diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index 492793b3a..818113877 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
@@ -207,9 +207,18 @@ define([
         });
         
         this.events.on('spec_changed.Kernel', function(event, data) {
-            that.set_kernelspec_metadata(data);
+            that.metadata.kernelspec = 
+                {name: data.name, display_name: data.display_name};
+        });
+
+        this.events.on('kernel_ready.Kernel', function(event, data) {
+            var kinfo = data.kernel.info_reply
+            var langinfo = kinfo.language_info || {};
+            if (!langinfo.name)  langinfo.name = kinfo.language;
+                
+            that.metadata.language_info = langinfo;
             // Mode 'null' should be plain, unhighlighted text.
-            cm_mode = data.codemirror_mode || data.language || 'null'
+            var cm_mode = langinfo.codemirror_mode || langinfo.language || 'null'
             that.set_codemirror_mode(cm_mode);
         });
 
@@ -329,21 +338,11 @@ define([
             md: this.metadata, 
             callback: function (md) {
                 that.metadata = md;
-            }, 
+            },
             name: 'Notebook',
             notebook: this,
             keyboard_manager: this.keyboard_manager});
     };
-    
-    Notebook.prototype.set_kernelspec_metadata = function(ks) {
-        var tostore = {};
-        $.map(ks, function(value, field) {
-            if (field !== 'argv' && field !== 'env') {
-                tostore[field] = value;
-            }
-        });
-        this.metadata.kernelspec = tostore;
-    }
 
     // Cell indexing, retrieval, etc.
 
@@ -1811,6 +1810,14 @@ define([
             this.events.trigger('spec_changed.Kernel', this.metadata.kernelspec);
         }
         
+        // Set the codemirror mode from language_info metadata
+        if (this.metadata.language_info !== undefined) {
+            var langinfo = this.metadata.language_info;
+            // Mode 'null' should be plain, unhighlighted text.
+            var cm_mode = langinfo.codemirror_mode || langinfo.language || 'null'
+            this.set_codemirror_mode(cm_mode);
+        }
+        
         // Only handle 1 worksheet for now.
         var worksheet = content.worksheets[0];
         if (worksheet !== undefined) {
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/kernel.js b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/kernel.js
index 9ad4fcb00..38ac473a8 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/kernel.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/kernel.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ define([
         this.username = "username";
         this.session_id = utils.uuid();
         this._msg_callbacks = {};
+        this.info_reply = {}; // kernel_info_reply stored here after starting
 
         if (typeof(WebSocket) !== 'undefined') {
             this.WebSocket = WebSocket;
@@ -398,7 +399,8 @@ define([
         this.events.trigger('kernel_starting.Kernel', {kernel: this});
         // get kernel info so we know what state the kernel is in
         var that = this;
-        this.kernel_info(function () {
+        this.kernel_info(function (reply) {
+            that.info_reply = reply.content;
             that.events.trigger('kernel_ready.Kernel', {kernel: that});
         });
     };
@@ -925,7 +927,8 @@ define([
         } else if (execution_state === 'starting') {
             this.events.trigger('kernel_starting.Kernel', {kernel: this});
             var that = this;
-            this.kernel_info(function () {
+            this.kernel_info(function (reply) {
+                that.info_reply = reply.content;
                 that.events.trigger('kernel_ready.Kernel', {kernel: that});
             });