diff --git a/lib/ace/ext/static_highlight.js b/lib/ace/ext/static_highlight.js
index 1d69a9bb..9116467b 100644
--- a/lib/ace/ext/static_highlight.js
+++ b/lib/ace/ext/static_highlight.js
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ var highlight = function(el, opts, callback) {
  *  and `css`.
  * @returns {object} An object containing the properties `html` and `css`.
  */
-
 highlight.render = function(input, mode, theme, lineStart, disableGutter, callback) {
     var waiting = 1;
     var modeCache = EditSession.prototype.$modes;
@@ -112,11 +111,17 @@ highlight.render = function(input, mode, theme, lineStart, disableGutter, callba
             --waiting || done();
         });
     }
-
+    // allow setting mode options e.h {path: "ace/mode/php", inline:true}
+    var modeOptions;
+    if (mode && typeof mode === "object" && !mode.getTokenizer) {
+        modeOptions = mode;
+        mode = modeOptions.path;
+    }
     if (typeof mode == "string") {
         waiting++;
         config.loadModule(['mode', mode], function(m) {
-            if (!modeCache[mode]) modeCache[mode] = new m.Mode();
+            if (!modeCache[mode] || modeOptions)
+                modeCache[mode] = new m.Mode(modeOptions);
             mode = modeCache[mode];
             --waiting || done();
         });
@@ -130,14 +135,13 @@ highlight.render = function(input, mode, theme, lineStart, disableGutter, callba
     return --waiting || done();
 };
 
-/* 
+/**
  * 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
  */
-
 highlight.renderSync = function(input, mode, theme, lineStart, disableGutter) {
     lineStart = parseInt(lineStart || 1, 10);