--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/lexer-octave-gui.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/lexer-octave-gui.cc
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 // Some basic functions
 // -----------------------------------------------------
 lexer_octave_gui::lexer_octave_gui (QObject *p)
-  : QsciLexerOctave (p)
+  : QsciLexer (p)
 {
   // The API info that is used for auto completion
   // TODO: Where to store a file with API info (raw or prepared?)?
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@
         lexer_api->add (keywordList.at (i));
       lexer_api->prepare ();   // prepare API info ... this may take some time
     }
-
-  // get the settings from the settings file
-  QSettings *settings = resource_manager::get_settings ();
 }
 
 lexer_octave_gui::~lexer_octave_gui()
@@ -63,6 +60,49 @@
     delete lexer_api;
 }
 
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Redefined functions to make an octave lexer from the abtract class Qscilexer.
+//   Scintilla has an octave/matlab-lexer but the interface in Qscintilla is
+//   only available in version 2.5.1. Redefining the following purely virtual
+//   functions of the class QsciLexer () and the enum of available styles (see
+//   lexer-octave-gui.h provides the functionality of the octave lexer.
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const char *lexer_octave_gui::language() const
+{
+  return "Octave";  // return the name of the language
+}
+
+const char *lexer_octave_gui::lexer() const
+{
+  return "octave";  // return the name of the lexer
+}
+
+QString lexer_octave_gui::description(int style) const
+{
+    switch (style)
+    {
+    case Default:
+        return tr("Default");
+    case Comment:
+        return tr("Comment");
+    case Command:
+        return tr("Command");
+    case Number:
+        return tr("Number");
+    case Keyword:
+        return tr("Keyword");
+    case SingleQuotedString:
+        return tr("Single-quoted string");
+    case Operator:
+        return tr("Operator");
+    case Identifier:
+        return tr("Identifier");
+    case DoubleQuotedString:
+        return tr("Double-quoted string");
+    }
+    return QString();  // no valid style, return empty string
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------
 // The set of keywords for highlighting
 // -----------------------------------------------------

--- a/libgui/src/m-editor/lexer-octave-gui.h
+++ b/libgui/src/m-editor/lexer-octave-gui.h
@@ -26,18 +26,34 @@
 #include "resource-manager.h"
 #include <QObject>
 #include <Qsci/qsciglobal.h>
-#include <Qsci/qscilexeroctave.h>
+#include <Qsci/qscilexer.h>
 #include <Qsci/qsciapis.h>
 
-class lexer_octave_gui : public QsciLexerOctave
+class lexer_octave_gui : public QsciLexer
 {
   Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
 
+  enum {
+        Default = 0,
+        Comment = 1,
+        Command = 2,
+        Number = 3,
+        Keyword = 4,
+        SingleQuotedString = 5,
+        Operator = 6,
+        Identifier = 7,
+        DoubleQuotedString = 8
+    };
+
+
   lexer_octave_gui (QObject *parent = 0);
   ~lexer_octave_gui ();
   virtual const char *keywords (int set) const;
+  virtual const char *lexer () const;
+  virtual const char *language () const;
+  QString description(int style) const;
 
 private:
   lexer_octave_gui (const lexer_octave_gui &);