diff --git a/runtime/syntax/c.vim b/runtime/syntax/c.vim
index 9b18c2b8a18..38d65cdc137 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/c.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/c.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " Vim syntax file
 " Language:		C
 " Maintainer:		The Vim Project <https://github.com/vim/vim>
-" Last Change:		2026 Jul 25
+" Last Change:		2026 Aug 30
 " Former Maintainer:	Bram Moolenaar <Bram@vim.org>
 
 " Quit when a (custom) syntax file was already loaded
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ if exists("c_autodoc")
   unlet b:current_syntax
 endif
 
+" In VMS C keywords contain '$' characters.
+if has("vms")
+  syn iskeyword @,48-57,_,192-255,$
+else
+  syn iskeyword @,48-57,_,192-255
+endif
+
 " A bunch of useful C keywords
 syn keyword	cStatement	goto break return continue asm
 syn keyword	cLabel		case default