diff --git a/xighlight.c b/xighlight.c
index c02feb1..983b9af 100644
--- a/xighlight.c
+++ b/xighlight.c
@@ -298,16 +298,17 @@ static void highlight_shell (void) {
 	syntax_define (false, false, "#",   "\n", '\0', colour_grey,   effect_bold);
 	syntax_define (false, false, "'",   "'",  '\\', colour_pink,   effect_bold);
 	syntax_define (false, false, "\"",  "\"", '\\', colour_pink,   effect_normal);
-	syntax_define (false, false, "${",  ")",  '\\', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
-	syntax_define (false, false, "$(",  "}",  '\\', colour_cyan,   effect_italic);
-	syntax_define (false, false, "$((", "))", '\\', colour_blue,   effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true,  "$#",  " ",  '\0', colour_pink,   effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, false, "$((", "))", '\0', colour_blue,   effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, false, "${",  "}",  '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, false, "$(",  ")",  '\0', colour_cyan,   effect_italic);
 
-	syntax_define (false, true, "&&", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
-	syntax_define (false, true, "||", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
-	syntax_define (false, true, ";;", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
-	syntax_define (false, true, "<<", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
-	syntax_define (false, true, ">>", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
-	syntax_define (false, true, "<>", separators, '\0', colour_cyan, effect_bold);
+	syntax_define (false, true, "&&", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true, "||", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true, ";;", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true, "<<", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true, ">>", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
+	syntax_define (false, true, "<>", " ", '\0', colour_yellow, effect_italic);
 
 	for (word = 0; word != (int) (sizeof (keywords) / sizeof (keywords [0])); ++word) {
 		syntax_define (false, true, keywords [word], separators, '\0', colour_yellow, effect_bold);