diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
index 7afb714..ad21249 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ class FrontendHighlighter(PygmentsHighlighter):
 
         PygmentsHighlighter.highlightBlock(self, qstring)
 
+    def rehighlightBlock(self, block):
+        """ Reimplemented to temporarily enable highlighting if disabled.
+        """
+        old = self.highlighting_on
+        self.highlighting_on = True
+        super(FrontendHighlighter, self).rehighlightBlock(block)
+        self.highlighting_on = old
+
     def setFormat(self, start, count, format):
         """ Reimplemented to highlight selectively.
         """
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
index 19ead6d..2478b90 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
@@ -155,12 +155,9 @@ class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):
                 self._prompt = self._insert_html_fetching_plain_text(
                     cursor, prompt)
 
-                # XXX: When the HTML is inserted, Qt blows away the syntax
-                #      highlighting for the line. I cannot for the life of me
-                #      determine how to preserve the existing formatting.
-                self._highlighter.highlighting_on = True
+                # When the HTML is inserted, Qt blows away the syntax
+                # highlighting for the line, so we need to rehighlight it.
                 self._highlighter.rehighlightBlock(cursor.block())
-                self._highlighter.highlighting_on = False
 
             self._previous_prompt_obj = None
 
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 9ed616f..bcdf342 100755
--- a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
             If true, an 'import *' is done from numpy and pylab.
         """
         # FIXME: This is adapted from IPython.lib.pylabtools.pylab_activate.
-        #        Common funtionality should be refactored.
+        #        Common functionality should be refactored.
 
         # We must set the desired backend before importing pylab.
         import matplotlib
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ class Kernel(Configurable):
     def start(self):
         """ Start the kernel main loop.
         """
-
         while True:
             ident = self.reply_socket.recv()
             assert self.reply_socket.rcvmore(), "Missing message part."