diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_gherkin.json b/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_gherkin.json
index d16ffc6c..173d9798 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_gherkin.json
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/_test/tokens_gherkin.json
@@ -56,34 +56,34 @@
 ],[
    "start",
   ["text","      "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string","start "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string","eat "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string","left "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string"," start "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string"," eat "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string"," left "],
   ["comment","|"]
 ],[
    "start",
   ["text","      "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 12   "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 5  "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 7   "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  12   "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  5  "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  7   "],
   ["comment","|"]
 ],[
    "start",
   ["text","      "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 20   "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 5  "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string"," 15  "],
-  ["comment","| "],
-  ["string","   "]
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  20   "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  5  "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","  15  "],
+  ["comment","|"],
+  ["string","    "]
 ],[
    "start"
 ],[
diff --git a/lib/ace/mode/gherkin_highlight_rules.js b/lib/ace/mode/gherkin_highlight_rules.js
index d54db204..04ce877c 100644
--- a/lib/ace/mode/gherkin_highlight_rules.js
+++ b/lib/ace/mode/gherkin_highlight_rules.js
@@ -36,18 +36,18 @@ var stringEscape =  "\\\\(x[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}|[0-7]{3}|[\\\\abfnrtv'\"]|U[0-9A-Fa-f]
 
 var GherkinHighlightRules = function() {
 
-	// need to include constant ints
+    // need to include constant ints
     this.$rules = {
-    	start : [{
+        start : [{
             token: 'constant.numeric',
             regex: "(?:(?:[1-9]\\d*)|(?:0))"
- 		}, {
-    		token : "comment",
-    		regex : "#.*$"
-    	}, {
-    		token : "keyword",
-    		regex : "Feature:|Background:|Scenario:|Scenario\ Outline:|Examples:|Given|When|Then|And|But|\\*",
-    	}, {
+        }, {
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : "#.*$"
+        }, {
+            token : "keyword",
+            regex : "Feature:|Background:|Scenario:|Scenario\ Outline:|Examples:|Given|When|Then|And|But|\\*",
+        }, {
             token : "string",           // multi line """ string start
             regex : '"{3}',
             next : "qqstring3"
@@ -56,22 +56,22 @@ var GherkinHighlightRules = function() {
             regex : '"',
             next : "qqstring"
         }, {
-        	token : "comment",
-        	regex : "@[A-Za-z0-9]+",
-        	next : "start"
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : "@[A-Za-z0-9]+",
+            next : "start"
         }, {
-        	token : "comment",
-        	regex : "<.+>"
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : "<.+>"
         }, {
-        	token : "comment",
-        	regex : "\\| ",
-        	next : "table-item"
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : "\\|(?=.)",
+            next : "table-item"
         }, {
-        	token : "comment",
-        	regex : "\\|$",
-        	next : "start"
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : "\\|$",
+            next : "start"
         }],
-    	"qqstring3" : [ {
+        "qqstring3" : [ {
             token : "constant.language.escape",
             regex : stringEscape
         }, {
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ var GherkinHighlightRules = function() {
         }, {
             defaultToken : "string"
         }],
-    	"qqstring" : [{
+        "qqstring" : [{
             token : "constant.language.escape",
             regex : stringEscape
         }, {
@@ -96,15 +96,19 @@ var GherkinHighlightRules = function() {
             defaultToken: "string"
         }],
         "table-item" : [{
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : /$/,
+            next : "start"
+        }, {
+            token : "comment",
+            regex : /\|/
+        }, {
             token : "string",
-            regex : "[A-Za-z0-9 ]*",
-            next  : "start"
-        }],
+            regex : /\\./
+        }, {
+            defaultToken : "string"
+        }]
     };
-    
-    
-    //new TextHighlightRules().getRules();
-    
 }
 
 oop.inherits(GherkinHighlightRules, TextHighlightRules);