diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 041b182..e0fb489 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Revision 3.0.0 (2008-09-?):
 
+    - Updated support for str.format;
     - Added new builtins introduced in Python 2.6: "ascii", "exec",
       "memoryview", "print";
     - Removed builtins: "apply", "basestring", "buffer", "callable", "coerce",
@@ -8,7 +9,9 @@ Revision 3.0.0 (2008-09-?):
 
 Revision 2.6.2 (2008-09-?):
 
+    - Added "VMSError" exception;
     - Added support for b"..." syntax;
+    - Added support for str.format brace escaping;
 
 Revision 2.6.1 (2008-09-21):
 
diff --git a/python.vim b/python.vim
index 776a569..614e688 100644
--- a/python.vim
+++ b/python.vim
@@ -193,12 +193,15 @@ endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_string_format") && python_highlight_string_format != 0
   " str.format syntax
+  syn match pythonStrFormat "{{\|}}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
   syn match pythonStrFormat	"{\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)\(\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\[\(\d\+\|[^!:\}]\+\)\]\)*\(![rs]\)\=\(:\({\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)}\|\([^}]\=[<>=^]\)\=[ +-]\=#\=0\=\d*\(\.\d\+\)\=[bcdeEfFgGnoxX%]\=\)\=\)\=}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
 endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_string_templates") && python_highlight_string_templates != 0
   " String templates
-  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$\(\$\|{[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*}\|[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\)" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$\$" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\${[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
 endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_doctests") && python_highlight_doctests != 0
@@ -264,7 +267,7 @@ if exists("python_highlight_exceptions") && python_highlight_exceptions != 0
   syn keyword pythonExClass	SystemError SystemExit TypeError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	UnboundLocalError UnicodeError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeEncodeError UnicodeDecodeError
-  syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeTranslateError ValueError
+  syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeTranslateError ValueError VMSError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	WindowsError ZeroDivisionError
 
   syn keyword pythonExClass	Warning UserWarning BytesWarning DeprecationWarning
diff --git a/python3.0.vim b/python3.0.vim
index 973cbea..9fbfa54 100644
--- a/python3.0.vim
+++ b/python3.0.vim
@@ -186,12 +186,15 @@ endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_string_format") && python_highlight_string_format != 0
   " str.format syntax
-  syn match pythonStrFormat	"{\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)\(\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\[\(\d\+\|[^!:\}]\+\)\]\)*\(![rs]\)\=\(:\({\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)}\|\([^}]\=[<>=^]\)\=[ +-]\=#\=0\=\d*\(\.\d\+\)\=[bcdeEfFgGnoxX%]\=\)\=\)\=}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrFormat "{{\|}}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrFormat	"{\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)\(\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\[\(\d\+\|[^!:\}]\+\)\]\)*\(![rsa]\)\=\(:\({\([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\|\d\+\)}\|\([^}]\=[<>=^]\)\=[ +-]\=#\=0\=\d*\(\.\d\+\)\=[bcdeEfFgGnoxX%]\=\)\=\)\=}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
 endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_string_templates") && python_highlight_string_templates != 0
   " String templates
-  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$\(\$\|{[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*}\|[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\)" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$\$" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\${[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*}" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
+  syn match pythonStrTemplate	"\$[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*" contained containedin=pythonString,pythonUniString,pythonRawString,pythonUniRawString
 endif
 
 if exists("python_highlight_doctests") && python_highlight_doctests != 0
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ if exists("python_highlight_exceptions") && python_highlight_exceptions != 0
   syn keyword pythonExClass	SystemError SystemExit TypeError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	UnboundLocalError UnicodeError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeEncodeError UnicodeDecodeError
-  syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeTranslateError ValueError
+  syn keyword pythonExClass	UnicodeTranslateError ValueError VMSError
   syn keyword pythonExClass	WindowsError ZeroDivisionError
 
   syn keyword pythonExClass	Warning UserWarning BytesWarning DeprecationWarning
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index bc2baa6..140a20d 100644
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ b"test"
 
 " %f "
 
-"{0.name!r:b} {0[n]} {name!s:  }"
+"{0.name!r:b} {0[n]} {name!s:  } {{test}} {{}}"
 
-"${test} ${test ${test}aname"
+"${test} ${test ${test}aname $$$ $test+nope"
 
 # Doctests.