diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_lua.json b/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_lua.json
index 276b3ffc..3fde966d 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_lua.json
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_lua.json
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
   ["keyword.operator","="],
   ["keyword","function"],
   ["paren.lparen","("],
-  ["identifier","self"],
+  ["variable.language","self"],
   ["text",", "],
   ["identifier","other"],
   ["paren.rparen",")"]
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@
   ["text","    "],
   ["keyword","return"],
   ["text"," "],
-  ["identifier","self"],
+  ["variable.language","self"],
   ["keyword.operator",":"],
   ["support.function","format"],
   ["paren.lparen","("],
@@ -345,4 +345,4 @@
   ["text"," "],
   ["comment","--[[ blah ]]"],
   ["paren.rparen",")"]
-]]
\ No newline at end of file
+]]
diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/lua_highlight_rules.js b/lib/ace/mode/lua_highlight_rules.js
index 5eb969d3..faa37bc2 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/lua_highlight_rules.js
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/lua_highlight_rules.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ var LuaHighlightRules = function() {
         "constant.library": stdLibaries,
         "constant.language": builtinConstants,
         "invalid.illegal": futureReserved,
-        "variable.language": "this"
+        "variable.language": "self"
     }, "identifier");
 
     var decimalInteger = "(?:(?:[1-9]\\d*)|(?:0))";