diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
index 9b32da2a9c4..de183d00609 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/modes.ts
@@ -1186,12 +1186,23 @@ export interface ITokenizationRegistry {
 	 */
 	register(language: string, support: ITokenizationSupport): IDisposable;
 
+	/**
+	 * Register a promise for a tokenization support.
+	 */
+	registerPromise(language: string, promise: Thenable<ITokenizationSupport>): Thenable<IDisposable>;
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the tokenization support for a language.
 	 * Returns null if not found.
 	 */
 	get(language: string): ITokenizationSupport;
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the promise of a tokenization support for a language.
+	 * `null` is returned if no support is available and no promise for the support has been registered yet.
+	 */
+	getPromise(language: string): Thenable<ITokenizationSupport>;
+
 	/**
 	 * Set the new color map that all tokens will use in their ColorId binary encoded bits for foreground and background.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.ts
index 3c2bd218343..168cdeb1643 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.ts
@@ -5,13 +5,19 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import * as strings from 'vs/base/common/strings';
-import { IState, ITokenizationSupport, TokenizationRegistry, LanguageId } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
-import { NULL_STATE, nullTokenize2 } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/nullMode';
+import { ITokenizationSupport, IState, LanguageId } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { LineTokens, IViewLineTokens } from 'vs/editor/common/core/lineTokens';
 import { CharCode } from 'vs/base/common/charCode';
+import { NULL_STATE, nullTokenize2 } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/nullMode';
 
-export function tokenizeToString(text: string, languageId: string): string {
-	return _tokenizeToString(text, _getSafeTokenizationSupport(languageId));
+const fallback = {
+	getInitialState: () => NULL_STATE,
+	tokenize: undefined,
+	tokenize2: (buffer: string, state: IState, deltaOffset: number) => nullTokenize2(LanguageId.Null, buffer, state, deltaOffset)
+};
+
+export function tokenizeToString(text: string, tokenizationSupport: ITokenizationSupport = fallback): string {
+	return _tokenizeToString(text, tokenizationSupport);
 }
 
 export function tokenizeLineToHTML(text: string, viewLineTokens: IViewLineTokens, colorMap: string[], startOffset: number, endOffset: number, tabSize: number): string {
@@ -83,18 +89,6 @@ export function tokenizeLineToHTML(text: string, viewLineTokens: IViewLineTokens
 	return result;
 }
 
-function _getSafeTokenizationSupport(languageId: string): ITokenizationSupport {
-	let tokenizationSupport = TokenizationRegistry.get(languageId);
-	if (tokenizationSupport) {
-		return tokenizationSupport;
-	}
-	return {
-		getInitialState: () => NULL_STATE,
-		tokenize: undefined,
-		tokenize2: (buffer: string, state: IState, deltaOffset: number) => nullTokenize2(LanguageId.Null, buffer, state, deltaOffset)
-	};
-}
-
 function _tokenizeToString(text: string, tokenizationSupport: ITokenizationSupport): string {
 	let result = `<div class="monaco-tokenized-source">`;
 	let lines = text.split(/\r\n|\r|\n/);
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/common/modes/tokenizationRegistry.ts b/src/vs/editor/common/modes/tokenizationRegistry.ts
index dd13f213e76..ec66585a4d0 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/common/modes/tokenizationRegistry.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/common/modes/tokenizationRegistry.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@ import { IDisposable, toDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import { Event, Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { ColorId, ITokenizationRegistry, ITokenizationSupport, ITokenizationSupportChangedEvent } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { Color } from 'vs/base/common/color';
+import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 
 export class TokenizationRegistryImpl implements ITokenizationRegistry {
 
 	private _map: { [language: string]: ITokenizationSupport };
+	private _promises: { [language: string]: Thenable<IDisposable> };
 
 	private readonly _onDidChange: Emitter<ITokenizationSupportChangedEvent> = new Emitter<ITokenizationSupportChangedEvent>();
 	public readonly onDidChange: Event<ITokenizationSupportChangedEvent> = this._onDidChange.event;
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ export class TokenizationRegistryImpl implements ITokenizationRegistry {
 
 	constructor() {
 		this._map = Object.create(null);
+		this._promises = Object.create(null);
 		this._colorMap = null;
 	}
 
@@ -30,7 +33,7 @@ export class TokenizationRegistryImpl implements ITokenizationRegistry {
 		});
 	}
 
-	public register(language: string, support: ITokenizationSupport): IDisposable {
+	public register(language: string, support: ITokenizationSupport) {
 		this._map[language] = support;
 		this.fire([language]);
 		return toDisposable(() => {
@@ -42,6 +45,26 @@ export class TokenizationRegistryImpl implements ITokenizationRegistry {
 		});
 	}
 
+	public registerPromise(language: string, supportPromise: Thenable<ITokenizationSupport>): Thenable<IDisposable> {
+		const promise = this._promises[language] = supportPromise.then(support => {
+			delete this._promises[language];
+			return this.register(language, support);
+		});
+		return promise;
+	}
+
+	public getPromise(language: string): Thenable<ITokenizationSupport> {
+		const support = this.get(language);
+		if (support) {
+			return TPromise.as(support);
+		}
+		const promise = this._promises[language];
+		if (promise) {
+			return promise.then(_ => this.get(language));
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	public get(language: string): ITokenizationSupport {
 		return (this._map[language] || null);
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/markdown/markdownRenderer.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/markdown/markdownRenderer.ts
index 6f7d78e7db4..61825299b89 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/markdown/markdownRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/markdown/markdownRenderer.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { ICodeEditor } from 'vs/editor/browser/editorBrowser';
 import { optional } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { Event, Emitter } from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import { IDisposable, dispose } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
+import { TokenizationRegistry } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 
 export interface IMarkdownRenderResult extends IDisposable {
 	element: HTMLElement;
@@ -45,7 +46,11 @@ export class MarkdownRenderer {
 					: this._editor.getModel().getLanguageIdentifier().language;
 
 				return this._modeService.getOrCreateMode(modeId).then(_ => {
-					return tokenizeToString(value, modeId);
+					const promise = TokenizationRegistry.getPromise(modeId);
+					if (promise) {
+						return promise.then(support => tokenizeToString(value, support));
+					}
+					return tokenizeToString(value, null);
 				}).then(code => {
 					return `<span style="font-family: ${this._editor.getConfiguration().fontInfo.fontFamily}">${code}</span>`;
 				});
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/test/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.test.ts b/src/vs/editor/test/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.test.ts
index 7449d71b00d..0f2af297d93 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/test/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.test.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/test/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer.test.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ suite('Editor Modes - textToHtmlTokenizer', () => {
 
 	test('TextToHtmlTokenizer 1', () => {
 		let mode = new Mode();
+		let support = TokenizationRegistry.get(mode.getId());
 
-		let actual = tokenizeToString('.abc..def...gh', mode.getId());
+		let actual = tokenizeToString('.abc..def...gh', support);
 		let expected = [
 			{ className: 'mtk7', text: '.' },
 			{ className: 'mtk9', text: 'abc' },
@@ -38,8 +39,9 @@ suite('Editor Modes - textToHtmlTokenizer', () => {
 
 	test('TextToHtmlTokenizer 2', () => {
 		let mode = new Mode();
+		let support = TokenizationRegistry.get(mode.getId());
 
-		let actual = tokenizeToString('.abc..def...gh\n.abc..def...gh', mode.getId());
+		let actual = tokenizeToString('.abc..def...gh\n.abc..def...gh', support);
 		let expected1 = [
 			{ className: 'mtk7', text: '.' },
 			{ className: 'mtk9', text: 'abc' },
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/releaseNotesEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/releaseNotesEditor.ts
index 7abdf991a78..0d7075217d2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/releaseNotesEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/update/electron-browser/releaseNotesEditor.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { OS } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { URI } from 'vs/base/common/uri';
 import { TPromise } from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import { asText } from 'vs/base/node/request';
-import { IMode, TokenizationRegistry } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
+import { TokenizationRegistry, ITokenizationSupport } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { generateTokensCSSForColorMap } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/supports/tokenization';
 import { tokenizeToString } from 'vs/editor/common/modes/textToHtmlTokenizer';
 import { IModeService } from 'vs/editor/common/services/modeService';
@@ -192,21 +192,18 @@ export class ReleaseNotesManager {
 	}
 
 	private async getRenderer(text: string) {
-		const result: TPromise<IMode>[] = [];
+		let result: TPromise<ITokenizationSupport>[] = [];
 		const renderer = new marked.Renderer();
 		renderer.code = (code, lang) => {
 			const modeId = this._modeService.getModeIdForLanguageName(lang);
-			result.push(this._modeService.getOrCreateMode(modeId));
+			result.push(this._modeService.getOrCreateMode(modeId).then(_ => TokenizationRegistry.getPromise(modeId)));
 			return '';
 		};
 
 		marked(text, { renderer });
 		await TPromise.join(result);
 
-		renderer.code = (code, lang) => {
-			const modeId = this._modeService.getModeIdForLanguageName(lang);
-			return `<code>${tokenizeToString(code, modeId)}</code>`;
-		};
+		renderer.code = (code, lang) => `<code>${tokenizeToString(code, TokenizationRegistry.get(lang))}</code>`;
 		return renderer;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/textMate/electron-browser/TMSyntax.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/textMate/electron-browser/TMSyntax.ts
index 0294ecefead..8dc3f78076c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/textMate/electron-browser/TMSyntax.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/textMate/electron-browser/TMSyntax.ts
@@ -397,9 +397,13 @@ export class TextMateService implements ITextMateService {
 	}
 
 	private registerDefinition(modeId: string): void {
-		this._createGrammar(modeId).then((r) => {
-			TokenizationRegistry.register(modeId, new TMTokenization(this._scopeRegistry, r.languageId, r.grammar, r.initialState, r.containsEmbeddedLanguages, this._notificationService));
-		}, onUnexpectedError);
+		const promise = this._createGrammar(modeId).then((r) => {
+			return new TMTokenization(this._scopeRegistry, r.languageId, r.grammar, r.initialState, r.containsEmbeddedLanguages, this._notificationService);
+		}, e => {
+			onUnexpectedError(e);
+			return null;
+		});
+		TokenizationRegistry.registerPromise(modeId, promise);
 	}
 }