctionType>
+class FunctionRegistry
+{
+public:
+    void register_func(const String& name, const FunctionType& function)
+    {
+        assert(not m_functions.contains(name));
+        m_functions.append(std::make_pair(name, function));
+    }
+
+    const FunctionType& operator[](const String& name) const
+    {
+        auto it = m_functions.find(name);
+        if (it == m_functions.end())
+            throw function_not_found(name);
+        return it->second;
+    }
+
+    CandidateList complete_name(const String& prefix, ByteCount cursor_pos)
+    {
+        return m_functions.complete_id(prefix, cursor_pos);
+    }
+
+private:
+    idvaluemap<String, FunctionType> m_functions;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif // function_registry_h_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/highlighter.hh b/src/highlighter.hh
index 5f6d58d9..926224d2 100644
--- a/src/highlighter.hh
+++ b/src/highlighter.hh
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 #ifndef highlighter_hh_INCLUDED
 #define highlighter_hh_INCLUDED
 
-#include "string.hh"
 #include <functional>
+
+#include "string.hh"
+#include "utils.hh"
 #include "memoryview.hh"
+#include "function_registry.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
 class DisplayBuffer;
+class Window;
 
 // An Highlighter is a function which mutates a DisplayBuffer in order to
 // change the visual representation of a file. It could be changing text
@@ -19,6 +23,12 @@ typedef std::function<void (DisplayBuffer& display_buffer)> HighlighterFunc;
 typedef std::pair<String, HighlighterFunc> HighlighterAndId;
 typedef memoryview<String> HighlighterParameters;
 
+using HighlighterFactory = std::function<HighlighterAndId (Window& window,
+                                                           const HighlighterParameters& params)>;
+
+struct HighlighterRegistry : FunctionRegistry<HighlighterFactory>,
+                             Singleton<HighlighterRegistry>
+{};
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/highlighter_registry.cc b/src/highlighter_registry.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 90cbe36f..00000000
--- a/src/highlighter_registry.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-#include "highlighter_registry.hh"
-
-#include "exception.hh"
-#include "window.hh"
-#include "highlighters.hh"
-
-namespace Kakoune
-{
-
-struct factory_not_found : public runtime_error
-{
-    factory_not_found(const String& name)
-        : runtime_error("highlighter factory not found '" + name + "'") {}
-};
-
-void HighlighterRegistry::register_factory(const String& name,
-                                           const HighlighterFactory& factory)
-{
-    assert(not m_factories.contains(name));
-    m_factories.append(std::make_pair(name, factory));
-}
-
-void HighlighterRegistry::add_highlighter_to_group(Window& window,
-                                                   HighlighterGroup& group,
-                                                   const String& name,
-                                                   const HighlighterParameters& parameters)
-{
-    auto it = m_factories.find(name);
-    if (it == m_factories.end())
-        throw factory_not_found(name);
-
-    group.append(it->second(window, parameters));
-}
-
-CandidateList HighlighterRegistry::complete_highlighter(const String& prefix,
-                                                        ByteCount cursor_pos)
-{
-    return m_factories.complete_id(prefix, cursor_pos);
-}
-
-}
diff --git a/src/highlighter_registry.hh b/src/highlighter_registry.hh
deleted file mode 100644
index 9690318d..00000000
--- a/src/highlighter_registry.hh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef highlighter_registry_h_INCLUDED
-#define highlighter_registry_h_INCLUDED
-
-#include "string.hh"
-#include <unordered_map>
-
-#include "highlighter.hh"
-#include "utils.hh"
-#include "completion.hh"
-#include "idvaluemap.hh"
-
-namespace Kakoune
-{
-
-class Window;
-class HighlighterGroup;
-
-typedef std::function<HighlighterAndId (Window& window,
-                                        const HighlighterParameters& params)> HighlighterFactory;
-
-class HighlighterRegistry : public Singleton<HighlighterRegistry>
-{
-public:
-    void register_factory(const String& name,
-                          const HighlighterFactory& factory);
-
-    void add_highlighter_to_group(Window& window,
-                                  HighlighterGroup& group,
-                                  const String& factory_name,
-                                  const HighlighterParameters& parameters);
-
-    CandidateList complete_highlighter(const String& prefix,
-                                      ByteCount cursor_pos);
-
-private:
-    idvaluemap<String, HighlighterFactory> m_factories;
-};
-
-}
-
-#endif // highlighter_registry_h_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index ac66e50f..ba2a74af 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include "highlighters.hh"
 #include "assert.hh"
 #include "window.hh"
-#include "highlighter_registry.hh"
 #include "color_registry.hh"
 #include "highlighter_group.hh"
 #include "string.hh"
@@ -272,11 +271,11 @@ void register_highlighters()
 {
     HighlighterRegistry& registry = HighlighterRegistry::instance();
 
-    registry.register_factory("highlight_selections", WindowHighlighterFactory<highlight_selections>("highlight_selections"));
-    registry.register_factory("expand_tabs", WindowHighlighterFactory<expand_tabulations>("expand_tabs"));
-    registry.register_factory("number_lines", WindowHighlighterFactory<show_line_numbers>("number_lines"));
-    registry.register_factory("regex", colorize_regex_factory);
-    registry.register_factory("group", highlighter_group_factory);
+    registry.register_func("highlight_selections", WindowHighlighterFactory<highlight_selections>("highlight_selections"));
+    registry.register_func("expand_tabs", WindowHighlighterFactory<expand_tabulations>("expand_tabs"));
+    registry.register_func("number_lines", WindowHighlighterFactory<show_line_numbers>("number_lines"));
+    registry.register_func("regex", colorize_regex_factory);
+    registry.register_func("group", highlighter_group_factory);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/highlighters.hh b/src/highlighters.hh
index 53738e94..83c9dbd7 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.hh
+++ b/src/highlighters.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef highlighters_hh_INCLUDED
 #define highlighters_hh_INCLUDED
 
+#include "highlighter.hh"
+
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index d0606f21..25357773 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@
 #include "assert.hh"
 #include "debug.hh"
 #include "highlighters.hh"
-#include "highlighter_registry.hh"
 #include "filters.hh"
-#include "filter_registry.hh"
 #include "hook_manager.hh"
 #include "option_manager.hh"
 #include "event_manager.hh"
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index ae3e0ca5..25dc5497 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "window.hh"
 
 #include "assert.hh"
-#include "highlighter_registry.hh"
+#include "highlighter.hh"
 #include "hook_manager.hh"
 #include "context.hh"
 
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ Window::Window(Buffer& buffer)
     m_hooks.run_hook("WinCreate", buffer.name(), Context(*this));
     m_options.register_watcher(*this);
 
-    registry.add_highlighter_to_group(*this, m_highlighters, "expand_tabs", HighlighterParameters());
-    registry.add_highlighter_to_group(*this, m_highlighters, "highlight_selections", HighlighterParameters());
+    m_highlighters.append(registry["expand_tabs"](*this, {}));
+    m_highlighters.append(registry["highlight_selections"](*this, {}));
 
     for (auto& option : m_options.flatten_options())
         on_option_changed(option.first, option.second);