diff --git a/collects/honu/core/lang/reader.rkt b/collects/honu/core/lang/reader.rkt
index 71c1ac84a3..ec23a12187 100644
--- a/collects/honu/core/lang/reader.rkt
+++ b/collects/honu/core/lang/reader.rkt
@@ -5,5 +5,7 @@ honu/core/main
 #:read honu-read 
 #:read-syntax honu-read-syntax
 #:whole-body-readers? #t
+#:info honu-info
 
 (require "../read.rkt")
+(require "../language.rkt")
diff --git a/collects/honu/core/language.rkt b/collects/honu/core/language.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ad2e7b29c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/honu/core/language.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+;; This module provides some functions used for metadata about the language
+
+(provide honu-info)
+(define (honu-info key default default-filter)
+  (case key
+    [(color-lexer) (dynamic-require 'honu/core/read
+                                    'color-lexer)]
+    [else
+      (default-filter key default)]))
diff --git a/collects/honu/core/read.rkt b/collects/honu/core/read.rkt
index b81b328a77..0695cf5707 100644
--- a/collects/honu/core/read.rkt
+++ b/collects/honu/core/read.rkt
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@
 (define honu-lexer
   (lexer-src-pos
     [(eof) (token-eof)]
-    [line-comment (token-whitespace)]
     #;
+    [line-comment (token-whitespace)]
     [(:or "#" "//") (token-end-of-line-comment)]
     ["\n" (token-whitespace)]
     [number (token-number (string->number lexeme))]
@@ -104,15 +104,23 @@
                 left-bracket right-bracket
                 left-brace right-brace)
 
+;; returns #t if an entire comment was read (with an ending newline)
 (define (read-until-end-of-line input)
   (define (finish? what)
     (or (eof-object? what)
         (= (char->integer #\newline) what)))
+  ;; #t if read a #\newline, otherwise #f
+  (define (clean-end? what)
+    (if (eof-object? what)
+      #f
+      (= (char->integer #\newline) what)))
   (let loop ()
     (define what (read-byte input))
-    (when (not (finish? what))
-      (loop))))
+    (if (not (finish? what))
+      (loop)
+      (clean-end? what))))
 
+;; returns #t if an entire block comment was read
 (define (read-block-comment port)
   (define comment-lexer
     (lexer
@@ -129,9 +137,10 @@
     (define what (comment-lexer port))
     (cond
       [(eq? what 'nest) (loop (add1 nesting))]
-      [(eq? what 'done) (when (> nesting 1)
-                          (loop (sub1 nesting)))]
-      [(eof-object? what) (void)]
+      [(eq? what 'done) (if (> nesting 1)
+                          (loop (sub1 nesting))
+                          #t)]
+      [(eof-object? what) #f]
       [else (loop nesting)])))
 
 ;; read characters from a port and return a stream of tokens
@@ -161,6 +170,82 @@
         ;; (printf "next is ~a eof? ~a\n" token (token-eof? token))
         (loop (cons token tokens))])))
 
+;; symbols that can be used for colors
+;;   symbol
+;;   keyword
+;;   comment
+;;   string
+;;   constant
+;;   parenthesis
+;;   error
+;;   other
+(define (honu-name->color token-name)
+  ;; (printf "Get honu color for ~a\n" token-name)
+  (case token-name
+    [(number) 'constant]
+    [(string) 'string]
+    [(parens) 'parenthesis]
+    [(identifier) 'symbol]
+    [else 'other]))
+
+;; implements a lexer that the colorer in drracket expects
+;; FIXME: color comments
+(provide color-lexer)
+(define (color-lexer port offset mode)
+  ;; (printf "Parse at token ~a mode is ~a\n" offset mode)
+  (define lexeme (honu-lexer port))
+  (define need-backup (if mode mode 0))
+  (match lexeme
+    [(position-token token start end)
+     ;; (printf "Lexed ~a\n" token)
+     (define (encloser kind)
+       (values token 'parens kind
+               (position-offset start)
+               (position-offset end)
+               need-backup mode))
+
+     ;; (printf "Get token for at ~a\n" (position-offset start))
+     (cond
+       [(token-eof? token)
+        (values token 'eof #f
+                (position-offset start)
+                (position-offset end)
+                need-backup mode)]
+       [(token-parse-error? token)
+        (define backup (if mode (add1 mode) 1))
+        (values token 
+                'error
+                #f
+                (position-offset start)
+                (position-offset end)
+                backup backup)]
+       [(token-end-of-line-comment? token)
+        (read-until-end-of-line port)
+        (define-values (line column position) (port-next-location port))
+        (values #f 'comment #f
+                (position-offset start)
+                position
+                need-backup need-backup)]
+       [(token-block-comment? token)
+        (read-block-comment port)
+        (define-values (line column position) (port-next-location port))
+        (values #f 'comment #f
+                (position-offset start)
+                position
+                need-backup need-backup)]
+       [(token-left-parens? token)  (encloser '|(|)]
+       [(token-right-parens? token) (encloser '|)|)]
+       [(token-left-bracket? token) (encloser '|[|)]
+       [(token-right-bracket? token)(encloser '|]|)]
+       [(token-left-brace? token)   (encloser '|{|)]
+       [(token-right-brace? token)  (encloser '|}|)]
+       [else (values (format "~a" (token-value token))
+                     (honu-name->color (token-name token))
+                     #f
+                     (position-offset start)
+                     (position-offset end)
+                     need-backup mode)])]))
+
 ;; convert a string to a stream of tokens
 (define (lex-string input)
   (read-tokens (open-input-string input)))
diff --git a/collects/honu/lang/reader.rkt b/collects/honu/lang/reader.rkt
index b870cdce56..e813f69486 100644
--- a/collects/honu/lang/reader.rkt
+++ b/collects/honu/lang/reader.rkt
@@ -5,5 +5,7 @@ honu
 #:read honu-read
 #:read-syntax honu-read-syntax
 #:whole-body-readers? #t
+#:info honu-info
 
-(require "../core/read.rkt")
+(require "../core/read.rkt"
+         "../core/language.rkt")