diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index a8e6481ea..01260b847 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
 	shallow = true
 [submodule "helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir"]
 	path = helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir
-	url = https://github.com/IceDragon200/tree-sitter-elixir
+	url = https://github.com/elixir-lang/tree-sitter-elixir
 	shallow = true
 [submodule "helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-nix"]
 	path = helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-nix
diff --git a/book/src/themes.md b/book/src/themes.md
index a99e3a59e..5a4d04038 100644
--- a/book/src/themes.md
+++ b/book/src/themes.md
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ #### Syntax highlighting
   - `special`
     - `path`
     - `url`
+    - `symbol` - Erlang/Elixir atoms, Ruby symbols, Clojure keywords
 
 - `comment` - Code comments
   - `line` - Single line comments (`//`)
diff --git a/helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir b/helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir
index 295e62a43..f5d7bda54 160000
--- a/helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir
+++ b/helix-syntax/languages/tree-sitter-elixir
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 295e62a43b92cea909cfabe57e8818d177f4857b
+Subproject commit f5d7bda543da788bd507b05bd722627dde66c9ec
diff --git a/runtime/queries/elixir/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/elixir/highlights.scm
index 6bf93a210..08e09f37a 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/elixir/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/elixir/highlights.scm
@@ -1,125 +1,213 @@
-["when" "and" "or" "not in" "not" "in" "fn" "do" "end" "catch" "rescue" "after" "else"] @keyword
+; The following code originates mostly from
+; https://github.com/elixir-lang/tree-sitter-elixir, with minor edits to
+; align the captures with helix. The following should be considered
+; Copyright 2021 The Elixir Team
+;
+; Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+; you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+; You may obtain a copy of the License at
+;
+;    https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+;
+; Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+; distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+; WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+; See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+; limitations under the License.
 
-[(true) (false) (nil)] @constant.builtin
+; Reserved keywords
 
-(keyword
- [(keyword_literal)
-  ":"] @tag)
+["when" "and" "or" "not" "in" "not in" "fn" "do" "end" "catch" "rescue" "after" "else"] @keyword
 
-(keyword
- (keyword_string
-  [(string_start)
-   (string_content)
-   (string_end)] @tag))
+; Operators
 
-[(atom_literal)
- (atom_start)
- (atom_content)
- (atom_end)] @tag
+; * doc string
+(unary_operator
+  operator: "@" @comment.block.documentation
+  operand: (call
+    target: (identifier) @comment.block.documentation.__attribute__
+    (arguments
+      [
+        (string) @comment.block.documentation
+        (charlist) @comment.block.documentation
+        (sigil
+          quoted_start: _ @comment.block.documentation
+          quoted_end: _ @comment.block.documentation) @comment.block.documentation
+        (boolean) @comment.block.documentation
+      ]))
+  (#match? @comment.block.documentation.__attribute__ "^(moduledoc|typedoc|doc)$"))
 
-[(comment)
- (unused_identifier)] @comment
+; * module attribute
+(unary_operator
+  operator: "@" @variable.property
+  operand: [
+    (identifier) @variable.property
+    (call
+      target: (identifier) @variable.property)
+    (boolean) @variable.property
+    (nil) @variable.property
+  ])
+
+; * capture operator
+(unary_operator
+  operator: "&"
+  operand: [
+    (integer) @operator
+    (binary_operator
+      left: [
+        (call target: (dot left: (_) right: (identifier) @function))
+        (identifier) @function
+      ] operator: "/" right: (integer) @operator)
+  ])
+
+(operator_identifier) @operator
+
+(unary_operator
+  operator: _ @operator)
+
+(binary_operator
+  operator: _ @operator)
+
+(dot
+  operator: _ @operator)
+
+(stab_clause
+  operator: _ @operator)
+
+; Literals
+
+(nil) @constant.builtin
+
+(boolean) @constant.builtin.boolean
+
+[
+  (integer)
+  (float)
+] @number
+
+(alias) @type
+
+(call
+  target: (dot
+    left: (atom) @type))
+
+(char) @constant.character
+
+; Quoted content
+
+(interpolation "#{" @escape "}" @escape) @embedded
 
 (escape_sequence) @escape
 
-(call function: (function_identifier) @keyword
-      (#match? @keyword "^(defmodule|defexception|defp|def|with|case|cond|raise|import|require|use|defmacrop|defmacro|defguardp|defguard|defdelegate|defstruct|alias|defimpl|defprotocol|defoverridable|receive|if|for|try|throw|unless|reraise|super|quote|unquote|unquote_splicing)$"))
+[
+  (atom)
+  (quoted_atom)
+  (keyword)
+  (quoted_keyword)
+] @string.special.symbol
 
-(call function: (function_identifier) @keyword
-      [(call
-        function: (function_identifier) @function
-        (arguments
-         [(identifier) @variable.parameter
-          (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)
-          (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))
-          (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))
-          (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))))
-          (_ (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))))]))
-       (binary_op
-        left:
-        (call
-         function: (function_identifier) @function
-         (arguments
-          [(identifier) @variable.parameter
-           (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)
-           (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))
-           (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))
-           (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))))
-           (_ (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))))]))
+[
+  (string)
+  (charlist)
+] @string
+
+; Note that we explicitly target sigil quoted start/end, so they are not overridden by delimiters
+
+(sigil
+  (sigil_name) @__name__
+  quoted_start: _ @string
+  quoted_end: _ @string
+  (#match? @__name__ "^[sS]$")) @string
+
+(sigil
+  (sigil_name) @__name__
+  quoted_start: _ @string.regex
+  quoted_end: _ @string.regex
+  (#match? @__name__ "^[rR]$")) @string.regex
+
+(sigil
+  (sigil_name) @__name__
+  quoted_start: _ @string.special
+  quoted_end: _ @string.special) @string.special
+
+; Calls
+
+; * definition keyword
+(call
+  target: (identifier) @keyword
+  (#match? @keyword "^(def|defdelegate|defexception|defguard|defguardp|defimpl|defmacro|defmacrop|defmodule|defn|defnp|defoverridable|defp|defprotocol|defstruct)$"))
+
+; * kernel or special forms keyword
+(call
+  target: (identifier) @keyword
+  (#match? @keyword "^(alias|case|cond|else|for|if|import|quote|raise|receive|require|reraise|super|throw|try|unless|unquote|unquote_splicing|use|with)$"))
+
+; * function call
+(call
+  target: [
+    ; local
+    (identifier) @function
+    ; remote
+    (dot
+      right: (identifier) @function)
+  ])
+
+; * just identifier in function definition
+(call
+  target: (identifier) @keyword
+  (arguments
+    [
+      (identifier) @function
+      (binary_operator
+        left: (identifier) @function
         operator: "when")
-       (binary_op
-        left: (identifier) @variable.parameter
-        operator: _ @function
-        right: (identifier) @variable.parameter)]
-      (#match? @keyword "^(defp|def|defmacrop|defmacro|defguardp|defguard|defdelegate)$"))
+    ])
+  (#match? @keyword "^(def|defdelegate|defguard|defguardp|defmacro|defmacrop|defn|defnp|defp)$"))
 
-(call (function_identifier) @keyword
-      [(call
-        function: (function_identifier) @function)
-       (identifier) @function
-       (binary_op
-        left:
-        [(call
-          function: (function_identifier) @function)
-         (identifier) @function]
-        operator: "when")]
-      (#match? @keyword "^(defp|def|defmacrop|defmacro|defguardp|defguard|defdelegate)$"))
+; * pipe into identifier (definition)
+(call
+  target: (identifier) @keyword
+  (arguments
+    (binary_operator
+      operator: "|>"
+      right: (identifier) @variable))
+  (#match? @keyword "^(def|defdelegate|defguard|defguardp|defmacro|defmacrop|defn|defnp|defp)$"))
 
-(anonymous_function
- (stab_expression
-  left: (bare_arguments
-         [(identifier) @variable.parameter
-          (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)
-          (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))
-          (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))
-          (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter))))
-          (_ (_ (_ (_ (_ (identifier) @variable.parameter)))))])))
+; * pipe into identifier (function call)
+(binary_operator
+  operator: "|>"
+  right: (identifier) @function)
 
-(unary_op
- operator: "@"
- (call (identifier) @attribute
-       (heredoc
-        [(heredoc_start)
-         (heredoc_content)
-         (heredoc_end)] @doc))
- (#match? @attribute "^(doc|moduledoc)$"))
+; Identifiers
 
-(module) @type
+; * special
+(
+  (identifier) @constant.builtin
+  (#match? @constant.builtin "^(__MODULE__|__DIR__|__ENV__|__CALLER__|__STACKTRACE__)$")
+)
 
-(unary_op
- operator: "@" @attribute
- [(call
-   function: (function_identifier) @attribute)
-  (identifier) @attribute])
+; * unused
+(
+  (identifier) @comment
+  (#match? @comment "^_")
+)
 
-(unary_op
- operator: _ @operator)
+; * regular
+(identifier) @variable
 
-(binary_op
- operator: _ @operator)
+; Comment
 
-(heredoc
- [(heredoc_start)
-  (heredoc_content)
-  (heredoc_end)] @string)
+(comment) @comment
 
-(string
- [(string_start)
-  (string_content)
-  (string_end)] @string)
+; Punctuation
 
-(sigil_start) @string.special
-(sigil_content) @string
-(sigil_end) @string.special
-
-(interpolation
- "#{" @punctuation.special
- "}" @punctuation.special)
+[
+ "%"
+] @punctuation
 
 [
  ","
- "->"
- "."
+ ";"
 ] @punctuation.delimiter
 
 [
@@ -133,6 +221,4 @@
   ">>"
 ] @punctuation.bracket
 
-(special_identifier) @function.special
-
 (ERROR) @warning