diff --git a/runtime/syntax/html.vim b/runtime/syntax/html.vim
index ac31e48..336d8c9 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/html.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/html.vim
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@
 let s:cpo_save = &cpo
 set cpo&vim
 
-" don't use standard HiLink, it will not work with included syntax files
-command! -nargs=+ HtmlHiLink hi def link <args>
-
 syntax spell toplevel
 
 syn case ignore
@@ -164,7 +161,7 @@
   unlet b:current_syntax
   syn region  javaScript start=+<script\_[^>]*>+ keepend end=+</script\_[^>]*>+me=s-1 contains=@htmlJavaScript,htmlCssStyleComment,htmlScriptTag,@htmlPreproc
   syn region  htmlScriptTag     contained start=+<script+ end=+>+ fold contains=htmlTagN,htmlString,htmlArg,htmlValue,htmlTagError,htmlEvent
-  HtmlHiLink htmlScriptTag htmlTag
+  hi def link htmlScriptTag htmlTag
 
   " html events (i.e. arguments that include javascript commands)
   if exists("html_extended_events")
@@ -176,8 +173,8 @@
   endif
   syn region htmlEventSQ        contained start=+'+ms=s+1 end=+'+me=s-1 contains=@htmlJavaScript
   syn region htmlEventDQ        contained start=+"+ms=s+1 end=+"+me=s-1 contains=@htmlJavaScript
-  HtmlHiLink htmlEventSQ htmlEvent
-  HtmlHiLink htmlEventDQ htmlEvent
+  hi def link htmlEventSQ htmlEvent
+  hi def link htmlEventDQ htmlEvent
 
   " a javascript expression is used as an arg value
   syn region  javaScriptExpression contained start=+&{+ keepend end=+};+ contains=@htmlJavaScript,@htmlPreproc
@@ -200,7 +197,7 @@
   syn region cssStyle start=+<style+ keepend end=+</style>+ contains=@htmlCss,htmlTag,htmlEndTag,htmlCssStyleComment,@htmlPreproc
   syn match htmlCssStyleComment contained "\(<!--\|-->\)"
   syn region htmlCssDefinition matchgroup=htmlArg start='style="' keepend matchgroup=htmlString end='"' contains=css.*Attr,css.*Prop,cssComment,cssLength,cssColor,cssURL,cssImportant,cssError,cssString,@htmlPreproc
-  HtmlHiLink htmlStyleArg htmlString
+  hi def link htmlStyleArg htmlString
 endif
 
 if main_syntax == "html"
@@ -214,33 +211,33 @@
 endif
 
 " The default highlighting.
-HtmlHiLink htmlTag                     Function
-HtmlHiLink htmlEndTag                  Identifier
-HtmlHiLink htmlArg                     Type
-HtmlHiLink htmlTagName                 htmlStatement
-HtmlHiLink htmlSpecialTagName          Exception
-HtmlHiLink htmlValue                     String
-HtmlHiLink htmlSpecialChar             Special
+hi def link htmlTag                     Function
+hi def link htmlEndTag                  Identifier
+hi def link htmlArg                     Type
+hi def link htmlTagName                 htmlStatement
+hi def link htmlSpecialTagName          Exception
+hi def link htmlValue                     String
+hi def link htmlSpecialChar             Special
 
 if !exists("html_no_rendering")
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH1                      Title
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH2                      htmlH1
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH3                      htmlH2
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH4                      htmlH3
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH5                      htmlH4
-  HtmlHiLink htmlH6                      htmlH5
-  HtmlHiLink htmlHead                    PreProc
-  HtmlHiLink htmlTitle                   Title
-  HtmlHiLink htmlBoldItalicUnderline     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlUnderlineBold           htmlBoldUnderline
-  HtmlHiLink htmlUnderlineItalicBold     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlUnderlineBoldItalic     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlItalicUnderline         htmlUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlItalicBold              htmlBoldItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlItalicBoldUnderline     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlItalicUnderlineBold     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
-  HtmlHiLink htmlLink                    Underlined
-  HtmlHiLink htmlLeadingSpace            None
+  hi def link htmlH1                      Title
+  hi def link htmlH2                      htmlH1
+  hi def link htmlH3                      htmlH2
+  hi def link htmlH4                      htmlH3
+  hi def link htmlH5                      htmlH4
+  hi def link htmlH6                      htmlH5
+  hi def link htmlHead                    PreProc
+  hi def link htmlTitle                   Title
+  hi def link htmlBoldItalicUnderline     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlUnderlineBold           htmlBoldUnderline
+  hi def link htmlUnderlineItalicBold     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlUnderlineBoldItalic     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlItalicUnderline         htmlUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlItalicBold              htmlBoldItalic
+  hi def link htmlItalicBoldUnderline     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlItalicUnderlineBold     htmlBoldUnderlineItalic
+  hi def link htmlLink                    Underlined
+  hi def link htmlLeadingSpace            None
   if !exists("html_my_rendering")
     hi def htmlBold                term=bold cterm=bold gui=bold
     hi def htmlBoldUnderline       term=bold,underline cterm=bold,underline gui=bold,underline
@@ -252,30 +249,28 @@
   endif
 endif
 
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreStmt            PreProc
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreError           Error
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreProc            PreProc
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreAttr            String
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreProcAttrName    PreProc
-HtmlHiLink htmlPreProcAttrError   Error
-HtmlHiLink htmlSpecial            Special
-HtmlHiLink htmlSpecialChar        Special
-HtmlHiLink htmlString             String
-HtmlHiLink htmlStatement          Statement
-HtmlHiLink htmlComment            Comment
-HtmlHiLink htmlCommentPart        Comment
-HtmlHiLink htmlValue              String
-HtmlHiLink htmlCommentError       htmlError
-HtmlHiLink htmlTagError           htmlError
-HtmlHiLink htmlEvent              javaScript
-HtmlHiLink htmlError              Error
+hi def link htmlPreStmt            PreProc
+hi def link htmlPreError           Error
+hi def link htmlPreProc            PreProc
+hi def link htmlPreAttr            String
+hi def link htmlPreProcAttrName    PreProc
+hi def link htmlPreProcAttrError   Error
+hi def link htmlSpecial            Special
+hi def link htmlSpecialChar        Special
+hi def link htmlString             String
+hi def link htmlStatement          Statement
+hi def link htmlComment            Comment
+hi def link htmlCommentPart        Comment
+hi def link htmlValue              String
+hi def link htmlCommentError       htmlError
+hi def link htmlTagError           htmlError
+hi def link htmlEvent              javaScript
+hi def link htmlError              Error
 
-HtmlHiLink javaScript             Special
-HtmlHiLink javaScriptExpression   javaScript
-HtmlHiLink htmlCssStyleComment    Comment
-HtmlHiLink htmlCssDefinition      Special
-
-delcommand HtmlHiLink
+hi def link javaScript             Special
+hi def link javaScriptExpression   javaScript
+hi def link htmlCssStyleComment    Comment
+hi def link htmlCssDefinition      Special
 
 let b:current_syntax = "html"