diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
index 2d9ad96..8875e0b 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/base.vim
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ function! vimwiki#base#resolve_link(link_text, ...) "{{{
   let link_text = a:link_text
 
   " if link is schemeless add wikiN: scheme
-  if link_text !~# g:vimwiki_rxSchemeUrl
+  if link_text !~# vimwiki#vars#get_global('rxSchemeUrl')
     let link_text = 'wiki'.source_wiki.':'.link_text
   endif
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ function! vimwiki#base#resolve_link(link_text, ...) "{{{
 
 
   " extract scheme
-  let link_infos.scheme = matchstr(link_text, g:vimwiki_rxSchemeUrlMatchScheme)
+  let link_infos.scheme = matchstr(link_text, vimwiki#vars#get_global('rxSchemeUrlMatchScheme'))
   if link_infos.scheme == '' || link_text == ''
     let link_infos.filename = ''   " malformed link
     return link_infos
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ function! vimwiki#base#resolve_link(link_text, ...) "{{{
     let link_infos.filename = link_text  " unknown scheme, may be a weblink
     return link_infos
   endif
-  let link_text = matchstr(link_text, g:vimwiki_rxSchemeUrlMatchUrl)
+  let link_text = matchstr(link_text, vimwiki#vars#get_global('rxSchemeUrlMatchUrl'))
 
   let is_wiki_link = link_infos.scheme =~# '\mwiki\d\+' ||
         \ link_infos.scheme ==# 'diary'
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
index d2d81b9..10081b5 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/html.vim
@@ -1417,8 +1417,8 @@ function! s:convert_file(path_html, wikifile) "{{{
     " prepare constants for s:safe_html_line()
     let s:lt_pattern = '<'
     let s:gt_pattern = '>'
-    if g:vimwiki_valid_html_tags != ''
-      let tags = join(split(g:vimwiki_valid_html_tags, '\s*,\s*'), '\|')
+    if vimwiki#vars#get_global('valid_html_tags') != ''
+      let tags = join(split(vimwiki#vars#get_global('valid_html_tags'), '\s*,\s*'), '\|')
       let s:lt_pattern = '\c<\%(/\?\%('.tags.'\)\%(\s\{-1}\S\{-}\)\{-}/\?>\)\@!' 
       let s:gt_pattern = '\c\%(</\?\%('.tags.'\)\%(\s\{-1}\S\{-}\)\{-}/\?\)\@<!>'
     endif
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
index f57c6fb..ffa48c3 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/path.vim
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ function! vimwiki#path#mkdir(path, ...) "{{{
     endif
 
     let path = vimwiki#path#chomp_slash(path)
-    if vimwiki#u#is_windows() && !empty(g:vimwiki_w32_dir_enc)
-      let path = iconv(path, &enc, g:vimwiki_w32_dir_enc)
+    if vimwiki#u#is_windows() && !empty(vimwiki#vars#get_global('w32_dir_enc'))
+      let path = iconv(path, &enc, vimwiki#vars#get_global('w32_dir_enc'))
     endif
 
     if a:0 && a:1 && input("Vimwiki: Make new directory: "
diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
index f7ccdb8..fd04ca2 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
@@ -47,6 +47,39 @@ function! s:populate_global_variables()
       let g:vimwiki_global_vars[key] = g:vimwiki_{key}
     endif
   endfor
+
+  " non-configurable global variables
+
+  " Scheme regexes should be defined even if syntax file is not loaded yet cause users should be
+  " able to <leader>w<leader>w without opening any vimwiki file first
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['schemes'] = 'wiki\d\+,diary,local'
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['web_schemes1'] = 'http,https,file,ftp,gopher,telnet,nntp,ldap,rsync'.
+        \ ',imap,pop,irc,ircs,cvs,svn,svn+ssh,git,ssh,fish,sftp'
+  let web_schemes2 = 'mailto,news,xmpp,sip,sips,doi,urn,tel'
+
+  let rx_schemes = '\%('.
+        \ join(split(g:vimwiki_global_vars['schemes'], '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'.
+        \ join(split(g:vimwiki_global_vars['web_schemes1'], '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'.
+        \ join(split(web_schemes2, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
+        \ '\)'
+
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['rxSchemeUrl'] = rx_schemes.':.*'
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['rxSchemeUrlMatchScheme'] = '\zs'.rx_schemes.'\ze:.*'
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['rxSchemeUrlMatchUrl'] = rx_schemes.':\zs.*\ze'
+
+  " match URL for common protocols; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URI_scheme
+  " http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3986
+  let rxWebProtocols =
+        \ '\%('.
+          \ '\%('.
+            \ '\%('.join(split(g:vimwiki_global_vars['web_schemes1'], '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\):'.
+            \ '\%(//\)'.
+          \ '\)'.
+        \ '\|'.
+          \ '\%('.join(split(web_schemes2, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\):'.
+        \ '\)'
+
+  let g:vimwiki_global_vars['rxWeblinkUrl'] = rxWebProtocols . '\S\{-1,}'. '\%(([^ \t()]*)\)\='
 endfunction
 
 
diff --git a/plugin/vimwiki.vim b/plugin/vimwiki.vim
index 4312f20..e12b5fd 100644
--- a/plugin/vimwiki.vim
+++ b/plugin/vimwiki.vim
@@ -363,26 +363,6 @@ call s:default('list', [s:vimwiki_defaults])
 
 call s:default('current_idx', 0)
 
-" Scheme regexes should be defined even if syntax file is not loaded yet
-" cause users should be able to <leader>w<leader>w without opening any
-" vimwiki file first
-" Scheme regexes {{{
-call s:default('schemes', 'wiki\d\+,diary,local')
-call s:default('web_schemes1', 'http,https,file,ftp,gopher,telnet,nntp,ldap,'.
-        \ 'rsync,imap,pop,irc,ircs,cvs,svn,svn+ssh,git,ssh,fish,sftp')
-call s:default('web_schemes2', 'mailto,news,xmpp,sip,sips,doi,urn,tel')
-
-let s:rxSchemes = '\%('.
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_schemes, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'. 
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes1, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'. 
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes2, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
-      \ '\)'
-
-call s:default('rxSchemeUrl', s:rxSchemes.':.*')
-call s:default('rxSchemeUrlMatchScheme', '\zs'.s:rxSchemes.'\ze:.*')
-call s:default('rxSchemeUrlMatchUrl', s:rxSchemes.':\zs.*\ze')
-" scheme regexes }}}
-
 for s:idx in range(len(g:vimwiki_list))
   call Validate_wiki_options(s:idx)
 endfor
diff --git a/syntax/vimwiki.vim b/syntax/vimwiki.vim
index f0c8a9c..8184e9e 100644
--- a/syntax/vimwiki.vim
+++ b/syntax/vimwiki.vim
@@ -22,27 +22,6 @@ endif
   " ...
   "endif
 
-" LINKS: assume this is common to all syntaxes "{{{
-
-" LINKS: WebLinks {{{
-" match URL for common protocols;
-" see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URI_scheme  http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3986
-let g:vimwiki_rxWebProtocols = ''.
-      \ '\%('.
-        \ '\%('.
-          \ '\%('.join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes1, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\):'.
-          \ '\%(//\)'.
-        \ '\)'.
-      \ '\|'.
-        \ '\%('.join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes2, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\):'.
-      \ '\)'
-"
-let g:vimwiki_rxWeblinkUrl = g:vimwiki_rxWebProtocols .
-    \ '\S\{-1,}'. '\%(([^ \t()]*)\)\='
-" }}}
-
-" }}}
-
 call vimwiki#u#reload_regexes()
 
 " LINKS: setup of larger regexes {{{
@@ -155,7 +134,7 @@ let g:vimwiki_rxWikiInclSuffix1 = g:vimwiki_rxWikiInclArgs.
 " the whitespace.
 " Stuart, could you check it with markdown templated links? [](http://...), as
 " the last bracket is the part of URL now?
-let g:vimwiki_rxWeblink = '\<'. g:vimwiki_rxWeblinkUrl . '\S*'
+let g:vimwiki_rxWeblink = '\<'. vimwiki#vars#get_global('rxWeblinkUrl') . '\S*'
 " 0a) match URL within URL
 let g:vimwiki_rxWeblinkMatchUrl = g:vimwiki_rxWeblink
 " 0b) match DESCRIPTION within URL
@@ -256,8 +235,8 @@ call s:add_target_syntax_ON(g:vimwiki_rxWeblink, 'VimwikiLink')
 " WikiLink
 " All remaining schemes are highlighted automatically
 let s:rxSchemes = '\%('.
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_schemes, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'. 
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes1, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
+      \ join(split(vimwiki#vars#get_global('schemes'), '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'.
+      \ join(split(vimwiki#vars#get_global('web_schemes1'), '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
       \ '\):'
 
 " a) match [[nonwiki-scheme-URL]]
diff --git a/syntax/vimwiki_markdown_custom.vim b/syntax/vimwiki_markdown_custom.vim
index db39421..2c77515 100644
--- a/syntax/vimwiki_markdown_custom.vim
+++ b/syntax/vimwiki_markdown_custom.vim
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@ call s:add_target_syntax_ON(g:vimwiki_rxWeblink1, 'VimwikiWeblink1')
 " WikiLink
 " All remaining schemes are highlighted automatically
 let s:rxSchemes = '\%('.
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_schemes, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'. 
-      \ join(split(g:vimwiki_web_schemes1, '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
+      \ join(split(vimwiki#vars#get_global('schemes'), '\s*,\s*'), '\|').'\|'.
+      \ join(split(vimwiki#vars#get_global('web_schemes1'), '\s*,\s*'), '\|').
       \ '\):'
 
 " a) match [nonwiki-scheme-URL]