diff --git a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
index 3ea2b6da..2f40c4f4 100644
--- a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
+++ b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ AttributeManager.prototype = _(AttributeManager.prototype).extend({
     return changeset;
   },
   
+  /*
+    Sets attributes on a range
+    @param start [row, col] tuple pointing to the start of the range
+    @param end [row, col] tuple pointing to the end of the range
+    @param attribute: an array of attributes
+  */
+  setAttributesOnRange: function(start, end, attribs)
+  {
+    var builder = Changeset.builder(rep.lines.totalWidth());
+    ChangesetUtils.buildKeepToStartOfRange(rep, builder, start);
+    ChangesetUtils.buildKeepRange(this.rep, builder, start, end, attribs, this.rep.apool);
+    return this.applyChangeset(builder);
+  },
+
   /* 
     Returns if the line already has a line marker
     @param lineNum: the number of the line
diff --git a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index c89ed700..e57ee15f 100644
--- a/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/src/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -2276,25 +2276,13 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
     performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange(lineAndColumnFromChar(start), lineAndColumnFromChar(end), attribs);
   }
   editorInfo.ace_performDocumentApplyAttributesToCharRange = performDocumentApplyAttributesToCharRange;
-
-  function performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange(start, end, attribs)
-  {
-    var builder = Changeset.builder(rep.lines.totalWidth());
-    ChangesetUtils.buildKeepToStartOfRange(rep, builder, start);
-    ChangesetUtils.buildKeepRange(rep, builder, start, end, attribs, rep.apool);
-    var cs = builder.toString();
-    performDocumentApplyChangeset(cs);
-  }
-  editorInfo.ace_performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange = performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange;
-
-
   
-  // TODO move to AttributeManager
+  
   function setAttributeOnSelection(attributeName, attributeValue)
   {
     if (!(rep.selStart && rep.selEnd)) return;
 
-    performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
+    documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
       [attributeName, attributeValue]
     ]);
   }
@@ -2355,13 +2343,13 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
 
     if (selectionAllHasIt)
     {
-      performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
+      documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
         [attributeName, '']
       ]);
     }
     else
     {
-      performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
+      documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange(rep.selStart, rep.selEnd, [
         [attributeName, 'true']
       ]);
     }
@@ -5400,8 +5388,8 @@ function Ace2Inner(){
   
   
   // Init documentAttributeManager
-  
   documentAttributeManager = new AttributeManager(rep, performDocumentApplyChangeset);
+  editorInfo.ace_performDocumentApplyAttributesToRange = documentAttributeManager.setAttributesOnRange;
 
   $(document).ready(function(){
     doc = document; // defined as a var in scope outside