diff --git a/contrib/pcre2el/packages.el b/contrib/pcre2el/packages.el
index 2a83aa55f..cf22d7e10 100644
--- a/contrib/pcre2el/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/pcre2el/packages.el
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@
     :init
     (progn
       ;; 
-      (define-prefix-command 'pcre2el-prefix)
-      (evil-leader/set-key "R" 'pcre2el-prefix)
+      (spacemacs/declare-prefix "R" "pcre2el")
       (evil-leader/set-key
         "R/"  'rxt-explain
         "Rc"  'rxt-convert-syntax
diff --git a/contrib/perspectives/packages.el b/contrib/perspectives/packages.el
index 6a183e369..52f2d1faf 100644
--- a/contrib/perspectives/packages.el
+++ b/contrib/perspectives/packages.el
@@ -34,10 +34,8 @@ which require an initialization must be listed explicitly in the list.")
         (custom-persp "@org"
                       (find-file (first org-agenda-files))))
 
-      (define-prefix-command 'perspectives-prefix)
-      (evil-leader/set-key "P" 'perspectives-prefix)
-      (define-prefix-command 'perspectives-custom-prefix)
-      (evil-leader/set-key "Po" 'perspectives-custom-prefix)
+      (spacemacs/declare-prefix "P" "perspectives")
+      (spacemacs/declare-prefix "Po" "custom-perspectives")
       (evil-leader/set-key
         "Pa"  'persp-add-buffer
         "PA"  'persp-set-buffer
diff --git a/spacemacs/config.el b/spacemacs/config.el
index d9b417933..e0a441ea0 100644
--- a/spacemacs/config.el
+++ b/spacemacs/config.el
@@ -1,3 +1,37 @@
+(setq spacemacs/key-binding-prefixes '(("a" .  "applications")
+                                       ("as" . "applications-shells")
+                                       ("b" .  "buffers")
+                                       ("bm" . "buffers-move")
+                                       ("c" .  "comments")
+                                       ("e" .  "errors")
+                                       ("f" .  "files")
+                                       ("fe" . "files-emacs/spacemacs")
+                                       ("g" .  "git/versions-control")
+                                       ("gc" . "smeargle")
+                                       ("h" .  "helm/help/highlight")
+                                       ("hd" . "help-describe")
+                                       ("i" .  "insertion")
+                                       ("j" .  "join/split")
+                                       ("n" .  "narrow/numbers")
+                                       ("p" .  "projects")
+                                       ("p4" . "perforce")
+                                       ("r" .  "registers/rings")
+                                       ("s" .  "search/symbol")
+                                       ("sr" . "symbol-range")
+                                       ("S" .  "spelling")
+                                       ("t" .  "toggles")
+                                       ("tm" . "toggles-modeline")
+                                       ("T" .  "themes")
+                                       ("w" .  "windows")
+                                       ("wp" . "windows-popup")
+                                       ("ws" . "windows-size")
+                                       ("x" .  "text")
+                                       ("xd" . "text-delete")
+                                       ("xg" . "text-google-translate")
+                                       ("xm" . "text-move")
+                                       ("xt" . "text-transpose")
+                                       ("xw" . "text-words")
+                                       ("z" .  "z")))
 ;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ;; Navigation
 ;; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/spacemacs/funcs.el b/spacemacs/funcs.el
index 14bc7711a..057697b88 100644
--- a/spacemacs/funcs.el
+++ b/spacemacs/funcs.el
@@ -48,6 +48,16 @@
 (defun system-is-mswindows ()
   (string-equal system-type "windows-nt"))
 
+(defvar spacemacs/prefix-command-string "group:"
+  "Prefix string for prefix commands.")
+
+(defun spacemacs/declare-prefix (prefix name)
+  "Declare a prefix PREFIX. PREFIX is a string describing
+a key sequence. NAME is a symbol name used as the prefix command."
+  (let ((command (intern (concat spacemacs/prefix-command-string name))))
+    (define-prefix-command command)
+    (evil-leader/set-key prefix command)))
+
 ;; From http://stackoverflow.com/a/18796138
 ;; Cycle through this set of themes
 (defvar spacemacs-themes '(solarized-light
diff --git a/spacemacs/packages.el b/spacemacs/packages.el
index ec551c78b..049ef793c 100644
--- a/spacemacs/packages.el
+++ b/spacemacs/packages.el
@@ -619,43 +619,8 @@ determine the state to enable when escaping from the insert state.")
             evil-leader/leader "SPC"
             evil-leader/non-normal-prefix "s-")
       ;; give name to spacemacs prefixes
-      (dolist (x '(("a" . "applications")
-                   ("as" . "applications-shells")
-                   ("b" . "buffers")
-                   ("bm" . "buffers-move")
-                   ("c" . "comments")
-                   ("e" . "errors")
-                   ("f" . "files")
-                   ("fe" . "files-emacs/spacemacs")
-                   ("g" . "git/versions-control")
-                   ("gc" . "smeargle")
-                   ("h" . "helm/help/highlight")
-                   ("hd" . "help-describe")
-                   ("i" . "insert")
-                   ("j" . "join/split")
-                   ("n" . "narrow/numbers")
-                   ("p" . "projects")
-                   ("p4" . "perforce")
-                   ("r" . "registers/rings")
-                   ("s" . "search/symbol")
-                   ("sr" . "symbol-range")
-                   ("S" . "spelling")
-                   ("t" . "toggles")
-                   ("tm" . "toggles-modeline")
-                   ("w" . "windows")
-                   ("wp" . "windows-popup")
-                   ("ws" . "windows-size")
-                   ("x" . "text")
-                   ("xd" . "text-delete")
-                   ("xg" . "text-google-translate")
-                   ("xm" . "text-move")
-                   ("xt" . "text-transpose")
-                   ("xw" . "text-words")
-                   ("z" . "z")))
-        (let ((key (car x))
-              (prefix-command (intern (format "%s-prefix" (cdr x)))))
-          (define-prefix-command prefix-command)
-          (evil-leader/set-key key prefix-command)))
+      (mapc (lambda (x) (spacemacs/declare-prefix (car x) (cdr x)))
+           spacemacs/key-binding-prefixes)
       (global-evil-leader-mode))
     :config
     (progn
@@ -1135,6 +1100,8 @@ determine the state to enable when escaping from the insert state.")
             ;; graphical envrionment
             ;; guide-key-tip/enabled (if window-system t)
             guide-key-tip/enabled nil)
+      (setq guide-key/highlight-command-regexp
+                   (cons spacemacs/prefix-command-string font-lock-warning-face))
       (guide-key-mode 1)
       (spacemacs//diminish guide-key-mode " Ⓖ"))))