diff --git a/runtime/syntax/php.vim b/runtime/syntax/php.vim
index 3019a42..f86a32f 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/php.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/php.vim
@@ -598,53 +598,52 @@
 
 " Define the default highlighting.
 " Only when an item doesn't have highlighting yet
-command -nargs=+ HiLink hi def link <args>
 
-HiLink   phpConstant  Constant
-HiLink   phpCoreConstant  Constant
-HiLink   phpComment Comment
-HiLink   phpDocTags PreProc
-HiLink   phpDocCustomTags Type
-HiLink   phpException Exception
-HiLink   phpBoolean Boolean
-HiLink   phpStorageClass  StorageClass
-HiLink   phpSCKeyword StorageClass
-HiLink   phpFCKeyword Define
-HiLink   phpStructure Structure
-HiLink   phpStringSingle  String
-HiLink   phpStringDouble  String
-HiLink   phpBacktick  String
-HiLink   phpNumber  Number
-HiLink   phpFloat Float
-HiLink   phpMethods Function
-HiLink   phpFunctions Function
-HiLink   phpBaselib Function
-HiLink   phpRepeat  Repeat
-HiLink   phpConditional Conditional
-HiLink   phpLabel Label
-HiLink   phpStatement Statement
-HiLink   phpKeyword Statement
-HiLink   phpType  Type
-HiLink   phpInclude Include
-HiLink   phpDefine  Define
-HiLink   phpBackslashSequences SpecialChar
-HiLink   phpBackslashDoubleQuote SpecialChar
-HiLink   phpBackslashSingleQuote SpecialChar
-HiLink   phpParent  Delimiter
-HiLink   phpBrackets  Delimiter
-HiLink   phpIdentifierConst Delimiter
-HiLink   phpParentError Error
-HiLink   phpOctalError  Error
-HiLink   phpInterpSimpleError Error
-HiLink   phpInterpBogusDollarCurley Error
-HiLink   phpInterpDollarCurly1 Error
-HiLink   phpInterpDollarCurly2 Error
-HiLink   phpInterpSimpleBracketsInner String
-HiLink   phpInterpSimpleCurly Delimiter
-HiLink   phpInterpVarname Identifier
-HiLink   phpTodo  Todo
-HiLink   phpDocTodo Todo
-HiLink   phpMemberSelector  Structure
+hi def link phpConstant  Constant
+hi def link phpCoreConstant  Constant
+hi def link phpComment Comment
+hi def link phpDocTags PreProc
+hi def link phpDocCustomTags Type
+hi def link phpException Exception
+hi def link phpBoolean Boolean
+hi def link phpStorageClass  StorageClass
+hi def link phpSCKeyword StorageClass
+hi def link phpFCKeyword Define
+hi def link phpStructure Structure
+hi def link phpStringSingle  String
+hi def link phpStringDouble  String
+hi def link phpBacktick  String
+hi def link phpNumber  Number
+hi def link phpFloat Float
+hi def link phpMethods Function
+hi def link phpFunctions Function
+hi def link phpBaselib Function
+hi def link phpRepeat  Repeat
+hi def link phpConditional Conditional
+hi def link phpLabel Label
+hi def link phpStatement Statement
+hi def link phpKeyword Statement
+hi def link phpType  Type
+hi def link phpInclude Include
+hi def link phpDefine  Define
+hi def link phpBackslashSequences SpecialChar
+hi def link phpBackslashDoubleQuote SpecialChar
+hi def link phpBackslashSingleQuote SpecialChar
+hi def link phpParent  Delimiter
+hi def link phpBrackets  Delimiter
+hi def link phpIdentifierConst Delimiter
+hi def link phpParentError Error
+hi def link phpOctalError  Error
+hi def link phpInterpSimpleError Error
+hi def link phpInterpBogusDollarCurley Error
+hi def link phpInterpDollarCurly1 Error
+hi def link phpInterpDollarCurly2 Error
+hi def link phpInterpSimpleBracketsInner String
+hi def link phpInterpSimpleCurly Delimiter
+hi def link phpInterpVarname Identifier
+hi def link phpTodo  Todo
+hi def link phpDocTodo Todo
+hi def link phpMemberSelector  Structure
 if exists("php_oldStyle")
 hi  phpIntVar guifg=Red ctermfg=DarkRed
 hi  phpEnvVar guifg=Red ctermfg=DarkRed
@@ -654,16 +653,15 @@
 hi  phpIdentifier guifg=DarkGray ctermfg=Brown
 hi  phpIdentifierSimply guifg=DarkGray ctermfg=Brown
 else
-HiLink   phpIntVar Identifier
-HiLink   phpEnvVar Identifier
-HiLink   phpOperator Operator
-HiLink   phpVarSelector  Operator
-HiLink   phpRelation Operator
-HiLink   phpIdentifier Identifier
-HiLink   phpIdentifierSimply Identifier
+hi def link phpIntVar Identifier
+hi def link phpEnvVar Identifier
+hi def link phpOperator Operator
+hi def link phpVarSelector  Operator
+hi def link phpRelation Operator
+hi def link phpIdentifier Identifier
+hi def link phpIdentifierSimply Identifier
 endif
 
-delcommand HiLink
 
 let b:current_syntax = "php"