diff --git a/contrib/lang/c-c++/packages.el b/contrib/lang/c-c++/packages.el
index 236b08bf2..7e9f3bf43 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/c-c++/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/c-c++/packages.el
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
     :mode (("CMakeLists\\.txt\\'" . cmake-mode) ("\\.cmake\\'" . cmake-mode))
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend cmake-mode company-cmake))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend cmake-mode company-cmake))))
 
 (defun c-c++/init-company ()
   ;; .clang_complete file loading
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend c-mode company-c-headers)
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend c++-mode company-c-headers))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend c-mode company-c-headers)
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend c++-mode company-c-headers))))
 
 (defun c-c++/init-flycheck ()
   (add-to-hooks 'flycheck-mode '(c-mode-hook c++-mode-hook)))
diff --git a/contrib/lang/csharp/packages.el b/contrib/lang/csharp/packages.el
index d0ef6a22e..7b63c66d9 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/csharp/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/csharp/packages.el
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@
               "mi" 'omnisharp-fix-usings
               "m=" 'omnisharp-code-format
 
-    (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend csharp-mode company-omnisharp)))
+    (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend csharp-mode company-omnisharp)))
diff --git a/contrib/lang/ess/packages.el b/contrib/lang/ess/packages.el
index f1fa02d1e..b67610377 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/ess/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/ess/packages.el
@@ -147,4 +147,4 @@ not play nicely with autoloads"
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend ess-mode company-ess-backend))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend ess-mode company-ess-backend))))
diff --git a/contrib/lang/go/packages.el b/contrib/lang/go/packages.el
index c41fb7e70..0fabe7388 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/go/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/go/packages.el
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
    :defer t
    :init
    (progn
-     (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend go-mode company-go))))
+     (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend go-mode company-go))))
diff --git a/contrib/lang/haskell/packages.el b/contrib/lang/haskell/packages.el
index f523ce2eb..111752c1d 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/haskell/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/haskell/packages.el
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend haskell-mode company-ghc))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend haskell-mode company-ghc))))
 
 (defun haskell/init-hi2 ()
   (use-package hi2
diff --git a/contrib/lang/javascript/packages.el b/contrib/lang/javascript/packages.el
index b1b0bb7d3..e331d8021 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/javascript/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/javascript/packages.el
@@ -169,4 +169,4 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend tern-mode company-tern))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend tern-mode company-tern))))
diff --git a/contrib/lang/python/packages.el b/contrib/lang/python/packages.el
index 25646f255..a9d3c68eb 100644
--- a/contrib/lang/python/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/lang/python/packages.el
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend python-mode company-anaconda))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend python-mode company-anaconda))))
 
 (defun python/init-cython-mode ()
   (use-package cython-mode
diff --git a/contrib/ycmd/packages.el b/contrib/ycmd/packages.el
index 9b2869119..2799992cd 100644
--- a/contrib/ycmd/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/ycmd/packages.el
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
     :defer t
     :init
     (progn
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend c-mode company-ycmd)
-      (spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend c++-mode company-ycmd))))
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend c-mode company-ycmd)
+      (spacemacs|add-local-company-backend c++-mode company-ycmd))))
 
 (defun ycmd/init-flycheck-ycmd ()
   (use-package flycheck-ycmd
diff --git a/spacemacs/funcs.el b/spacemacs/funcs.el
index 8867ef1ac..74f51c725 100644
--- a/spacemacs/funcs.el
+++ b/spacemacs/funcs.el
@@ -777,25 +777,26 @@ If ASCII si not provided then UNICODE is used instead."
   (let ((comint-buffer-maximum-size 0))
     (comint-truncate-buffer)))
 
-(defmacro spacemacs|reset-local-company-backends (mode)
-  "Helper to make `company-backends' buffer local and reset it.
-Use *only* if a default backend interferes with completion in a specific mode."
-  `(add-hook ',(intern (format "%S-hook" mode))
-             (lambda ()
-               (set (make-variable-buffer-local 'company-backends) nil))))
-
-(defun spacemacs//make-company-backends-local ()
+(defun spacemacs//make-company-backends-buffer-local ()
   "Helper to make `company-backends' buffer local and reset it."
-  (make-variable-buffer-local 'company-backends))
+  (set (make-variable-buffer-local 'company-backends) nil))
 
-(defmacro spacemacs|add-mode-company-backend (mode backend)
-  "Add a new `company-mode' backend for a specific mode."
-  (let ((back-hook-sym (intern (format "spacemacs//add-%S-%S" mode backend)))
-        (mode-hook-sym (intern (format "%S-hook" mode))))
-    ; Need the company *layer* for the backend-with-yas function, not just the package. See #961
+(defmacro spacemacs|add-local-company-backend (mode backend &optional with-yas)
+  "Helper macro to add local `company-mode' BACKEND for MODE.
+
+If WITH-YAS is non nil then the the `company-yasnippet' is consed to BACKEND."
+  (let ((mode-hook (intern (format "%S-hook" mode)))
+        (add-backend (intern (format "spacemacs//%S-add-%S-backend"
+                                     mode backend)))
+        (backend2 (if with-yas
+                      `(spacemacs/company-backend-with-yas ',backend)
+                    `(quote ,backend))))
     `(when (configuration-layer/layer-declaredp 'company-mode)
-       ;; this hook will be added once even if this macro is used multiple times on the same mode.
-       (add-hook ',mode-hook-sym 'spacemacs//make-company-backends-local)
-       (defun ,back-hook-sym ()
-         (add-to-list 'company-backends (spacemacs/company-backend-with-yas ',backend)))
-       (add-hook ',mode-hook-sym ',back-hook-sym t))))
+       (add-hook ',mode-hook
+                 'spacemacs//make-company-backends-buffer-local)
+       (defun ,add-backend ()
+         ,(format "Add %S backend to %S" backend mode)
+         (add-to-list 'company-backends ,backend2))
+       ;; important to append this function to the hook in order to
+       ;; execute it at the end
+       (add-hook ',mode-hook ',add-backend t))))