diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cbf421ef5..3b4e03880 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@
     "git-utils": "^1.1.1",
     "guid": "0.0.10",
     "jasmine-tagged": ">=1.1.1 <2.0",
-    "mkdirp": "0.3.5",
     "keytar": "1.x",
     "less-cache": "0.12.0",
     "mixto": "1.x",
+    "mkdirp": "0.3.5",
     "nslog": "0.5.0",
     "oniguruma": "^1.0.4",
     "optimist": "0.4.0",
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "random-words": "0.0.1",
     "runas": "0.5.x",
     "scandal": "0.15.0",
+    "scoped-property-store": "^0.3.0",
     "scrollbar-style": "^0.1.0",
     "season": ">=1.0.2 <2.0",
     "semver": "1.1.4",
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@
     "temp": "0.5.0",
     "text-buffer": "^1.4.4",
     "theorist": "1.x",
-    "underscore-plus": ">=1.0.5 <2.0",
+    "underscore-plus": "^1.1.0",
     "vm-compatibility-layer": "0.1.0"
   },
   "packageDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/syntax.coffee b/src/syntax.coffee
index 881d5fa2a..793d070b2 100644
--- a/src/syntax.coffee
+++ b/src/syntax.coffee
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ _ = require 'underscore-plus'
 {specificity} = require 'clear-cut'
 {Subscriber} = require 'emissary'
 {GrammarRegistry, ScopeSelector} = require 'first-mate'
+ScopedPropertyStore = require 'scoped-property-store'
 
 {$, $$} = require './space-pen-extensions'
 Token = require './token'
@@ -24,9 +25,7 @@ class Syntax extends GrammarRegistry
 
   constructor: ->
     super
-
-    @scopedPropertiesIndex = 0
-    @scopedProperties = []
+    @scopedProperties = new ScopedPropertyStore
 
   serialize: ->
     {deserializer: @constructor.name, @grammarOverridesByPath}
@@ -36,22 +35,15 @@ class Syntax extends GrammarRegistry
   addProperties: (args...) ->
     name = args.shift() if args.length > 2
     [selector, properties] = args
-
-    @scopedProperties.unshift(
-      name: name
-      selector: selector,
-      properties: properties,
-      specificity: specificity(selector),
-      index: @scopedPropertiesIndex++
-    )
+    propertiesBySelector = {}
+    propertiesBySelector[selector] = properties
+    @scopedProperties.addProperties(name, propertiesBySelector)
 
   removeProperties: (name) ->
-    for properties in @scopedProperties.filter((properties) -> properties.name is name)
-      _.remove(@scopedProperties, properties)
+    @scopedProperties.removeProperties(name)
 
   clearProperties: ->
-    @scopedProperties = []
-    @scopedPropertiesIndex = 0
+    @scopedProperties = new ScopedPropertyStore
 
   # Public: Get a property for the given scope and key path.
   #
@@ -66,48 +58,21 @@ class Syntax extends GrammarRegistry
   #
   # Returns a {String} property value or undefined.
   getProperty: (scope, keyPath) ->
-    for object in @propertiesForScope(scope, keyPath)
-      value = _.valueForKeyPath(object, keyPath)
-      return value if value?
-    undefined
+    scopeChain = scope
+      .map (scope) ->
+        scope = ".#{scope}" unless scope.indexOf('.') is 0
+        scope
+      .join(' ')
+    @scopedProperties.getPropertyValue(scopeChain, keyPath)
 
   propertiesForScope: (scope, keyPath) ->
-    matchingProperties = []
-    candidates = @scopedProperties.filter ({properties}) -> _.valueForKeyPath(properties, keyPath)?
-    if candidates.length
-      element = @buildScopeElement(scope)
-      while element
-        matchingProperties.push(@matchingPropertiesForElement(element, candidates)...)
-        element = element.parentNode
-    matchingProperties
+    scopeChain = scope
+      .map (scope) ->
+        scope = ".#{scope}" unless scope.indexOf('.') is 0
+        scope
+      .join(' ')
 
-  matchingPropertiesForElement: (element, candidates) ->
-    matchingScopedProperties = candidates.filter ({selector}) ->
-      $.find.matchesSelector(element, selector)
-    matchingScopedProperties.sort (a, b) ->
-      if a.specificity == b.specificity
-        b.index - a.index
-      else
-        b.specificity - a.specificity
-    _.pluck matchingScopedProperties, 'properties'
-
-  buildScopeElement: (scope) ->
-    scope = scope.slice()
-    element = $$ ->
-      elementsForRemainingScopes = =>
-        classString = scope.shift()
-        classes = classString.replace(/^\./, '').replace(/\./g, ' ')
-        if scope.length
-          @div class: classes, elementsForRemainingScopes
-        else
-          @div class: classes
-      elementsForRemainingScopes()
-
-    deepestChild = element.find(":not(:has(*))")
-    if deepestChild.length
-      deepestChild[0]
-    else
-      element[0]
+    @scopedProperties.getProperties(scopeChain, keyPath)
 
   cssSelectorFromScopeSelector: (scopeSelector) ->
     new ScopeSelector(scopeSelector).toCssSelector()