diff --git a/bootstrap_centos7.sh b/bootstrap_centos7.sh
index 9a55501..f4a1ede 100755
--- a/bootstrap_centos7.sh
+++ b/bootstrap_centos7.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ PGS="bash-completion vim mc python2-jedi python3.6-jedi htop python-flake8
      python36-pylint git-review the_silver_searcher python2-apsw
      python34-apsw ccze python-pip python2-pip python3-pip
      rxvt-unicode-256color tmux jq python-ipython-console ptpython2
-     gcc gcc-c++ kernel-devel make python36-devel python-devel 
+     gcc gcc-c++ kernel-devel make python36-devel python-devel
      python27-python-devel python3-devel"
 
 # 2. install tools
@@ -25,8 +25,25 @@ sudo yum -y clean all
 echo 'export VISUAL="vim"' | sudo tee /etc/profile.d/vim.sh
 echo 'export EDITOR="vim"' | sudo tee -a /etc/profile.d/vim.sh
 
+# 5. install non-medieval version of vim
+wget ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/home:/fusion809/CentOS_7/x86_64/vim-common-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm
+wget ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/home:/fusion809/CentOS_7/x86_64/vim-enhanced-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm
+wget ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/home:/fusion809/CentOS_7/x86_64/vim-icons-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm
+wget ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/home:/fusion809/CentOS_7/x86_64/vim-minimal-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm
 
-# 5. install tools from pypi
+# this has to be run all at once, otherwise we will not have sudo for a
+# moment.
+sudo bash -c "yum -y remove vim-minimal vim-common vim-enhanced;
+    rpm -i vim-common-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm \
+    vim-enhanced-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm \
+    vim-icons-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm \
+    vim-minimal-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm;
+    yum -y install sudo"
+
+rm vim-common-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm vim-enhanced-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm \
+    vim-icons-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm vim-minimal-8.1.0875-1.1.x86_64.rpm
+
+# 6. install tools from pypi
 sudo pip install -U pip setuptools
 installed_pkgs=$(pip list)
 pkgs_to_install=
@@ -40,13 +57,13 @@ if [ -n "${pkgs_to_install}" ]; then
     sudo pip install ${pkgs_to_install}
 fi
 
-# 6. copy configuration for bash, git, tmux
+# 7. copy configuration for bash, git, tmux
 sudo cp .bash_prompt ~/
 sudo cp .tmux.conf ~/
 sudo cp .gitconfig ~/
 echo '. ~/.bash_prompt' >> ~/.bashrc
 
-# 7. get my vim config
+# 8. get my vim config
 if [ ! -d ~/.vim ]; then
     git clone https://github.com/gryf/.vim ~/.vim
     # populate plugins