diff --git a/src/components/structures/ViewSource.js b/src/components/structures/ViewSource.js
index a0e198cecc..3a5d35a561 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/ViewSource.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/ViewSource.js
@@ -16,14 +16,17 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 'use strict';
 
-var React = require('react');
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import SyntaxHighlight from '../views/elements/SyntaxHighlight';
+
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'ViewSource',
 
     propTypes: {
-        content: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-        onFinished: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+        content: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+        onFinished: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     },
 
     componentDidMount: function() {
@@ -45,9 +48,9 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     render: function() {
         return (
             <div className="mx_ViewSource">
-                <pre>
-                    {JSON.stringify(this.props.content, null, 2)}
-                </pre>
+                <SyntaxHighlight className="json">
+                    { JSON.stringify(this.props.content, null, 2) }
+                </SyntaxHighlight>
             </div>
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/DevtoolsDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/DevtoolsDialog.js
index 5d9168f5c2..1d8f616c07 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/DevtoolsDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/DevtoolsDialog.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import sdk from 'matrix-react-sdk';
+import SyntaxHighlight from '../elements/SyntaxHighlight';
 import { _t } from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/languageHandler';
 import MatrixClientPeg from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/MatrixClientPeg';
 
@@ -343,7 +344,9 @@ class RoomStateExplorer extends DevtoolsComponent {
 
             return <div className="mx_ViewSource">
                 <div className="mx_Dialog_content">
-                    <pre>{ JSON.stringify(this.state.event.event, null, 2) }</pre>
+                    <SyntaxHighlight className="json">
+                        { JSON.stringify(this.state.event.event, null, 2) }
+                    </SyntaxHighlight>
                 </div>
                 <div className="mx_Dialog_buttons">
                     <button onClick={this.onBack}>{ _t('Back') }</button>
@@ -459,7 +462,9 @@ class AccountDataExplorer extends DevtoolsComponent {
 
             return <div className="mx_ViewSource">
                 <div className="mx_Dialog_content">
-                    <pre>{ JSON.stringify(this.state.event.event, null, 2) }</pre>
+                    <SyntaxHighlight className="json">
+                        { JSON.stringify(this.state.event.event, null, 2) }
+                    </SyntaxHighlight>
                 </div>
                 <div className="mx_Dialog_buttons">
                     <button onClick={this.onBack}>{ _t('Back') }</button>
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/SyntaxHighlight.js b/src/components/views/elements/SyntaxHighlight.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82b5ae572c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/SyntaxHighlight.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 Michael Telatynski <7t3chguy@gmail.com>
+
+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
+
+    http://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.
+*/
+
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import {highlightBlock} from 'highlight.js';
+
+export default class SyntaxHighlight extends React.Component {
+    static propTypes = {
+        className: PropTypes.string,
+        children: PropTypes.node,
+    };
+
+    constructor(props, context) {
+        super(props, context);
+
+        this._ref = this._ref.bind(this);
+    }
+
+    // componentDidUpdate used here for reusability
+    // componentWillReceiveProps fires too early to call highlightBlock on.
+    componentDidUpdate() {
+        if (this._el) highlightBlock(this._el);
+    }
+
+    // call componentDidUpdate because _ref is fired on initial render
+    // which does not fire componentDidUpdate
+    _ref(el) {
+        this._el = el;
+        this.componentDidUpdate();
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        const { className, children } = this.props;
+
+        return <pre className={`${className} mx_SyntaxHighlight`} ref={this._ref}>
+            <code>{ children }</code>
+        </pre>;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/_components.scss b/src/skins/vector/css/_components.scss
index c2725aeb9c..2319ebee84 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/_components.scss
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/_components.scss
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
 @import "./vector-web/views/elements/_ImageView.scss";
 @import "./vector-web/views/elements/_InlineSpinner.scss";
 @import "./vector-web/views/elements/_Spinner.scss";
+@import "./vector-web/views/elements/_SyntaxHighlight.scss";
 @import "./vector-web/views/globals/_MatrixToolbar.scss";
 @import "./vector-web/views/messages/_DateSeparator.scss";
 @import "./vector-web/views/messages/_MessageTimestamp.scss";
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/vector-web/views/elements/_SyntaxHighlight.scss b/src/skins/vector/css/vector-web/views/elements/_SyntaxHighlight.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e97401a160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/vector-web/views/elements/_SyntaxHighlight.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 Michael Telatynski <7t3chguy@gmail.com>
+
+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
+
+    http://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.
+*/
+
+.mx_SyntaxHighlight {
+    /* inhibit hljs styling */
+    background: none !important;
+    color: $light-fg-color !important;
+}