diff --git a/spec/workspace-spec.coffee b/spec/workspace-spec.coffee
index be637d5da..02e76ca19 100644
--- a/spec/workspace-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/workspace-spec.coffee
@@ -1662,20 +1662,35 @@ describe "Workspace", ->
         expect(pane.getPendingItem()).toBeFalsy()
 
   describe "grammar activation", ->
-    beforeEach ->
-      waitsForPromise ->
-        atom.packages.activatePackage('language-javascript')
-
     it "notifies the workspace of which grammar is used", ->
       editor = null
+      atom.packages.triggerDeferredActivationHooks()
 
-      grammarUsed = jasmine.createSpy()
-      atom.workspace.handleGrammarUsed = grammarUsed
+      javascriptGrammarUsed = jasmine.createSpy('js grammar used')
+      rubyGrammarUsed = jasmine.createSpy('ruby grammar used')
+      cGrammarUsed = jasmine.createSpy('c grammar used')
+
+      atom.packages.onDidTriggerActivationHook('language-javascript:grammar-used', javascriptGrammarUsed)
+      atom.packages.onDidTriggerActivationHook('language-ruby:grammar-used', rubyGrammarUsed)
+      atom.packages.onDidTriggerActivationHook('language-c:grammar-used', cGrammarUsed)
+
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.packages.activatePackage('language-ruby')
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.packages.activatePackage('language-javascript')
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.packages.activatePackage('language-c')
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.workspace.open('sample-with-comments.js')
 
-      waitsForPromise -> atom.workspace.open('sample-with-comments.js').then (o) -> editor = o
-      waitsFor -> grammarUsed.callCount is 1
       runs ->
-        expect(grammarUsed.argsForCall[0][0].name).toBe 'JavaScript'
+        # Hooks are triggered when opening new editors
+        expect(javascriptGrammarUsed).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+        # Hooks are triggered when changing existing editors grammars
+        atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor().setGrammar(atom.grammars.grammarForScopeName('source.c'))
+        expect(cGrammarUsed).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+        # Hooks are triggered when editors are added in other ways.
+        atom.workspace.getActivePane().splitRight(copyActiveItem: true)
+        atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor().setGrammar(atom.grammars.grammarForScopeName('source.ruby'))
+        expect(rubyGrammarUsed).toHaveBeenCalled()
 
   describe ".checkoutHeadRevision()", ->
     editor = null
diff --git a/src/workspace.coffee b/src/workspace.coffee
index fea0c1d47..258e68fa3 100644
--- a/src/workspace.coffee
+++ b/src/workspace.coffee
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ class Workspace extends Model
       if item instanceof TextEditor
         @textEditorRegistry.maintainConfig(item)
         @textEditorRegistry.maintainGrammar(item)
+        grammarSubscription = item.observeGrammar(@handleGrammarUsed.bind(this))
+        item.onDidDestroy -> grammarSubscription.dispose()
         @emitter.emit 'did-add-text-editor', {textEditor: item, pane, index}
 
   # Updates the application's title and proxy icon based on whichever file is
@@ -558,10 +560,7 @@ class Workspace extends Model
     @project.bufferForPath(filePath, options).then (buffer) =>
       editor = @buildTextEditor(Object.assign({buffer, largeFileMode}, options))
       disposable = atom.textEditors.add(editor)
-      grammarSubscription = editor.observeGrammar(@handleGrammarUsed.bind(this))
-      editor.onDidDestroy ->
-        grammarSubscription.dispose()
-        disposable.dispose()
+      editor.onDidDestroy -> disposable.dispose()
       editor
 
   handleGrammarUsed: (grammar) ->