--- a/runtime/syntax/java.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/java.vim
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ endif
 let s:cpo_save = &cpo
 set cpo&vim
 
-" don't use standard HiLink, it will not work with included syntax files
-command! -nargs=+ JavaHiLink hi def link <args>
-
 " some characters that cannot be in a java program (outside a string)
 syn match javaError "[\\@`]"
 syn match javaError "<<<\|\.\.\|=>\|||=\|&&=\|\*\/"
@@ -30,7 +27,7 @@ syn match javaOK "\.\.\."
 
 " use separate name so that it can be deleted in javacc.vim
 syn match   javaError2 "#\|=<"
-JavaHiLink javaError2 javaError
+hi def link javaError2 javaError
 
 
 
@@ -73,32 +70,32 @@ if exists("java_highlight_all")  || exis
   syn keyword javaR_JavaLang NegativeArraySizeException ArrayStoreException IllegalStateException RuntimeException IndexOutOfBoundsException UnsupportedOperationException ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException ArithmeticException ClassCastException EnumConstantNotPresentException StringIndexOutOfBoundsException IllegalArgumentException IllegalMonitorStateException IllegalThreadStateException NumberFormatException NullPointerException TypeNotPresentException SecurityException
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaR_JavaLang
   syn cluster javaClasses add=javaR_JavaLang
-  JavaHiLink javaR_JavaLang javaR_Java
+  hi def link javaR_JavaLang javaR_Java
   syn keyword javaC_JavaLang Process RuntimePermission StringKeySet CharacterData01 Class ThreadLocal ThreadLocalMap CharacterData0E Package Character StringCoding Long ProcessImpl ProcessEnvironment Short AssertionStatusDirectives 1PackageInfoProxy UnicodeBlock InheritableThreadLocal AbstractStringBuilder StringEnvironment ClassLoader ConditionalSpecialCasing CharacterDataPrivateUse StringBuffer StringDecoder Entry StringEntry WrappedHook StringBuilder StrictMath State ThreadGroup Runtime CharacterData02 MethodArray Object CharacterDataUndefined Integer Gate Boolean Enum Variable Subset StringEncoder Void Terminator CharsetSD IntegerCache CharacterCache Byte CharsetSE Thread SystemClassLoaderAction CharacterDataLatin1 StringValues StackTraceElement Shutdown ShortCache String ConverterSD ByteCache Lock EnclosingMethodInfo Math Float Value Double SecurityManager LongCache ProcessBuilder StringEntrySet Compiler Number UNIXProcess ConverterSE ExternalData CaseInsensitiveComparator CharacterData00 NativeLibrary
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaC_JavaLang
   syn cluster javaClasses add=javaC_JavaLang
-  JavaHiLink javaC_JavaLang javaC_Java
+  hi def link javaC_JavaLang javaC_Java
   syn keyword javaE_JavaLang IncompatibleClassChangeError InternalError UnknownError ClassCircularityError AssertionError ThreadDeath IllegalAccessError NoClassDefFoundError ClassFormatError UnsupportedClassVersionError NoSuchFieldError VerifyError ExceptionInInitializerError InstantiationError LinkageError NoSuchMethodError Error UnsatisfiedLinkError StackOverflowError AbstractMethodError VirtualMachineError OutOfMemoryError
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaE_JavaLang
   syn cluster javaClasses add=javaE_JavaLang
-  JavaHiLink javaE_JavaLang javaE_Java
+  hi def link javaE_JavaLang javaE_Java
   syn keyword javaX_JavaLang CloneNotSupportedException Exception NoSuchMethodException IllegalAccessException NoSuchFieldException Throwable InterruptedException ClassNotFoundException InstantiationException
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaX_JavaLang
   syn cluster javaClasses add=javaX_JavaLang
-  JavaHiLink javaX_JavaLang javaX_Java
+  hi def link javaX_JavaLang javaX_Java
 
-  JavaHiLink javaR_Java javaR_
-  JavaHiLink javaC_Java javaC_
-  JavaHiLink javaE_Java javaE_
-  JavaHiLink javaX_Java javaX_
-  JavaHiLink javaX_		     javaExceptions
-  JavaHiLink javaR_		     javaExceptions
-  JavaHiLink javaE_		     javaExceptions
-  JavaHiLink javaC_		     javaConstant
+  hi def link javaR_Java javaR_
+  hi def link javaC_Java javaC_
+  hi def link javaE_Java javaE_
+  hi def link javaX_Java javaX_
+  hi def link javaX_		     javaExceptions
+  hi def link javaR_		     javaExceptions
+  hi def link javaE_		     javaExceptions
+  hi def link javaC_		     javaConstant
 
   syn keyword javaLangObject clone equals finalize getClass hashCode
   syn keyword javaLangObject notify notifyAll toString wait
-  JavaHiLink javaLangObject		     javaConstant
+  hi def link javaLangObject		     javaConstant
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaLangObject
 endif
 
@@ -141,9 +138,9 @@ syn region  javaComment		 start="/\*"  e
 syn match   javaCommentStar	 contained "^\s*\*[^/]"me=e-1
 syn match   javaCommentStar	 contained "^\s*\*$"
 syn match   javaLineComment	 "//.*" contains=@javaCommentSpecial2,javaTodo,@Spell
-JavaHiLink javaCommentString javaString
-JavaHiLink javaComment2String javaString
-JavaHiLink javaCommentCharacter javaCharacter
+hi def link javaCommentString javaString
+hi def link javaComment2String javaString
+hi def link javaCommentCharacter javaCharacter
 
 syn cluster javaTop add=javaComment,javaLineComment
 
@@ -236,26 +233,26 @@ if exists("java_highlight_debug")
 
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaDebug
 
-  JavaHiLink javaDebug		 Debug
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugString		 DebugString
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugStringError	 javaError
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugType		 DebugType
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugBoolean		 DebugBoolean
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugNumber		 Debug
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugSpecial		 DebugSpecial
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugSpecialCharacter DebugSpecial
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugCharacter	 DebugString
-  JavaHiLink javaDebugParen		 Debug
+  hi def link javaDebug		 Debug
+  hi def link javaDebugString		 DebugString
+  hi def link javaDebugStringError	 javaError
+  hi def link javaDebugType		 DebugType
+  hi def link javaDebugBoolean		 DebugBoolean
+  hi def link javaDebugNumber		 Debug
+  hi def link javaDebugSpecial		 DebugSpecial
+  hi def link javaDebugSpecialCharacter DebugSpecial
+  hi def link javaDebugCharacter	 DebugString
+  hi def link javaDebugParen		 Debug
 
-  JavaHiLink DebugString		 String
-  JavaHiLink DebugSpecial		 Special
-  JavaHiLink DebugBoolean		 Boolean
-  JavaHiLink DebugType		 Type
+  hi def link DebugString		 String
+  hi def link DebugSpecial		 Special
+  hi def link DebugBoolean		 Boolean
+  hi def link DebugType		 Type
 endif
 
 if exists("java_mark_braces_in_parens_as_errors")
   syn match javaInParen		 contained "[{}]"
-  JavaHiLink javaInParen	javaError
+  hi def link javaInParen	javaError
   syn cluster javaTop add=javaInParen
 endif
 
@@ -270,7 +267,7 @@ syn region  javaParenT1 transparent matc
 syn region  javaParenT2 transparent matchgroup=javaParen2 start="\[" end="\]" contains=@javaTop,javaParenT  contained
 syn match   javaParenError	 "\]"
 
-JavaHiLink javaParenError	javaError
+hi def link javaParenError	javaError
 
 if exists("java_highlight_functions")
    syn match javaLambdaDef "([a-zA-Z0-9_<>\[\], \t]*)\s*->"
@@ -283,56 +280,54 @@ endif
 exec "syn sync ccomment javaComment minlines=" . java_minlines
 
 " The default highlighting.
-JavaHiLink javaLambdaDef		Function
-JavaHiLink javaFuncDef		Function
-JavaHiLink javaVarArg			Function
-JavaHiLink javaBraces			Function
-JavaHiLink javaBranch			Conditional
-JavaHiLink javaUserLabelRef		javaUserLabel
-JavaHiLink javaLabel			Label
-JavaHiLink javaUserLabel		Label
-JavaHiLink javaConditional		Conditional
-JavaHiLink javaRepeat			Repeat
-JavaHiLink javaExceptions		Exception
-JavaHiLink javaAssert			Statement
-JavaHiLink javaStorageClass		StorageClass
-JavaHiLink javaMethodDecl		javaStorageClass
-JavaHiLink javaClassDecl		javaStorageClass
-JavaHiLink javaScopeDecl		javaStorageClass
-JavaHiLink javaBoolean		Boolean
-JavaHiLink javaSpecial		Special
-JavaHiLink javaSpecialError		Error
-JavaHiLink javaSpecialCharError	Error
-JavaHiLink javaString			String
-JavaHiLink javaCharacter		Character
-JavaHiLink javaSpecialChar		SpecialChar
-JavaHiLink javaNumber			Number
-JavaHiLink javaError			Error
-JavaHiLink javaStringError		Error
-JavaHiLink javaStatement		Statement
-JavaHiLink javaOperator		Operator
-JavaHiLink javaComment		Comment
-JavaHiLink javaDocComment		Comment
-JavaHiLink javaLineComment		Comment
-JavaHiLink javaConstant		Constant
-JavaHiLink javaTypedef		Typedef
-JavaHiLink javaTodo			Todo
-JavaHiLink javaAnnotation		PreProc
+hi def link javaLambdaDef		Function
+hi def link javaFuncDef		Function
+hi def link javaVarArg			Function
+hi def link javaBraces			Function
+hi def link javaBranch			Conditional
+hi def link javaUserLabelRef		javaUserLabel
+hi def link javaLabel			Label
+hi def link javaUserLabel		Label
+hi def link javaConditional		Conditional
+hi def link javaRepeat			Repeat
+hi def link javaExceptions		Exception
+hi def link javaAssert			Statement
+hi def link javaStorageClass		StorageClass
+hi def link javaMethodDecl		javaStorageClass
+hi def link javaClassDecl		javaStorageClass
+hi def link javaScopeDecl		javaStorageClass
+hi def link javaBoolean		Boolean
+hi def link javaSpecial		Special
+hi def link javaSpecialError		Error
+hi def link javaSpecialCharError	Error
+hi def link javaString			String
+hi def link javaCharacter		Character
+hi def link javaSpecialChar		SpecialChar
+hi def link javaNumber			Number
+hi def link javaError			Error
+hi def link javaStringError		Error
+hi def link javaStatement		Statement
+hi def link javaOperator		Operator
+hi def link javaComment		Comment
+hi def link javaDocComment		Comment
+hi def link javaLineComment		Comment
+hi def link javaConstant		Constant
+hi def link javaTypedef		Typedef
+hi def link javaTodo			Todo
+hi def link javaAnnotation		PreProc
 
-JavaHiLink javaCommentTitle		SpecialComment
-JavaHiLink javaDocTags		Special
-JavaHiLink javaDocParam		Function
-JavaHiLink javaDocSeeTagParam		Function
-JavaHiLink javaCommentStar		javaComment
+hi def link javaCommentTitle		SpecialComment
+hi def link javaDocTags		Special
+hi def link javaDocParam		Function
+hi def link javaDocSeeTagParam		Function
+hi def link javaCommentStar		javaComment
 
-JavaHiLink javaType			Type
-JavaHiLink javaExternal		Include
+hi def link javaType			Type
+hi def link javaExternal		Include
 
-JavaHiLink htmlComment		Special
-JavaHiLink htmlCommentPart		Special
-JavaHiLink javaSpaceError		Error
-
-delcommand JavaHiLink
+hi def link htmlComment		Special
+hi def link htmlCommentPart		Special
+hi def link javaSpaceError		Error
 
 let b:current_syntax = "java"