diff --git a/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/IPython/html/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index 492793b..8181138 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 9ad4fcb..38ac473 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});
             });
 
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py b/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py
index 63ea62a..58d3250 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py
@@ -36,18 +36,9 @@ def _pythonfirst(s):
 class KernelSpec(HasTraits):
     argv = List()
     display_name = Unicode()
-    language = Unicode()
-    codemirror_mode = Any() # can be unicode or dict
-    pygments_lexer = Unicode()
     env = Dict()
     resource_dir = Unicode()
     
-    def _codemirror_mode_default(self):
-        return self.language
-
-    def _pygments_lexer_default(self):
-        return self.language
-    
     @classmethod
     def from_resource_dir(cls, resource_dir):
         """Create a KernelSpec object by reading kernel.json
@@ -63,12 +54,7 @@ class KernelSpec(HasTraits):
         d = dict(argv=self.argv,
                  env=self.env,
                  display_name=self.display_name,
-                 language=self.language,
                 )
-        if self.codemirror_mode != self.language:
-            d['codemirror_mode'] = self.codemirror_mode
-        if self.pygments_lexer != self.language:
-            d['pygments_lexer'] = self.pygments_lexer
 
         return d
 
@@ -118,12 +104,8 @@ class KernelSpecManager(HasTraits):
         process. This will put its informatino in the user kernels directory.
         """
         return {'argv': make_ipkernel_cmd(),
-               'display_name': 'IPython (Python %d)' % (3 if PY3 else 2),
-               'language': 'python',
-               'codemirror_mode': {'name': 'ipython',
-                                   'version': sys.version_info[0]},
-               'pygments_lexer': 'ipython%d' % (3 if PY3 else 2),
-              }
+                'display_name': 'IPython (Python %d)' % (3 if PY3 else 2),
+               }
 
     @property
     def _native_kernel_resource_dir(self):
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py b/IPython/kernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
index 5275943..d909784 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/tests/test_kernelspec.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ from IPython.kernel import kernelspec
 
 sample_kernel_json = {'argv':['cat', '{connection_file}'],
                       'display_name':'Test kernel',
-                      'language':'bash',
                      }
 
 class KernelSpecTests(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -39,8 +38,6 @@ class KernelSpecTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(ks.resource_dir, self.sample_kernel_dir)
         self.assertEqual(ks.argv, sample_kernel_json['argv'])
         self.assertEqual(ks.display_name, sample_kernel_json['display_name'])
-        self.assertEqual(ks.language, sample_kernel_json['language'])
-        self.assertEqual(ks.codemirror_mode, sample_kernel_json['language'])
         self.assertEqual(ks.env, {})
     
     def test_install_kernel_spec(self):
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/tests/test_message_spec.py b/IPython/kernel/tests/test_message_spec.py
index 3716a9f..3a72275 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/tests/test_message_spec.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/tests/test_message_spec.py
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ class KernelInfoReply(Reference):
     implementation_version = Version(min='2.1')
     language_version = Version(min='2.7')
     language = Unicode('python')
+    language_info = Dict()
     banner = Unicode()
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/kernel/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 8c6e8c8..d64b521 100644
--- a/IPython/kernel/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ class IPythonKernel(KernelBase):
     implementation_version = release.version
     language = 'python'
     language_version = sys.version.split()[0]
+    language_info = {'mimetype': 'text/x-python',
+                     'codemirror_mode': {'name': 'ipython',
+                                         'version': sys.version_info[0]},
+                     'pygments_lexer': 'ipython%d' % (3 if PY3 else 2),
+                    }
     @property
     def banner(self):
         return self.shell.banner
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelbase.py b/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelbase.py
index 85f7beb..42b38c0 100755
--- a/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelbase.py
+++ b/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelbase.py
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ class Kernel(SingletonConfigurable):
     def _ident_default(self):
         return unicode_type(uuid.uuid4())
 
+    # This should be overridden by wrapper kernels that implement any real
+    # language.
+    language_info = {}
+
     # Private interface
     
     _darwin_app_nap = Bool(True, config=True,
@@ -453,6 +457,7 @@ class Kernel(SingletonConfigurable):
             'implementation_version': self.implementation_version,
             'language': self.language,
             'language_version': self.language_version,
+            'language_info': self.language_info,
             'banner': self.banner,
         }
 
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
index 3bd4851..4af0967 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class HTMLExporter(TemplateExporter):
         return c
 
     def from_notebook_node(self, nb, resources=None, **kw):
-        kernelspec = nb.metadata.get('kernelspec', {})
-        lexer = kernelspec.get('pygments_lexer', kernelspec.get('language', None))
+        langinfo = nb.metadata.get('language_info', {})
+        lexer = langinfo.get('pygments_lexer', langinfo.get('name', None))
         self.register_filter('highlight_code',
                              Highlight2HTML(pygments_lexer=lexer, parent=self))
         return super(HTMLExporter, self).from_notebook_node(nb, resources, **kw)
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
index 94aad0e..8b387ac 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ class LatexExporter(TemplateExporter):
         return c
 
     def from_notebook_node(self, nb, resources=None, **kw):
-        kernelspec = nb.metadata.get('kernelspec', {})
-        lexer = kernelspec.get('pygments_lexer', kernelspec.get('language', None))
+        langinfo = nb.metadata.get('language_info', {})
+        lexer = langinfo.get('pygments_lexer', langinfo.get('name', None))
         self.register_filter('highlight_code',
                              Highlight2Latex(pygments_lexer=lexer, parent=self))
         return super(LatexExporter, self).from_notebook_node(nb, resources, **kw)
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/filters/highlight.py b/IPython/nbconvert/filters/highlight.py
index 9b0b6e6..59c0df1 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/filters/highlight.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/filters/highlight.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class Highlight2HTML(NbConvertBase):
 
     def _default_language_changed(self, name, old, new):
         warn('Setting default_language in config is deprecated, '
-             'please use kernelspecs instead.')
+             'please use language_info metadata instead.')
         self.pygments_lexer = new
 
     def __call__(self, source, language=None, metadata=None):
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class Highlight2Latex(NbConvertBase):
 
     def _default_language_changed(self, name, old, new):
         warn('Setting default_language in config is deprecated, '
-             'please use kernelspecs instead.')
+             'please use language_info metadata instead.')
         self.pygments_lexer = new
 
     def __call__(self, source, language=None, metadata=None, strip_verbatim=False):
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/utils/base.py b/IPython/nbconvert/utils/base.py
index 68b3880..c336bd2 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/utils/base.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/utils/base.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class NbConvertBase(LoggingConfigurable):
             )
 
     default_language = Unicode('ipython', config=True,
-       help='DEPRECATED default highlight language, please use kernelspecs instead')
+       help='DEPRECATED default highlight language, please use language_info metadata instead')
 
     def __init__(self, **kw):
         super(NbConvertBase, self).__init__(**kw)
diff --git a/docs/source/development/kernels.rst b/docs/source/development/kernels.rst
index 5c8fd0f..6336dc1 100644
--- a/docs/source/development/kernels.rst
+++ b/docs/source/development/kernels.rst
@@ -112,34 +112,16 @@ JSON serialised dictionary containing the following keys and values:
 - **display_name**: The kernel's name as it should be displayed in the UI.
   Unlike the kernel name used in the API, this can contain arbitrary unicode
   characters.
-- **language**: The programming language which this kernel runs. This will be 
-  stored in notebook metadata. This may be used by syntax highlighters to guess
-  how to parse code in a notebook, and frontends may eventually use it to
-  identify alternative kernels that can run some code.
-- **codemirror_mode** (optional): The `codemirror mode <http://codemirror.net/mode/index.html>`_
-  to use for code in this language. This can be a string or a dictionary, as
-  passed to codemirror config. This only needs to be specified if it does not
-  match the value in *language*.
-- **pygments_lexer** (optional): The name of a `Pygments lexer <http://pygments.org/docs/lexers/>`_
-  to use for code in this language, as a string. This only needs to be specified
-  if it does not match the value in *language*.
 - **env** (optional): A dictionary of environment variables to set for the kernel.
   These will be added to the current environment variables before the kernel is
   started.
-- **help_links** (optional): A list of dictionaries, each with keys 'text' and
-  'url'. These will be displayed in the help menu in the notebook UI.
 
 For example, the kernel.json file for IPython looks like this::
 
     {
      "argv": ["python3", "-c", "from IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp import main; main()", 
-              "-f", "{connection_file}"], 
-     "codemirror_mode": {
-      "version": 3, 
-      "name": "ipython"
-     }, 
+              "-f", "{connection_file}"],
      "display_name": "IPython (Python 3)", 
-     "language": "python"
     }
 
 To see the available kernel specs, run::
diff --git a/docs/source/development/messaging.rst b/docs/source/development/messaging.rst
index f2a3be1..813fd8b 100644
--- a/docs/source/development/messaging.rst
+++ b/docs/source/development/messaging.rst
@@ -685,11 +685,33 @@ Message type: ``kernel_info_reply``::
         # included in IPython.
         'language_version': 'X.Y.Z',
 
+        # Information about the language of code for the kernel
+        'language_info': {
+            'mimetype': str,
+
+            # Pygments lexer, for highlighting
+            # Only needed if it differs from the top level 'language' field.
+            'pygments_lexer': str,
+
+            # Codemirror mode, for for highlighting in the notebook.
+            # Only needed if it differs from the top level 'language' field.
+            'codemirror_mode': str or dict,
+        },
+
         # A banner of information about the kernel,
         # which may be desplayed in console environments.
         'banner' : str,
+
+        # Optional: A list of dictionaries, each with keys 'text' and 'url'.
+        # These will be displayed in the help menu in the notebook UI.
+        'help_links': [
+            {'text': str, 'url': str}
+        ],
     }
 
+Refer to the lists of available `Pygments lexers <http://pygments.org/docs/lexers/>`_
+and `codemirror modes <http://codemirror.net/mode/index.html>`_ for those fields.
+
 .. versionchanged:: 5.0
 
     Versions changed from lists of integers to strings.
@@ -700,7 +722,8 @@ Message type: ``kernel_info_reply``::
 
 .. versionchanged:: 5.0
 
-    ``implementation``, ``implementation_version``, and ``banner`` keys are added.
+    ``language_info``, ``implementation``, ``implementation_version``, ``banner``
+    and ``help_links`` keys are added.
 
 .. _msging_shutdown:
 
diff --git a/docs/source/development/wrapperkernels.rst b/docs/source/development/wrapperkernels.rst
index 73fc405..271c5da 100644
--- a/docs/source/development/wrapperkernels.rst
+++ b/docs/source/development/wrapperkernels.rst
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@ following methods and attributes:
      interprets (e.g. Python). The 'banner' is displayed to the user in console
      UIs before the first prompt. All of these values are strings.
 
+   .. attribute:: language_info
+
+     Language information for :ref:`msging_kernel_info` replies, in a dictionary.
+     This should contain the key ``mimetype`` with the mimetype of code in the
+     target language (e.g. ``'text/x-python'``). It may also contain keys
+     ``codemirror_mode`` and ``pygments_lexer`` if they need to differ from
+     :attr:`language`.
+
+     Other keys may be added to this later.
+
    .. method:: do_execute(code, silent, store_history=True, user_expressions=None, allow_stdin=False)
    
      Execute user code.
@@ -71,6 +81,7 @@ Example
         implementation_version = '1.0'
         language = 'no-op'
         language_version = '0.1'
+        language_info = {'mimetype': 'text/plain'}
         banner = "Echo kernel - as useful as a parrot"
 
         def do_execute(self, code, silent, store_history=True, user_expressions=None,
@@ -94,7 +105,6 @@ Here's the Kernel spec ``kernel.json`` file for this::
 
     {"argv":["python","-m","echokernel", "-f", "{connection_file}"],
      "display_name":"Echo",
-     "language":"no-op"
     }