diff --git a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
index d4a396a..cd4661d 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
@@ -194,25 +194,8 @@ _zsh_highlight_main__stack_pop() {
 # Main syntax highlighting function.
 _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
 {
-  ## Before we even 'emulate -L', we must test a few options that would reset.
-  if [[ -o interactive_comments ]]; then
-    local interactive_comments= # set to empty
-  fi
-  if [[ -o ignore_braces ]] || eval '[[ -o ignore_close_braces ]] 2>/dev/null'; then
-    local right_brace_is_recognised_everywhere=false
-  else
-    local right_brace_is_recognised_everywhere=true
-  fi
-  if [[ -o path_dirs ]]; then
-    integer path_dirs_was_set=1
-  else
-    integer path_dirs_was_set=0
-  fi
-  if [[ -o multi_func_def ]]; then
-    integer multi_func_def=1
-  else
-    integer multi_func_def=0
-  fi
+  # Before we even 'emulate -L', save the user's options
+  local -A useroptions=("${(@kv)options}")
   emulate -L zsh
   setopt localoptions extendedglob bareglobqual
 
@@ -245,10 +228,15 @@ _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
   # ":" for 'then'
   local braces_stack
 
-  if (( path_dirs_was_set )); then
+  if [[ $useroptions[ignorebraces] == on || ${useroptions[ignoreclosebraces]:-off} == on ]]; then
+    local right_brace_is_recognised_everywhere=false
+  else
+    local right_brace_is_recognised_everywhere=true
+  fi
+
+  if [[ $useroptions[pathdirs] == on ]]; then
     options_to_set+=( PATH_DIRS )
   fi
-  unset path_dirs_was_set
 
   ZSH_HIGHLIGHT_TOKENS_COMMANDSEPARATOR=(
     '|' '||' ';' '&' '&&'
@@ -322,8 +310,13 @@ _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
   integer in_redirection
   # Processing buffer
   local proc_buf="$buf"
-  for arg in ${interactive_comments-${(z)buf}} \
-             ${interactive_comments+${(zZ+c+)buf}}; do
+  local -a args
+  if [[ $useroptions[interactivecomments] == on ]]; then
+    args=(${(zZ+c+)buf})
+  else
+    args=(${(z)buf})
+  fi
+  for arg in $args; do
     # Initialize $next_word.
     if (( in_redirection )); then
       (( --in_redirection ))
@@ -412,7 +405,7 @@ _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
     # Handle the INTERACTIVE_COMMENTS option.
     #
     # We use the (Z+c+) flag so the entire comment is presented as one token in $arg.
-    if [[ -n ${interactive_comments+'set'} && $arg[1] == $histchars[3] ]]; then
+    if [[ $useroptions[interactivecomments] == on && $arg[1] == $histchars[3] ]]; then
       if [[ $this_word == *(':regular:'|':start:')* ]]; then
         style=comment
       else
@@ -648,7 +641,7 @@ _zsh_highlight_highlighter_main_paint()
                    _zsh_highlight_main__stack_pop 'R' style=reserved-word
                  fi;;
         $'\x28\x29') # possibly a function definition
-                 if (( multi_func_def )) || false # TODO: or if the previous word was a command word
+                 if [[ $useroptions[multifuncdef] == on ]] || false # TODO: or if the previous word was a command word
                  then
                    next_word+=':start:'
                  fi