diff --git a/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter.js b/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1ef873a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+if (typeof process !== "undefined") {
+    require("../../support/paths");
+    require("ace/test/mockdom");
+}
+
+var theme = require("ace/theme/tomorrow");
+var EditSession = require("ace/edit_session").EditSession;
+var Editor = require("ace/editor").Editor;
+var MockRenderer = require("ace/test/mockrenderer").MockRenderer;
+var TextLayer = require("ace/layer/text").Text;
+
+/** Ace highlighting but server side
+ */
+var ServerSideHighlighter = module.exports = function() {
+};
+
+(function () {
+    
+    /** Returns a mode from /ace/mode based on a filename
+     *
+     * @param {string} fileName name of the file without directory information
+     * @returns {mode} A mode that can highlight the given file, or TextMode if nothing matched
+     */
+    function getMode (fileName) {
+        var extension = fileName.match(/\.(\w+)$/)[1];
+        
+        switch (extension) {
+            case "js":
+                var JavascriptMode = require("ace/mode/javascript").Mode;
+                return new JavascriptMode();
+            default:
+                var TextMode = require("ace/mode/text").Mode;
+                return new TextMode();
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /** Transforms a given input code snippet into HTML using the given mode
+    *
+    * @param {string} input Code snippet
+    * @param {mode} mode Mode loaded from /ace/mode (use 'ServerSideHiglighter.getMode')
+    * @param {string} r Code snippet
+    * @returns {object} An object containing: html, css
+    */
+    function render (input, mode, theme) {
+        var session = new EditSession("");
+        session.setMode(mode);// || new JavaScriptMode());
+        
+        var editor = new Editor(new MockRenderer(), session);
+        var textLayer = new TextLayer(document.createElement("div"));
+        textLayer.setSession(session);
+        textLayer.config = {
+            characterWidth: 10,
+            lineHeight: 20
+        };
+        
+        session.setValue(input);
+                
+        var stringBuilder = [], length =  session.getLength();
+        var tokens = session.getTokens(0, length - 1);
+        
+        for(var ix = 0; ix < length; ix++) {
+            var lineTokens = tokens[ix].tokens;
+            stringBuilder.push("<span class='ace_gutter ace_gutter-cell'>" + (ix+1) + "</span>");
+            textLayer.$renderLine(stringBuilder, 0, lineTokens, true);
+            stringBuilder.push("<br>");
+        }
+        
+        // let's prepare the whole html
+        var html = "<div class=':cssClass'>\
+            <div class='ace_editor'>\
+                :code\
+            </div>\
+        </div>".replace(/:cssClass/, theme.cssClass).replace(/:code/, stringBuilder.join(""));
+                
+        return {
+            css: theme.cssText,
+            html: html
+        };
+    }
+        
+    this.getMode = getMode;
+    this.render = render;
+}).call(ServerSideHighlighter.prototype);
+
+//"/**\n\
+//         * juhu\n\
+//         * kinner \n\
+//         */\n\
+//        function a(b) {\n\
+//            return b;\n\
+//        }"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter_test.js b/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf461bfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ace/serversidehighlighter_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+require("../../support/paths");
+
+var assert = require("assert");
+var ServerSideHighlighter = require("./serversidehighlighter");
+
+// Execution ORDER: test.setUpSuite, setUp, testFn, tearDown, test.tearDownSuite
+module.exports = {
+    timeout: 10000,
+    
+    dispatcher: null,
+    req: null,
+    res: null,
+    highlighter: null,
+    
+    setUpSuite: function (next) {
+        this.highlighter = new ServerSideHighlighter();
+        next();
+    },
+
+    setUp: function(next) {        
+        next();
+    },
+
+    tearDown: function(next) {
+        next();
+    },
+    
+    "test extension js": function(next) {
+        var JavascriptMode = require("ace/mode/javascript").Mode
+        assert.equal(this.highlighter.getMode("jan.js") instanceof JavascriptMode, true);
+        next();
+    },
+    
+    "test extension unknown": function(next) {
+        var TextMode = require("ace/mode/text").Mode
+        assert.equal(this.highlighter.getMode("jan.unknown") instanceof TextMode, true);
+        next();
+    },
+    
+    "test simple snippet": function(next) {
+        var theme = require("ace/theme/tomorrow");
+        var snippet = "/** this is a function\n\
+*\n\
+*/\n\
+function hello (a, b, c) {\n\
+    console.log(a * b + c + 'sup?');\n\
+}";
+        var mode = this.highlighter.getMode("some.js");
+        
+        var isError = false, result;
+        try {
+            result = this.highlighter.render(snippet, mode, theme);
+        }
+        catch (e) {
+            console.log(e);
+            isError = true;
+        }
+        // todo: write something more meaningful
+        assert.equal(isError, false);
+        
+        next();
+    },
+    
+    "test css from theme is used": function(next) {
+        var theme = require("ace/theme/tomorrow");
+        var snippet = "/** this is a function\n\
+*\n\
+*/\n\
+function hello (a, b, c) {\n\
+    console.log(a * b + c + 'sup?');\n\
+}";
+        var mode = this.highlighter.getMode("some.js");
+        
+        var isError = false, result;
+        result = this.highlighter.render(snippet, mode, theme);
+        
+        assert.equal(result.css, theme.cssText);
+        
+        next();
+    },
+    
+    "test theme classname should be in output html": function (next) {
+        var theme = require("ace/theme/tomorrow");
+        var snippet = "/** this is a function\n\
+*\n\
+*/\n\
+function hello (a, b, c) {\n\
+    console.log(a * b + c + 'sup?');\n\
+}";
+        var mode = this.highlighter.getMode("some.js");
+        
+        var isError = false, result;
+        result = this.highlighter.render(snippet, mode, theme);
+        
+        assert.equal(!!result.html.match(/<div class='ace-tomorrow'>/), true);
+        
+        next();
+    }
+};
+
+!module.parent && require("asyncjs").test.testcase(module.exports, "ServerSideHighlighter").exec();
diff --git a/lib/ace/theme/tomorrow.js b/lib/ace/theme/tomorrow.js
index 977c4d33..e91cd3c5 100644
--- a/lib/ace/theme/tomorrow.js
+++ b/lib/ace/theme/tomorrow.js
@@ -37,9 +37,7 @@
 
 define(function(require, exports, module) {
 
-    var dom = require("pilot/dom");
-
-    var cssText = ".ace-tomorrow .ace_editor {\
+    exports.cssText = ".ace-tomorrow .ace_editor {\
   border: 2px solid rgb(159, 159, 159);\
 }\
 \
@@ -254,8 +252,5 @@ background-color:#8959A8;\
      \
 }";
 
-    // import CSS once
-    dom.importCssString(cssText);
-
     exports.cssClass = "ace-tomorrow";
 });
\ No newline at end of file