diff --git a/modules/prelude-emacs-lisp.el b/modules/prelude-emacs-lisp.el
index 63b1463..1a55d8a 100644
--- a/modules/prelude-emacs-lisp.el
+++ b/modules/prelude-emacs-lisp.el
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@
 (defun prelude-emacs-lisp-mode-hook ()
   (prelude-lisp-coding-hook)
   (turn-on-eldoc-mode)
-  (prelude-remove-elc-on-save))
+  (prelude-remove-elc-on-save)
+  (rainbow-mode +1))
 
 (add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'prelude-emacs-lisp-mode-hook)
 
diff --git a/modules/prelude-packages.el b/modules/prelude-packages.el
index f3c7210..2d4c6b8 100644
--- a/modules/prelude-packages.el
+++ b/modules/prelude-packages.el
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@
 (defvar prelude-packages
   '(auctex clojure-mode coffee-mode deft gist groovy-mode haml-mode
            haskell-mode inf-ruby markdown-mode paredit projectile
-           python sass-mode scss-mode solarized-theme yaml-mode yari zenburn-theme)
+           python sass-mode rainbow-mode scss-mode solarized-theme
+           yaml-mode yari zenburn-theme)
   "A list of packages to ensure are installed at launch.")
 
 (dolist (p prelude-packages)
diff --git a/modules/prelude-ruby.el b/modules/prelude-ruby.el
index 3f52b12..9abac61 100644
--- a/modules/prelude-ruby.el
+++ b/modules/prelude-ruby.el
@@ -71,9 +71,14 @@
 (require 'haml-mode)
 (require 'scss-mode)
 
-(defun prelude-scss-mode-hook ()
-  ;; indent like in Ruby
+(defun prelude-css-mode-hook ()
   (setq css-indent-offset 2)
+  (rainbow-mode +1))
+
+(add-hook 'css-mode-hook 'prelude-css-mode-hook)
+
+(defun prelude-scss-mode-hook ()
+  (prelude-css-mode-hook)
   ;; turn off annoying auto-compile on save
   (setq scss-compile-at-save nil))