diff --git a/src/buffer.rs b/src/buffer.rs
index 95926ab..b8a8be2 100644
--- a/src/buffer.rs
+++ b/src/buffer.rs
@@ -150,8 +150,11 @@ impl Buffer {
         let mut parser = self.parser.clone();
         let mut line_buf = String::new();
         let mut stack = ScopeStack::new();
-        let mut style_stack = Vec::<Style>::new();
         let mut styled_buf = Vec::new();
+
+        let mut style_stack = Vec::<Style>::new();
+        style_stack.push(Default::default());
+
         for line in self.text.lines() {
             // display line to a pre-allocated buffer for fast parsing
             line_buf.clear();
@@ -169,9 +172,10 @@ impl Buffer {
                 stack
                     .apply_with_hook(&op, |op, _scopes| match op {
                         BasicScopeStackOp::Push(scope) => {
-                            let scope = scope.build_string();
-                            let style = styles.get_scope(&scope);
-                            style_stack.push(style);
+                            let style = styles.get_syntect_scope(&scope);
+                            let mut top_style = style_stack.last().unwrap().clone();
+                            top_style.apply(style);
+                            style_stack.push(top_style);
                         }
                         BasicScopeStackOp::Pop => {
                             style_stack.pop();
diff --git a/src/theme.rs b/src/theme.rs
index b9eadb4..a9758b7 100644
--- a/src/theme.rs
+++ b/src/theme.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt::Display};
 
 use crossterm::style::Color;
 use crossterm::QueueableCommand;
+use syntect::parsing::Scope;
 use toml::{map::Map, Value};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ pub struct StyleStore {
     /// Maps named scopes to indices.
     scopes: HashMap<String, usize>,
 
+    /// Maps syntect scopes to indices.
+    syntect_scopes: HashMap<Scope, usize>,
+
     /// The style data store.
     styles: Vec<Style>,
 }
@@ -45,41 +49,59 @@ impl StyleStore {
             theme,
             generation: 0,
             scopes: HashMap::new(),
+            syntect_scopes: HashMap::new(),
             styles: Vec::new(),
         }
     }
 
     /// Adds a scope to this store and returns its index. Reuses indices for existing scopes.
     pub fn add_scope(&mut self, scope: &str) -> usize {
-        let style = self.theme.get_scope_style(scope);
-
-        if let Some(style_idx) = self.scopes.get(scope).copied() {
-            let old_style = self
-                .styles
-                .get_mut(style_idx)
-                .expect("StyleStore index is out-of-bounds");
-            let _ = std::mem::replace(old_style, style);
-            style_idx
+        if let Some(style_idx) = self.scopes.get(scope) {
+            *style_idx
         } else {
             let style_idx = self.styles.len();
+            let style = self.theme.get_scope_style(scope);
             self.styles.push(style);
             self.scopes.insert(scope.to_string(), style_idx);
+
+            if let Ok(scope) = Scope::new(scope) {
+                self.syntect_scopes.insert(scope, style_idx);
+            }
+
             style_idx
         }
     }
 
     /// Gets the style for a scope by name.
-    pub fn get_scope(&mut self, scope: &str) -> Style {
+    pub fn get_scope(&mut self, scope: &str) -> &Style {
         let idx = self.add_scope(scope);
         self.get_style(idx)
     }
 
+    /// Adds a Syntect [Scope] and returns its index. Resues indices for existing scopes.
+    pub fn add_syntect_scope(&mut self, scope: &Scope) -> usize {
+        if let Some(style_idx) = self.syntect_scopes.get(scope) {
+            *style_idx
+        } else {
+            let style_idx = self.styles.len();
+            let scope_str = scope.build_string();
+            let style = self.theme.get_scope_style(&scope_str);
+            self.styles.push(style);
+            self.scopes.insert(scope_str, style_idx);
+            self.syntect_scopes.insert(*scope, style_idx);
+            style_idx
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Gets the style for a Syntect [Scope].
+    pub fn get_syntect_scope(&mut self, scope: &Scope) -> &Style {
+        let idx = self.add_syntect_scope(scope);
+        self.get_style(idx)
+    }
+
     /// Gets the style for a scope index. Panics if out-of-bounds.
-    pub fn get_style(&self, index: usize) -> Style {
-        self.styles
-            .get(index)
-            .expect("StyleStore is out-of-bounds")
-            .to_owned()
+    pub fn get_style(&self, index: usize) -> &Style {
+        self.styles.get(index).expect("StyleStore is out-of-bounds")
     }
 
     /// The current generation of the store. Increments every update.