diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7683df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*~
+*.bak
diff --git a/gitprompt.sh b/gitprompt.sh
index 7a1ed16..cb7254d 100644
--- a/gitprompt.sh
+++ b/gitprompt.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-# assume the gitstatus.py is in the same directory as this script
-# code thanks to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/59895
-if [ -z "${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}" ]; then
-  SOURCE="${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"
-  while [ -h "${SOURCE}" ]; do
-    DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
-    SOURCE="$(readlink "${SOURCE}")"
-    [[ $SOURCE != /* ]] && SOURCE="${DIR}/${SOURCE}"
-  done
-  __GIT_PROMPT_DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
+function git_prompt_dir()
+{
+  # assume the gitstatus.py is in the same directory as this script
+  # code thanks to http://stackoverflow.com/questions/59895
+  if [ -z "${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}" ]; then
+    local SOURCE="${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"
+    while [ -h "${SOURCE}" ]; do
+      local DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
+      SOURCE="$(readlink "${SOURCE}")"
+      [[ $SOURCE != /* ]] && SOURCE="${DIR}/${SOURCE}"
+    done
+    __GIT_PROMPT_DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
 fi
+}
 
 function git_prompt_config()
 {
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ function git_prompt_config()
   local Yellow="\[\033[0;33m\]"
   local White='\[\033[37m\]'
   local Red="\[\033[0;31m\]"
-  Blue="\[\033[0;34m\]"
+  local Blue="\[\033[0;34m\]"
 
   # Default values for the appearance of the prompt. Configure at will.
   GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX="["
@@ -69,7 +72,8 @@ function git_prompt_config()
   GIT_PROMPT_FETCH_TIMEOUT=${1-5}
   if [ "x$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" == "x" ]
   then
-    __GIT_STATUS_CMD="${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR:-${HOME}/.bash}/gitstatus.py"
+    git_prompt_dir
+    __GIT_STATUS_CMD="${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}/gitstatus.py"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -94,6 +98,8 @@ function setGitPrompt() {
   local __GIT_STATUS_CMD
 
   git_prompt_config
+  
+  EMPTY_PROMPT=${OLD_GITPROMPT}
 
   local repo=`git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2> /dev/null`
   if [[ ! -e "${repo}" ]]; then
@@ -163,6 +169,10 @@ function setGitPrompt() {
   fi
 }
 
+if [ -z "$OLD_GITPROMPT" ]; then
+  OLD_GITPROMPT=$PS1
+fi
+
 if [ -z "$PROMPT_COMMAND" ]; then
   PROMPT_COMMAND=setGitPrompt
 else