diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 36bcbd50..2d661ef9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ Alternatively, you can use Vim or Emacs style modelines to set the language for
 
 ##### Vim
 ```
+# Some examples of various styles:
+vim: syntax=java
+vim: set syntax=ruby:
 vim: set filetype=prolog:
 vim: set ft=cpp:
 ```
diff --git a/lib/linguist/strategy/modeline.rb b/lib/linguist/strategy/modeline.rb
index f995d940..ece98a1f 100644
--- a/lib/linguist/strategy/modeline.rb
+++ b/lib/linguist/strategy/modeline.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,19 @@
 module Linguist
   module Strategy
     class Modeline
-      EmacsModeline = /-\*-\s*(?:(?!mode)[\w-]+\s*:\s*(?:[\w+-]+)\s*;?\s*)*(?:mode\s*:)?\s*([\w+-]+)\s*(?:;\s*(?!mode)[\w-]+\s*:\s*[\w+-]+\s*)*;?\s*-\*-/i
-      VimModeline = /vim:\s*set.*\s(?:ft|filetype)=(\w+)\s?.*:/i
+      EMACS_MODELINE = /-\*-\s*(?:(?!mode)[\w-]+\s*:\s*(?:[\w+-]+)\s*;?\s*)*(?:mode\s*:)?\s*([\w+-]+)\s*(?:;\s*(?!mode)[\w-]+\s*:\s*[\w+-]+\s*)*;?\s*-\*-/i
+
+      # First form vim modeline
+      # [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]{options}
+      # ex: 'vim: syntax=perl'
+      VIM_MODELINE_1 = /(?:vim|vi|ex):\s*(?:ft|filetype|syntax)=(\w+)\s?/i
+
+      # Second form vim modeline (compatible with some versions of Vi)
+      # [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|Vim:|ex:}[white]se[t] {options}:[text]
+      # ex: 'vim set syntax=perl:'
+      VIM_MODELINE_2 = /(?:vim|vi|Vim|ex):\s*se(?:t)?.*\s(?:ft|filetype|syntax)=(\w+)\s?.*:/i
+
+      MODELINES = [EMACS_MODELINE, VIM_MODELINE_1, VIM_MODELINE_2]
 
       # Public: Detects language based on Vim and Emacs modelines
       #
@@ -22,7 +33,7 @@ module Linguist
       #
       # Returns a String or nil
       def self.modeline(data)
-        match = data.match(EmacsModeline) || data.match(VimModeline)
+        match = MODELINES.map { |regex| data.match(regex) }.reject(&:nil?).first
         match[1] if match
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby4 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby4
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e3b50151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby4
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# vim: filetype=ruby
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby5 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby5
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10349050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby5
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# vim: ft=ruby
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby6 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby6
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2b49dae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby6
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# vim: syntax=Ruby
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby7 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby7
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ed5b28f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby7
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# vim: se syntax=ruby:
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby8 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby8
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e854741
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby8
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# vim: set syntax=ruby:
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby9 b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby9
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac82358d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/Data/Modelines/ruby9
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# ex: syntax=ruby
+
+# I am Ruby
diff --git a/test/test_modelines.rb b/test/test_modelines.rb
index fd259782..85718955 100644
--- a/test/test_modelines.rb
+++ b/test/test_modelines.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ class TestModelines < Minitest::Test
     assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby")
     assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby2")
     assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby3")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby4")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby5")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby6")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby7")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby8")
+    assert_modeline Language["Ruby"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/ruby9")
     assert_modeline Language["C++"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/seeplusplus")
     assert_modeline Language["C++"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/seeplusplusEmacs1")
     assert_modeline Language["C++"], fixture_blob("Data/Modelines/seeplusplusEmacs2")