diff --git a/.dir-locals.el b/.dir-locals.el
index fb5afe7b..92ff6788 100644
--- a/.dir-locals.el
+++ b/.dir-locals.el
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@
                (setq-local js-indent-level 2)
                (flycheck-checker . json-python-json)))))
 
+ (js-mode
+  . ((eval . (progn
+               (setq-local js-indent-level 2)
+               ;; flycheck should use the jshint checker from simple theme
+               (setq-local flycheck-javascript-jshint-executable
+                           (expand-file-name "searx/static/themes/simple/node_modules/.bin/jshint" prj-root))
+               (flycheck-mode)
+               ))))
+
  (python-mode
   . ((eval . (progn
 
diff --git a/searx/static/themes/simple/.jshintrc b/searx/static/themes/simple/.jshintrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba7bc296
--- /dev/null
+++ b/searx/static/themes/simple/.jshintrc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "proto": true,
+  "globals": {
+    "browser": true,
+    "jQuery": false,
+    "devel": true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/searx/static/themes/simple/gruntfile.js b/searx/static/themes/simple/gruntfile.js
index 95662614..130f406d 100644
--- a/searx/static/themes/simple/gruntfile.js
+++ b/searx/static/themes/simple/gruntfile.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+/*jshint esversion: 6 */
+
 module.exports = function(grunt) {
 
   const path = require('path');
@@ -12,16 +14,6 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
     },
     jshint: {
       files: ['src/js/main/*.js', 'src/js/head/*.js', '../__common__/js/*.js'],
-      options: {
-        reporterOutput: "",
-        proto: true,
-        // options here to override JSHint defaults
-        globals: {
-          browser: true,
-          jQuery: false,
-          devel: true
-        }
-      }
     },
     stylelint: {
       options: {
@@ -122,7 +114,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
           'node_modules/ionicons-npm/src/ion-close-round.svg',
           'node_modules/ionicons-npm/src/android-more-vertical.svg',
           'src/fonts/magnet.svg',
-          'node_modules/ionicons-npm/src/android-close.svg',	  
+          'node_modules/ionicons-npm/src/android-close.svg',
         ],
         dest: 'fonts',
         destLess: 'src/generated',