diff --git a/runtime/syntax/dosbatch.vim b/runtime/syntax/dosbatch.vim
index a75771b..5560199 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/dosbatch.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/dosbatch.vim
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 " Language:	MS-DOS/Windows batch file (with NT command extensions)
 " Maintainer:	Mike Williams <mrmrdubya@gmail.com>
 " Filenames:    *.bat
-" Last Change:	12th February 2023
+" Last Change:	3rd February 2024
 "
 " Options Flags:
 " dosbatch_cmdextversion	- 1 = Windows NT, 2 = Windows 2000 [default]
-" dosbatch_colons_comment       - any value to treat :: as comment line
+" dosbatch_colons_comment       - any value to allow :: comments in code blocks
 "
 
 " quit when a syntax file was already loaded
@@ -88,18 +88,22 @@
 syn match dosbatchLabel		":\h\w*\>"
 
 " Comments - usual rem but also two colons as first non-space is an idiom
-syn match dosbatchComment	"^rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=3 contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
-syn match dosbatchComment	"^@rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=4 contains=dosbatchTodo,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
-syn match dosbatchComment	"\srem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=4 contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
-syn match dosbatchComment	"\s@rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=5 contains=dosbatchTodo,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
-if exists("dosbatch_colons_comment")
-  syn match dosbatchComment	"\s*:\s*:.*$" contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
-else
-  syn match dosbatchError       "\s*:\s*:.*$"
-endif
+syn match dosbatchRemComment	"^rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=3 contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
+syn match dosbatchRemComment	"^@rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=4 contains=dosbatchTodo,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
+syn match dosbatchRemComment	"\srem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=4 contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
+syn match dosbatchRemComment	"\s@rem\($\|\s.*$\)"lc=5 contains=dosbatchTodo,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
+syn match dosbatchColonComment	"\s*:\s*:.*$" contains=dosbatchTodo,dosbatchSpecialChar,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
 
-" Comments in ()'s - still to handle spaces before rem
-syn match dosbatchComment	"(rem\([^)]\|\^\@<=)\)*"lc=4 contains=dosbatchTodo,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchVariable,dosbatchArgument,@Spell
+" Commands code blocks
+syn cluster dosbatchCodeBlockComment contains=dosbatchRemComment
+if exists("dosbatch_colons_comment")
+  syn cluster dosbatchCodeBlockComment add=dosbatchColonComment
+else
+  syn match dosbatchColonCommentErr contained "\s*:\s*:.*$"
+endif
+syn match dosbatchColonCommentErr contained "\s*:\s*:[^)]*\(\(\n\s*\)\?)\)\@="
+syn region dosbatchCodeBlock	transparent start=+(+ end=+)+ contains=dosbatchString,dosbatchVariable,dosBatchArgument,@dosbatchNumber,dosbatchImplicit,dosbatchStatement,dosbatchConditional,dosbatchRepeat,dosbatchOperator,@dosbatchCodeBlockComment,dosbatchColonCommentErr,dosbatchCodeBlock
+syn match dosbatchCodeBlockErr	")"
 
 syn keyword dosbatchImplicit    append assoc at attrib break cacls cd chcp chdir
 syn keyword dosbatchImplicit    chkdsk chkntfs cls cmd color comp compact convert copy
@@ -116,6 +120,8 @@
 
 hi def link dosbatchTodo	Todo
 hi def link dosbatchError	Error
+hi def link dosbatchCodeBlockErr dosbatchError
+hi def link dosbatchColonCommentErr dosbatchError
 
 hi def link dosbatchStatement	Statement
 hi def link dosbatchCommands	dosbatchStatement
@@ -140,6 +146,9 @@
 hi def link dosbatchOctal	dosbatchNumber
 
 hi def link dosbatchComment	Comment
+hi def link dosbatchRemComment	dosbatchComment
+hi def link dosbatchColonComment dosbatchComment
+
 hi def link dosbatchImplicit	Function
 
 hi def link dosbatchSwitch	Special