diff --git a/runtime/syntax/upstart.vim b/runtime/syntax/upstart.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9db8bcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/syntax/upstart.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+" Vim syntax file
+" Language:	Upstart job files
+" Maintainer:	Michael Biebl <biebl@debian.org>
+"		James Hunt <james.hunt@ubuntu.com>
+" Last Change:	2011 Mar 22
+" License:	GPL v2
+" Version:	0.4
+" Remark:	Syntax highlighting for Upstart (init(8)) job files.
+"
+" It is inspired by the initng syntax file and includes sh.vim to do the
+" highlighting of script blocks.
+
+if version < 600
+	syntax clear
+elseif exists("b:current_syntax")
+	finish
+endif
+
+let is_bash = 1
+syn include @Shell syntax/sh.vim
+
+syn case match
+
+" avoid need to use 'match' for most events
+setlocal iskeyword+=-
+
+syn match upstartComment /#.*$/ contains=upstartTodo
+syn keyword upstartTodo TODO FIXME contained
+
+syn region upstartString start=/"/ end=/"/ skip=/\\"/
+
+syn region upstartScript matchgroup=upstartStatement start="script" end="end script" contains=@upstartShellCluster
+
+syn cluster upstartShellCluster contains=@Shell
+
+" one argument
+syn keyword upstartStatement description author version instance expect
+syn keyword upstartStatement pid kill normal console env exit export
+syn keyword upstartStatement umask nice oom chroot chdir exec
+
+" two arguments
+syn keyword upstartStatement limit
+
+" one or more arguments (events)
+syn keyword upstartStatement emits
+
+syn keyword upstartStatement on start stop
+
+" flag, no parameter
+syn keyword upstartStatement respawn service instance manual debug task
+
+" prefix for exec or script 
+syn keyword upstartOption pre-start post-start pre-stop post-stop
+
+" option for kill
+syn keyword upstartOption timeout
+" option for oom
+syn keyword upstartOption never
+" options for console
+syn keyword upstartOption output owner
+" options for expect
+syn keyword upstartOption fork daemon
+" options for limit
+syn keyword upstartOption unlimited
+
+" 'options' for start/stop on
+syn keyword upstartOption and or
+
+" Upstart itself and associated utilities
+syn keyword upstartEvent runlevel
+syn keyword upstartEvent started
+syn keyword upstartEvent starting
+syn keyword upstartEvent startup
+syn keyword upstartEvent stopped
+syn keyword upstartEvent stopping
+syn keyword upstartEvent control-alt-delete
+syn keyword upstartEvent keyboard-request
+syn keyword upstartEvent power-status-changed
+
+" D-Bus
+syn keyword upstartEvent dbus-activation
+
+" Display Manager (ie gdm)
+syn keyword upstartEvent desktop-session-start
+syn keyword upstartEvent login-session-start
+
+" mountall
+syn keyword upstartEvent all-swaps
+syn keyword upstartEvent filesystem
+syn keyword upstartEvent mounted
+syn keyword upstartEvent mounting
+syn keyword upstartEvent local-filesystems
+syn keyword upstartEvent remote-filesystems
+syn keyword upstartEvent virtual-filesystems
+
+" SysV umountnfs.sh
+syn keyword upstartEvent mounted-remote-filesystems
+
+" upstart-udev-bridge and ifup/down
+syn match   upstartEvent /\<\i\{-1,}-device-\(added\|removed\|up\|down\)/
+
+" upstart-socket-bridge
+syn keyword upstartEvent socket
+
+hi def link upstartComment   Comment
+hi def link upstartTodo	     Todo
+hi def link upstartString    String
+hi def link upstartStatement Statement
+hi def link upstartOption    Type
+hi def link upstartEvent     Define
+
+let b:current_syntax = "upstart"