diff --git a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/cell.js b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/cell.js
index 7e9bc460b..4e34e2eec 100644
--- a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/cell.js
+++ b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/cell.js
@@ -73,14 +73,23 @@ define([
             }
         });
 
+        // backward compat.
+        Object.defineProperty(this, 'cm_config', {
+            get: function() {
+                console.warn("warning you are accessing a deprecated field")
+                return that._options.cm_config;
+            },
+        });
+
         // load this from metadata later ?
         this.user_highlight = 'auto';
 
+
         var _local_cm_config = {};
         if(this.class_config){
             _local_cm_config = this.class_config.get_sync('cm_config');
         }
-        this.cm_config = utils.mergeopt({}, config.cm_config, _local_cm_config);
+        config.cm_config = utils.mergeopt({}, config.cm_config, _local_cm_config);
         this.cell_id = utils.uuid();
         this._options = config;
 
diff --git a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/codecell.js b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
index 6a34f8537..a3d7fd227 100644
--- a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
+++ b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/codecell.js
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ define([
                 "Cmd-/" : "toggleComment",
                 "Ctrl-/" : "toggleComment"
             },
-            mode: 'ipython',
+            mode: 'text',
             theme: 'ipython',
             matchBrackets: true,
             autoCloseBrackets: true
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ define([
             notebook: this.notebook});
         inner_cell.append(this.celltoolbar.element);
         var input_area = $('<div/>').addClass('input_area');
-        this.code_mirror = new CodeMirror(input_area.get(0), this.cm_config);
+        this.code_mirror = new CodeMirror(input_area.get(0), this._options.cm_config);
         // In case of bugs that put the keyboard manager into an inconsistent state,
         // ensure KM is enabled when CodeMirror is focused:
         this.code_mirror.on('focus', function () {
diff --git a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index db3519e54..808e530b9 100644
--- a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
+++ b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
@@ -1526,7 +1526,7 @@ define(function (require) {
                 // This is currently redundant, because cm_config ends up as
                 // codemirror's own .options object, but I don't want to
                 // rely on that.
-                cell.cm_config.mode = spec;
+                cell._options.cm_config.mode = spec;
             }
         });
 
diff --git a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
index ce01ce8d8..a8a6c11b8 100644
--- a/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
+++ b/jupyter_notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ define([
             notebook: this.notebook});
         inner_cell.append(this.celltoolbar.element);
         var input_area = $('<div/>').addClass('input_area');
-        this.code_mirror = new CodeMirror(input_area.get(0), this.cm_config);
+        this.code_mirror = new CodeMirror(input_area.get(0), this._options.cm_config);
         // In case of bugs that put the keyboard manager into an inconsistent state,
         // ensure KM is enabled when CodeMirror is focused:
         this.code_mirror.on('focus', function () {