diff --git a/runtime/syntax/gitconfig.vim b/runtime/syntax/gitconfig.vim
index 668764eac1..e5eaf10f94 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/gitconfig.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/gitconfig.vim
@@ -2,24 +2,22 @@
 " Language:	git config file
 " Maintainer:	Tim Pope <vimNOSPAM@tpope.org>
 " Filenames:	gitconfig, .gitconfig, *.git/config
-" Last Change:	2019 Sep 27
+" Last Change:	2019 Dec 05
 
 if exists("b:current_syntax")
   finish
 endif
 
-setlocal iskeyword+=-
-setlocal iskeyword-=_
 syn case ignore
 syn sync minlines=10
 
 syn match   gitconfigComment	"[#;].*" contains=@Spell
 syn match   gitconfigSection	"\%(^\s*\)\@<=\[[a-z0-9.-]\+\]"
 syn match   gitconfigSection	'\%(^\s*\)\@<=\[[a-z0-9.-]\+ \+\"\%([^\\"]\|\\.\)*"\]'
-syn match   gitconfigVariable	 "\%(^\s*\)\@<=\a\k*\%(\s*\%([=#;]\|$\)\)\@=" nextgroup=gitconfigAssignment skipwhite
+syn match   gitconfigVariable	"\%(^\s*\)\@<=\a[a-z0-9-]*\%(\s*\%([=#;]\|$\)\)\@=" nextgroup=gitconfigAssignment skipwhite
 syn region  gitconfigAssignment  matchgroup=gitconfigNone start=+=\s*+ skip=+\\+ end=+\s*$+ contained contains=gitconfigBoolean,gitconfigNumber,gitConfigString,gitConfigEscape,gitConfigError,gitconfigComment keepend
 syn keyword gitconfigBoolean true false yes no contained
-syn match   gitconfigNumber  "\d\+" contained
+syn match   gitconfigNumber  "\<\d\+\>" contained
 syn region  gitconfigString  matchgroup=gitconfigDelim start=+"+ skip=+\\+ end=+"+ matchgroup=gitconfigError end=+[^\\"]\%#\@!$+ contained contains=gitconfigEscape,gitconfigEscapeError
 syn match   gitconfigError  +\\.+	 contained
 syn match   gitconfigEscape +\\[\\"ntb]+ contained
@@ -32,7 +30,7 @@ hi def link gitconfigBoolean		Boolean
 hi def link gitconfigNumber		Number
 hi def link gitconfigString		String
 hi def link gitconfigDelim		Delimiter
-hi def link gitconfigEscape		Delimiter
+hi def link gitconfigEscape		Special
 hi def link gitconfigError		Error
 
 let b:current_syntax = "gitconfig"