diff --git a/content/mappings.js b/content/mappings.js
index 559a1e5c..4423f3ba 100644
--- a/content/mappings.js
+++ b/content/mappings.js
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ vimperator.Mappings = function () //{{{
             return user[mode].some(function (map) { return map.hasName(cmd); });
         },
 
+        // TODO: rename to add, and change add to addUser(Map)
         addDefault: function (modes, keys, description, action, extra)
         {
             addMap (new vimperator.Map(modes, keys,
@@ -349,37 +350,21 @@ vimperator.Mappings = function () //{{{
     ////////////////////// DEFAULT MAPPINGS ////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
 
-    var allModes = [vimperator.modes.NONE,
-                    vimperator.modes.NORMAL,
-                    vimperator.modes.INSERT,
-                    vimperator.modes.VISUAL,
-                    vimperator.modes.HINTS,
-                    vimperator.modes.COMMAND_LINE,
-                    vimperator.modes.MESSAGE,
-                    vimperator.modes.CARET,
-                    vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA];
-
-    var noninsertModes = [vimperator.modes.NORMAL,
-                          vimperator.modes.VISUAL,
-                          vimperator.modes.HINTS,
-                          vimperator.modes.MESSAGE,
-                          vimperator.modes.CARET,
-                          vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA];
-
     //
     // NORMAL mode
     // {{{
 
     // vimperator management
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(allModes, ["<F1>"],
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(vimperator.modes.all, ["<F1>"],
         function () { vimperator.commands.help(); },
         { shortHelp: "Open help window" }
     ));
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(allModes, ["<Esc>", "<C-[>"],
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(vimperator.modes.all, ["<Esc>", "<C-[>"],
         function () { vimperator.events.onEscape() },
         { shortHelp: "Focus content" }
     ));
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(noninsertModes, [":"],
+    // add the ":" mapping in all but insert mode mappings
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map([vimperator.modes.NORMAL, vimperator.modes.VISUAL, vimperator.modes.HINTS, vimperator.modes.MESSAGE, vimperator.modes.CARET, vimperator.modes.TEXTAREA], [":"],
         function () { vimperator.commandline.open(":", "", vimperator.modes.EX); },
         { shortHelp: "Start command line mode" }
     ));
@@ -402,11 +387,11 @@ vimperator.Mappings = function () //{{{
         },
         { shortHelp: "Start caret mode" }
     ));
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(allModes, ["<C-q>"],
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(vimperator.modes.all, ["<C-q>"],
         function () { vimperator.modes.passAllKeys = true; },
         { shortHelp: "Temporarily quit Vimperator mode" }
     ));
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(allModes, ["<C-v>"],
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(vimperator.modes.all, ["<C-v>"],
         function () { vimperator.modes.passNextKey = true; },
         { shortHelp: "Pass through next key" }
     ));
@@ -414,7 +399,7 @@ vimperator.Mappings = function () //{{{
         function() { BrowserStop(); },
         { shortHelp: "Stop loading" }
     ));
-    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(allModes, ["<Nop>"],
+    addDefaultMap(new vimperator.Map(vimperator.modes.all, ["<Nop>"],
         function () { return; },
         { shortHelp: "Do nothing" }
     ));
diff --git a/content/modes.js b/content/modes.js
index 81afc984..80a02c01 100644
--- a/content/modes.js
+++ b/content/modes.js
@@ -179,8 +179,7 @@ vimperator.modes = (function () //{{{
 
         __iterator__: function ()
         {
-            var modes = [this.NONE, this.NORMAL, this.INSERT, this.VISUAL, this.HINTS, 
-                         this.COMMAND_LINE, this.CARET, this.TEXTAREA, this.MESSAGE, this.CUSTOM];
+            var modes = this.all;
 
             for (var i = 0; i < modes.length; i++)
                 yield modes[i];
@@ -188,12 +187,11 @@ vimperator.modes = (function () //{{{
             throw StopIteration;
         },
 
-        // keeps recording state
-        reset: function (silent)
-        {
-            this.set(vimperator.modes.NORMAL, vimperator.modes.NONE, silent);
-        },
+        get all() { return [this.NONE, this.NORMAL, this.INSERT, this.VISUAL,
+                            this.HINTS, this.COMMAND_LINE, this.CARET,
+                            this.TEXTAREA, this.MESSAGE, this.CUSTOM]; },
 
+        // show the current mode string in the command line
         show: function ()
         {
             if (!vimperator.options["showmode"])
@@ -207,12 +205,11 @@ vimperator.modes = (function () //{{{
                                         vimperator.commandline.DISALLOW_MULTILINE);
         },
 
-        setCustomMode: function (modestr, oneventfunc, stopfunc)
+        // add/remove always work on the extended mode only
+        add: function (mode)
         {
-            // TODO this.plugin[id]... ('id' maybe submode or what..)
-            vimperator.plugins.mode = modestr;
-            vimperator.plugins.onEvent = oneventfunc;
-            vimperator.plugins.stop = stopfunc;
+            extended |= mode;
+            this.show();
         },
 
         // helper function to set both modes in one go
@@ -237,12 +234,20 @@ vimperator.modes = (function () //{{{
                 this.show();
         },
 
-        // add/remove always work on the extended mode only
-        add: function (mode)
+        setCustomMode: function (modestr, oneventfunc, stopfunc)
         {
-            extended |= mode;
-            this.show();
+            // TODO this.plugin[id]... ('id' maybe submode or what..)
+            vimperator.plugins.mode = modestr;
+            vimperator.plugins.onEvent = oneventfunc;
+            vimperator.plugins.stop = stopfunc;
         },
+
+        // keeps recording state
+        reset: function (silent)
+        {
+            this.set(vimperator.modes.NORMAL, vimperator.modes.NONE, silent);
+        },
+
         remove: function (mode)
         {
             extended = (extended | mode) ^ mode;