diff --git a/autoload/airline.vim b/autoload/airline.vim
index f191476..501e537 100644
--- a/autoload/airline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline.vim
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ function! airline#switch_theme(name)
   let w:airline_lastmode = ''
   call airline#update_statusline()
   call airline#load_theme()
+
+  " this is required to prevent clobbering the startup info message, i don't know why...
+  call airline#check_mode(winnr())
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#switch_matching_theme()
diff --git a/autoload/airline/init.vim b/autoload/airline/init.vim
index 0871a23..37ac856 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/init.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/init.vim
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
         \ 'space': ' ',
         \ }, 'keep')
 
-  call airline#parts#define_function('mode', 'airline#parts#mode')
+  call airline#parts#define('mode', {
+        \ 'function': 'airline#parts#mode',
+        \ 'accent': 'bold',
+        \ })
   call airline#parts#define_function('iminsert', 'airline#parts#iminsert')
   call airline#parts#define_function('paste', 'airline#parts#paste')
   call airline#parts#define_function('filetype', 'airline#parts#filetype')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/section.vim b/autoload/airline/section.vim
index 6d7d476..aba88a0 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/section.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/section.vim
@@ -4,15 +4,18 @@
 call airline#init#bootstrap()
 let s:spc = g:airline_symbols.space
 
+function! s:wrap_accent(part, value)
+  if exists('a:part.accent')
+    return '%#__accent_'.(a:part.accent).'#'.a:value.'%#__restore__#'
+  endif
+  return a:value
+endfunction
+
 function! s:create(parts, append)
   let _ = ''
   for idx in range(len(a:parts))
     let part = airline#parts#get(a:parts[idx])
-
     let val = ''
-    if exists('part.accent')
-      let val .= '%#__accent_'.(part.accent).'#'
-    endif
 
     if exists('part.function')
       let func = (part.function).'()'
@@ -26,10 +29,10 @@ function! s:create(parts, append)
         let val = s:spc.g:airline_right_alt_sep.s:spc.val
       endif
       if exists('part.raw')
-        let _ .= val.(part.raw)
+        let _ .= s:wrap_accent(part, val.(part.raw))
         continue
       else
-        let _ .= val.a:parts[idx]
+        let _ .= s:wrap_accent(part, val.a:parts[idx])
         continue
       endif
     endif
@@ -49,10 +52,7 @@ function! s:create(parts, append)
       let partval = substitute(partval, '}', ' : ""}', '')
     endif
 
-    let val .= partval
-    if exists('part.accent')
-      let val .= '%#__restore__#'
-    endif
+    let val .= s:wrap_accent(part, partval)
     let _ .= val
   endfor
   return _
diff --git a/autoload/airline/themes.vim b/autoload/airline/themes.vim
index c457dde..bfa7673 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/themes.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/themes.vim
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ function! airline#themes#generate_color_map(sect1, sect2, sect3, ...)
           \ })
   else
     call extend(palette, {
-          \ 'airline_x': [ a:sect3[0] , a:sect3[1] , a:sect3[2] , a:sect3[3] , get(a:sect3 , 4 , '' ) ] ,
-          \ 'airline_y': [ a:sect2[0] , a:sect2[1] , a:sect2[2] , a:sect2[3] , get(a:sect2 , 4 , '' ) ] ,
-          \ 'airline_z': [ a:sect1[0] , a:sect1[1] , a:sect1[2] , a:sect1[3] , get(a:sect1 , 4 , '' ) ] ,
+          \ 'airline_x': [ a:sect3[0] , a:sect3[1] , a:sect3[2] , a:sect3[3] , '' ] ,
+          \ 'airline_y': [ a:sect2[0] , a:sect2[1] , a:sect2[2] , a:sect2[3] , '' ] ,
+          \ 'airline_z': [ a:sect1[0] , a:sect1[1] , a:sect1[2] , a:sect1[3] , '' ] ,
           \ })
   endif
 
diff --git a/t/airline.vim b/t/airline.vim
index c613ad3..78ab6d7 100644
--- a/t/airline.vim
+++ b/t/airline.vim
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ describe 'airline'
   it 'should allow users to redefine sections'
     let g:airline_section_a = airline#section#create(['mode', 'mode'])
     call airline#update_statusline()
-    Expect airline#statusline(1) =~ '%{airline#util#wrap(airline#parts#mode(),0)}%{airline#util#wrap(airline#parts#mode(),0)}'
+    Expect airline#statusline(1) =~ '%{airline#util#wrap(airline#parts#mode(),0)}%#airline_a#%#airline_a_bold#%{airline#util#wrap(airline#parts#mode(),0)}%#airline_a#'
   end
 
   it 'should remove funcrefs properly'
diff --git a/t/section.vim b/t/section.vim
index 400ca0d..d36fe5c 100644
--- a/t/section.vim
+++ b/t/section.vim
@@ -26,13 +26,20 @@ describe 'section'
     Expect s == '%{airline#util#prepend("text",0)}%{airline#util#wrap("text",0)}'
   end
 
-  it 'should prefix with accent group if provided'
+  it 'should prefix with accent group if provided and restore afterwards'
     call airline#parts#define('hi', {
           \ 'raw': 'hello',
           \ 'accent': 'red',
           \ })
     let s = airline#section#create(['hi'])
-    Expect s == '%#__accent_red#hello'
+    Expect s == '%#__accent_red#hello%#__restore__#'
+  end
+
+  it 'should accent functions'
+    call airline#parts#define_function('hi', 'Hello')
+    call airline#parts#define_accent('hi', 'bold')
+    let s = airline#section#create(['hi'])
+    Expect s == '%#__accent_bold#%{airline#util#wrap(Hello(),0)}%#__restore__#'
   end
 
   it 'should parse out a section from the distro'