diff --git a/runtime/syntax/rmd.vim b/runtime/syntax/rmd.vim
index cccd411..f849af9 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/rmd.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/rmd.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-" markdown Text with R statements
-" Language: markdown with R code chunks
+" Language: Markdown with chunks of R, Python and other languages
+" Maintainer: Jakson Aquino <jalvesaq@gmail.com>
 " Homepage: https://github.com/jalvesaq/R-Vim-runtime
-" Last Change: Wed Apr 21, 2021  09:55AM
+" Last Change: Fri Feb 24, 2023  08:28AM
 "
 "   For highlighting pandoc extensions to markdown like citations and TeX and
 "   many other advanced features like folding of markdown sections, it is
@@ -13,63 +13,120 @@
   finish
 endif
 
+let s:cpo_save = &cpo
+set cpo&vim
+
 " Highlight the header of the chunks as R code
 let g:rmd_syn_hl_chunk = get(g:, 'rmd_syn_hl_chunk', 0)
 
 " Pandoc-syntax has more features, but it is slower.
 " https://github.com/vim-pandoc/vim-pandoc-syntax
-let g:pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs = get(g:, 'pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs', ['r'])
+
+" Don't waste time loading syntax that will be discarded:
+let s:save_pandoc_lngs = get(g:, 'pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs', [])
+let g:pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs = []
+
+" Step_1: Source pandoc.vim if it is installed:
 runtime syntax/pandoc.vim
 if exists("b:current_syntax")
-  " Recognize inline R code
-  syn region rmdrInline matchgroup=rmdInlineDelim start="`r "  end="`" contains=@R containedin=pandocLaTeXRegion,yamlFlowString keepend
-  hi def link rmdInlineDelim Delimiter
-
-  " Fix recognition of language chunks (code adapted from pandoc, 2021-03-28)
-  " Knitr requires braces in the block's header
-  for s:lng in g:pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs
-    let s:nm = matchstr(s:lng, '^[^=]*')
-    exe 'syn clear pandocDelimitedCodeBlock_'.s:nm
-    exe 'syn clear pandocDelimitedCodeBlockinBlockQuote_'.s:nm
-    if g:rmd_syn_hl_chunk
-      exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'ChunkDelim matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="}$" keepend containedin=rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk contains=@R'
-      exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=rmd'.s:nm.'ChunkDelim,@'.toupper(s:nm)
-    else
-      exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=@'.toupper(s:nm)
-    endif
-  endfor
-  unlet s:lng
-  unlet s:nm
-  hi def link rmdInlineDelim Delimiter
-  hi def link rmdCodeDelim Delimiter
-  let b:current_syntax = "rmd"
-  finish
-endif
-
-" Configuration if not using pandoc syntax:
-" Add syntax highlighting of YAML header
-let g:rmd_syn_hl_yaml = get(g:, 'rmd_syn_hl_yaml', 1)
-" Add syntax highlighting of citation keys
-let g:rmd_syn_hl_citations = get(g:, 'rmd_syn_hl_citations', 1)
-
-let s:cpo_save = &cpo
-set cpo&vim
-
-" R chunks will not be highlighted by syntax/markdown because their headers
-" follow a non standard pattern: "```{lang" instead of "^```lang".
-" Make a copy of g:markdown_fenced_languages to highlight the chunks later:
-if exists('g:markdown_fenced_languages')
-  if !exists('g:rmd_fenced_languages')
-    let g:rmd_fenced_languages = deepcopy(g:markdown_fenced_languages)
-    let g:markdown_fenced_languages = []
+  if hlexists('pandocDelimitedCodeBlock')
+    syn clear pandocDelimitedCodeBlock
   endif
+
+  if len(s:save_pandoc_lngs) > 0 && !exists('g:rmd_fenced_languages')
+    let g:rmd_fenced_languages = deepcopy(s:save_pandoc_lngs)
+  endif
+
+  " Recognize inline R code
+  syn region rmdrInline matchgroup=rmdInlineDelim start="`r "  end="`" contains=@Rmdr containedin=pandocLaTeXRegion,yamlFlowString keepend
 else
-  let g:rmd_fenced_languages = ['r']
+  " Step_2: Source markdown.vim if pandoc.vim is not installed
+
+  " Configuration if not using pandoc syntax:
+  " Add syntax highlighting of YAML header
+  let g:rmd_syn_hl_yaml = get(g:, 'rmd_syn_hl_yaml', 1)
+  " Add syntax highlighting of citation keys
+  let g:rmd_syn_hl_citations = get(g:, 'rmd_syn_hl_citations', 1)
+
+  " R chunks will not be highlighted by syntax/markdown because their headers
+  " follow a non standard pattern: "```{lang" instead of "^```lang".
+  " Make a copy of g:markdown_fenced_languages to highlight the chunks later:
+  if exists('g:markdown_fenced_languages') && !exists('g:rmd_fenced_languages')
+    let g:rmd_fenced_languages = deepcopy(g:markdown_fenced_languages)
+  endif
+
+  if exists('g:markdown_fenced_languages') && len(g:markdown_fenced_languages) > 0
+    let s:save_mfl = deepcopy(g:markdown_fenced_languages)
+  endif
+  " Don't waste time loading syntax that will be discarded:
+  let g:markdown_fenced_languages = []
+  runtime syntax/markdown.vim
+  if exists('s:save_mfl') > 0
+    let g:markdown_fenced_languages = deepcopy(s:save_mfl)
+    unlet s:save_mfl
+  endif
+  syn region rmdrInline matchgroup=rmdInlineDelim start="`r "  end="`" contains=@Rmdr keepend
+
+  " Step_2a: Add highlighting for both YAML and citations which are pandoc
+  " specific, but also used in Rmd files
+
+  " You don't need this if either your markdown/syntax.vim already highlights
+  " the YAML header or you are writing standard markdown
+  if g:rmd_syn_hl_yaml
+    " Basic highlighting of YAML header
+    syn match rmdYamlFieldTtl /^\s*\zs\w\%(-\|\w\)*\ze:/ contained
+    syn match rmdYamlFieldTtl /^\s*-\s*\zs\w\%(-\|\w\)*\ze:/ contained
+    syn region yamlFlowString matchgroup=yamlFlowStringDelimiter start='"' skip='\\"' end='"' contains=yamlEscape,rmdrInline contained
+    syn region yamlFlowString matchgroup=yamlFlowStringDelimiter start="'" skip="''"  end="'" contains=yamlSingleEscape,rmdrInline contained
+    syn match  yamlEscape contained '\\\%([\\"abefnrtv\^0_ NLP\n]\|x\x\x\|u\x\{4}\|U\x\{8}\)'
+    syn match  yamlSingleEscape contained "''"
+    syn match yamlComment /#.*/ contained
+    " A second colon is a syntax error, unles within a string or following !expr
+    syn match yamlColonError /:\s*[^'^"^!]*:/ contained
+    if &filetype == 'quarto'
+      syn region pandocYAMLHeader matchgroup=rmdYamlBlockDelim start=/\%(\%^\|\_^\s*\n\)\@<=\_^-\{3}\ze\n.\+/ end=/^---$/ keepend contains=rmdYamlFieldTtl,yamlFlowString,yamlComment,yamlColonError
+    else
+      syn region pandocYAMLHeader matchgroup=rmdYamlBlockDelim start=/\%(\%^\|\_^\s*\n\)\@<=\_^-\{3}\ze\n.\+/ end=/^\([-.]\)\1\{2}$/ keepend contains=rmdYamlFieldTtl,yamlFlowString,yamlComment,yamlColonError
+    endif
+    hi def link rmdYamlBlockDelim Delimiter
+    hi def link rmdYamlFieldTtl Identifier
+    hi def link yamlFlowString String
+    hi def link yamlComment Comment
+    hi def link yamlColonError Error
+  endif
+
+  " You don't need this if either your markdown/syntax.vim already highlights
+  " citations or you are writing standard markdown
+  if g:rmd_syn_hl_citations
+    " From vim-pandoc-syntax
+    " parenthetical citations
+    syn match pandocPCite /\^\@<!\[[^\[\]]\{-}-\{0,1}@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*.\{-}\]/ contains=pandocEmphasis,pandocStrong,pandocLatex,pandocCiteKey,@Spell,pandocAmpersandEscape display
+    " in-text citations with location
+    syn match pandocICite /@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*\s\[.\{-1,}\]/ contains=pandocCiteKey,@Spell display
+    " cite keys
+    syn match pandocCiteKey /\(-\=@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*\)/ containedin=pandocPCite,pandocICite contains=@NoSpell display
+    syn match pandocCiteAnchor /[-@]/ contained containedin=pandocCiteKey display
+    syn match pandocCiteLocator /[\[\]]/ contained containedin=pandocPCite,pandocICite
+    hi def link pandocPCite Operator
+    hi def link pandocICite Operator
+    hi def link pandocCiteKey Label
+    hi def link pandocCiteAnchor Operator
+    hi def link pandocCiteLocator Operator
+  endif
 endif
 
-runtime syntax/markdown.vim
+" Step_3: Highlight code blocks.
+
+syn region rmdCodeBlock matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{.*}$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend
+syn region rmdCodeBlock matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```.+$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^```$" keepend
+hi link rmdCodeBlock Special
 
 " Now highlight chunks:
+syn region knitrBodyOptions start='^#| ' end='$' contained  containedin=rComment,pythonComment contains=knitrBodyVar,knitrBodyValue transparent
+syn match knitrBodyValue ': \zs.*\ze$' keepend contained containedin=knitrBodyOptions
+syn match knitrBodyVar '| \zs\S\{-}\ze:' contained containedin=knitrBodyOptions
+
+let g:rmd_fenced_languages = get(g:, 'rmd_fenced_languages', ['r'])
 for s:type in g:rmd_fenced_languages
   if s:type =~ '='
     let s:ft = substitute(s:type, '.*=', '', '')
@@ -81,58 +138,40 @@
   unlet! b:current_syntax
   exe 'syn include @Rmd'.s:nm.' syntax/'.s:ft.'.vim'
   if g:rmd_syn_hl_chunk
-    exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'ChunkDelim matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="}$" keepend containedin=rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk contains=@Rmdr'
-    exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=rmd'.s:nm.'ChunkDelim,@Rmd'.s:nm
+    exe 'syn match knitrChunkDelim /```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'/ contained containedin=knitrChunkBrace contains=knitrChunkLabel'
+    exe 'syn match knitrChunkLabelDelim /```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.',\=\s*[-[:alnum:]]\{-1,}[,}]/ contained containedin=knitrChunkBrace'
+    syn match knitrChunkDelim /}\s*$/ contained containedin=knitrChunkBrace
+    exe 'syn match knitrChunkBrace /```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'.*$/ contained containedin=rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk contains=knitrChunkDelim,knitrChunkLabelDelim,@Rmd'.s:nm
+    exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk start="^\s*```\s*{\s*=\?'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=knitrChunkBrace,@Rmd'.s:nm
+
+    hi link knitrChunkLabel Identifier
+    hi link knitrChunkDelim rmdCodeDelim
+    hi link knitrChunkLabelDelim rmdCodeDelim
   else
-    exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{\s*'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=@Rmd'.s:nm
+    exe 'syn region rmd'.s:nm.'Chunk matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim start="^\s*```\s*{\s*=\?'.s:nm.'\>.*$" matchgroup=rmdCodeDelim end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend contains=@Rmd'.s:nm
   endif
 endfor
 unlet! s:type
 
-" Recognize inline R code
-syn region rmdrInline matchgroup=rmdInlineDelim start="`r "  end="`" contains=@Rmdr keepend
+" Step_4: Highlight code recognized by pandoc but not defined in pandoc.vim yet:
+syn match pandocDivBegin '^:::\+ {.\{-}}' contains=pandocHeaderAttr
+syn match pandocDivEnd '^:::\+$'
 
+hi def link knitrBodyVar PreProc
+hi def link knitrBodyValue Constant
+hi def link knitrBodyOptions rComment
+hi def link pandocDivBegin Delimiter
+hi def link pandocDivEnd Delimiter
 hi def link rmdInlineDelim Delimiter
 hi def link rmdCodeDelim Delimiter
 
-" You don't need this if either your markdown/syntax.vim already highlights
-" the YAML header or you are writing standard markdown
-if g:rmd_syn_hl_yaml
-  " Minimum highlighting of yaml header
-  syn match rmdYamlFieldTtl /^\s*\zs\w*\ze:/ contained
-  syn match rmdYamlFieldTtl /^\s*-\s*\zs\w*\ze:/ contained
-  syn region yamlFlowString matchgroup=yamlFlowStringDelimiter start='"' skip='\\"' end='"' contains=yamlEscape,rmdrInline contained
-  syn region yamlFlowString matchgroup=yamlFlowStringDelimiter start="'" skip="''"  end="'" contains=yamlSingleEscape,rmdrInline contained
-  syn match  yamlEscape contained '\\\%([\\"abefnrtv\^0_ NLP\n]\|x\x\x\|u\x\{4}\|U\x\{8}\)'
-  syn match  yamlSingleEscape contained "''"
-  syn region pandocYAMLHeader matchgroup=rmdYamlBlockDelim start=/\%(\%^\|\_^\s*\n\)\@<=\_^-\{3}\ze\n.\+/ end=/^\([-.]\)\1\{2}$/ keepend contains=rmdYamlFieldTtl,yamlFlowString
-  hi def link rmdYamlBlockDelim Delimiter
-  hi def link rmdYamlFieldTtl Identifier
-  hi def link yamlFlowString String
+if len(s:save_pandoc_lngs)
+  let g:pandoc#syntax#codeblocks#embeds#langs = s:save_pandoc_lngs
 endif
-
-" You don't need this if either your markdown/syntax.vim already highlights
-" citations or you are writing standard markdown
-if g:rmd_syn_hl_citations
-  " From vim-pandoc-syntax
-  " parenthetical citations
-  syn match pandocPCite /\^\@<!\[[^\[\]]\{-}-\{0,1}@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*.\{-}\]/ contains=pandocEmphasis,pandocStrong,pandocLatex,pandocCiteKey,@Spell,pandocAmpersandEscape display
-  " in-text citations with location
-  syn match pandocICite /@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*\s\[.\{-1,}\]/ contains=pandocCiteKey,@Spell display
-  " cite keys
-  syn match pandocCiteKey /\(-\=@[[:alnum:]_][[:alnum:]à-öø-ÿÀ-ÖØ-ß_:.#$%&\-+?<>~\/]*\)/ containedin=pandocPCite,pandocICite contains=@NoSpell display
-  syn match pandocCiteAnchor /[-@]/ contained containedin=pandocCiteKey display
-  syn match pandocCiteLocator /[\[\]]/ contained containedin=pandocPCite,pandocICite
-  hi def link pandocPCite Operator
-  hi def link pandocICite Operator
-  hi def link pandocCiteKey Label
-  hi def link pandocCiteAnchor Operator
-  hi def link pandocCiteLocator Operator
-endif
-
-let b:current_syntax = "rmd"
-
+unlet s:save_pandoc_lngs
 let &cpo = s:cpo_save
 unlet s:cpo_save
 
+let b:current_syntax = "rmd"
+
 " vim: ts=8 sw=2