diff --git a/crates/ra_ide_api/src/snapshots/highlighting.html b/crates/ra_ide_api/src/snapshots/highlighting.html
index 2a32b32413..d79d35bf31 100644
--- a/crates/ra_ide_api/src/snapshots/highlighting.html
+++ b/crates/ra_ide_api/src/snapshots/highlighting.html
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ pre        { color: #DCDCCC; background: #3F3F3F; font-size: 22px; padding: 0.4e
 </style>
 <pre><code><span class="attribute">#</span><span class="attribute">[</span><span class="attribute">derive</span><span class="attribute">(</span><span class="attribute">Clone</span><span class="attribute">,</span><span class="attribute"> </span><span class="attribute">Debug</span><span class="attribute">)</span><span class="attribute">]</span>
 <span class="keyword">struct</span> <span class="type">Foo</span> {
-    <span class="keyword">pub</span> <span class="function">x</span>: <span class="text">i32</span>,
-    <span class="keyword">pub</span> <span class="function">y</span>: <span class="text">i32</span>,
+    <span class="keyword">pub</span> <span class="function">x</span>: <span class="type">i32</span>,
+    <span class="keyword">pub</span> <span class="function">y</span>: <span class="type">i32</span>,
 }
 
-<span class="keyword">fn</span> <span class="function">foo</span>&lt;<span class="type type">T</span>&gt;() -&gt; <span class="type">T</span> {
+<span class="keyword">fn</span> <span class="function">foo</span>&lt;<span class="type">T</span>&gt;() -&gt; <span class="type">T</span> {
     <span class="macro">unimplemented</span><span class="macro">!</span>();
-    <span class="function">foo</span>::&lt;<span class="type text">i32</span>&gt;();
+    <span class="function">foo</span>::&lt;<span class="type">i32</span>&gt;();
 }
 
 <span class="comment">// comment</span>
diff --git a/crates/ra_ide_api/src/syntax_highlighting.rs b/crates/ra_ide_api/src/syntax_highlighting.rs
index bf4e9c9d14..4b24754a80 100644
--- a/crates/ra_ide_api/src/syntax_highlighting.rs
+++ b/crates/ra_ide_api/src/syntax_highlighting.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ fn is_control_keyword(kind: SyntaxKind) -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+fn is_prim_type(node: &ast::NameRef) -> bool {
+    match node.text().as_str() {
+        "u8" | "i8" | "u16" | "i16" | "u32" | "i32" | "u64" | "i64" | "u128" | "i128" | "usize"
+        | "isize" | "f32" | "f64" | "bool" | "char" | "str" => true,
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn highlight(db: &RootDatabase, file_id: FileId) -> Vec<HighlightedRange> {
     let _p = profile("highlight");
     let source_file = db.parse(file_id).tree;
@@ -62,46 +70,52 @@ pub(crate) fn highlight(db: &RootDatabase, file_id: FileId) -> Vec<HighlightedRa
             ATTR => "attribute",
             NAME_REF => {
                 if let Some(name_ref) = node.as_node().and_then(ast::NameRef::cast) {
-                    use crate::name_ref_kind::{classify_name_ref, NameRefKind::*};
-                    use hir::{ModuleDef, ImplItem};
+                    // FIXME: revisit this after #1340
+                    if is_prim_type(name_ref) {
+                        "type"
+                    } else {
+                        use crate::name_ref_kind::{classify_name_ref, NameRefKind::*};
+                        use hir::{ModuleDef, ImplItem};
 
-                    // FIXME: try to reuse the SourceAnalyzers
-                    let analyzer = hir::SourceAnalyzer::new(db, file_id, name_ref.syntax(), None);
-                    match classify_name_ref(db, &analyzer, name_ref) {
-                        Some(Method(_)) => "function",
-                        Some(Macro(_)) => "macro",
-                        Some(FieldAccess(_)) => "field",
-                        Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::Method(_))) => "function",
-                        Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::Const(_))) => "constant",
-                        Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::TypeAlias(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Module(_))) => "module",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Function(_))) => "function",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Struct(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Union(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Enum(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::EnumVariant(_))) => "constant",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Const(_))) => "constant",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Static(_))) => "constant",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::Trait(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(Def(ModuleDef::TypeAlias(_))) => "type",
-                        Some(SelfType(_)) => "type",
-                        Some(Pat(ptr)) => {
-                            binding_hash = Some({
-                                let text = ptr
-                                    .syntax_node_ptr()
-                                    .to_node(&source_file.syntax())
-                                    .text()
-                                    .to_smol_string();
-                                let shadow_count =
-                                    bindings_shadow_count.entry(text.clone()).or_default();
-                                calc_binding_hash(file_id, &text, *shadow_count)
-                            });
+                        // FIXME: try to reuse the SourceAnalyzers
+                        let analyzer =
+                            hir::SourceAnalyzer::new(db, file_id, name_ref.syntax(), None);
+                        match classify_name_ref(db, &analyzer, name_ref) {
+                            Some(Method(_)) => "function",
+                            Some(Macro(_)) => "macro",
+                            Some(FieldAccess(_)) => "field",
+                            Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::Method(_))) => "function",
+                            Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::Const(_))) => "constant",
+                            Some(AssocItem(ImplItem::TypeAlias(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Module(_))) => "module",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Function(_))) => "function",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Struct(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Union(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Enum(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::EnumVariant(_))) => "constant",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Const(_))) => "constant",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Static(_))) => "constant",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::Trait(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(Def(ModuleDef::TypeAlias(_))) => "type",
+                            Some(SelfType(_)) => "type",
+                            Some(Pat(ptr)) => {
+                                binding_hash = Some({
+                                    let text = ptr
+                                        .syntax_node_ptr()
+                                        .to_node(&source_file.syntax())
+                                        .text()
+                                        .to_smol_string();
+                                    let shadow_count =
+                                        bindings_shadow_count.entry(text.clone()).or_default();
+                                    calc_binding_hash(file_id, &text, *shadow_count)
+                                });
 
-                            "variable"
+                                "variable"
+                            }
+                            Some(SelfParam(_)) => "type",
+                            Some(GenericParam(_)) => "type",
+                            None => "text",
                         }
-                        Some(SelfParam(_)) => "type",
-                        Some(GenericParam(_)) => "type",
-                        None => "text",
                     }
                 } else {
                     "text"
@@ -138,7 +152,6 @@ pub(crate) fn highlight(db: &RootDatabase, file_id: FileId) -> Vec<HighlightedRa
                     "text"
                 }
             }
-            TYPE_ALIAS_DEF | TYPE_ARG | TYPE_PARAM => "type",
             INT_NUMBER | FLOAT_NUMBER | CHAR | BYTE => "literal",
             LIFETIME => "parameter",
             T![unsafe] => "keyword.unsafe",