diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fba7bf1..9452119 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ git clone https://github.com/magicmonty/bash-git-prompt.git .bash-git-prompt
    GIT_PROMPT_ONLY_IN_REPO=1
 
    # GIT_PROMPT_FETCH_REMOTE_STATUS=0   # uncomment to avoid fetching remote status
-   
+
    # GIT_PROMPT_SHOW_UPSTREAM=1 # uncomment to show upstream tracking branch
 
    # GIT_PROMPT_START=...    # uncomment for custom prompt start sequence
diff --git a/gitprompt.sh b/gitprompt.sh
index 4aad850..fa1300b 100755
--- a/gitprompt.sh
+++ b/gitprompt.sh
@@ -282,8 +282,8 @@ function git_prompt_config() {
   fi
   if [[ -z "$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" ]] ; then          # if GIT_STATUS_CMD not defined..
     git_prompt_dir
-    if ! gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path __GIT_STATUS_CMD "$__GIT_PROMPT_DIR/gitstatus.sh" ; then
-      echo 1>&2 "Cannot find gitstatus.sh!"
+    if ! gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path __GIT_STATUS_CMD "$__GIT_PROMPT_DIR/$GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND" ; then
+      echo 1>&2 "Cannot find $GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND!"
     fi
     # __GIT_STATUS_CMD defined
   fi
@@ -531,7 +531,6 @@ function gp_add_virtualenv_to_prompt {
 function is_function {
   declare -Ff "$1" >/dev/null;
 }
-
 #Helper function that truncates $PWD depending on window width
 function gp_truncate_pwd {
   local tilde="~"
diff --git a/gitstatus.sh b/gitstatus.sh
index 6fe1c41..787775d 100755
--- a/gitstatus.sh
+++ b/gitstatus.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if [ -z "${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}" ]; then
   __GIT_PROMPT_DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
 fi
 
-gitstatus=$( LC_ALL=C git status --porcelain --branch )
+gitstatus=$( LC_ALL=C git status --untracked-files=all --porcelain --branch )
 
 # if the status is fatal, exit now
 [[ "$?" -ne 0 ]] && exit 0
diff --git a/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh b/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f613709
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# -*- coding: UTF-8 -*-
+# gitstatus.sh -- produce the current git repo status on STDOUT
+# Functionally equivalent to 'gitstatus.py', but written in bash (not python).
+#
+# Alan K. Stebbens <aks@stebbens.org> [http://github.com/aks]
+
+# helper functions
+count_lines() { echo "$1" | egrep -c "^$2" ; }
+all_lines() { echo "$1" | grep -v "^$" | wc -l ; }
+
+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 )"
+fi
+
+gitsym=`git symbolic-ref HEAD`
+
+# if "fatal: Not a git repo .., then exit
+case "$gitsym" in fatal*) exit 0 ;; esac
+
+# the current branch is the tail end of the symbolic reference
+branch="${gitsym##refs/heads/}"    # get the basename after "refs/heads/"
+
+gitstatus=`git diff --name-status 2>&1`
+
+# if the diff is fatal, exit now
+case "$gitstatus" in fatal*) exit 0 ;; esac
+
+
+staged_files=`git diff --staged --name-status`
+
+num_changed=$(( `all_lines "$gitstatus"` - `count_lines "$gitstatus" U` ))
+num_conflicts=`count_lines "$staged_files" U`
+num_staged=$(( `all_lines "$staged_files"` - num_conflicts ))
+num_untracked=`git ls-files --others --exclude-standard $(git rev-parse --show-cdup) | wc -l`
+
+num_stashed=0
+if [[ "$__GIT_PROMPT_IGNORE_STASH" != "1" ]]; then
+  stash_file="$( git rev-parse --git-dir )/logs/refs/stash"
+  if [[ -e "${stash_file}" ]]; then
+    while IFS='' read -r wcline || [[ -n "$wcline" ]]; do
+      ((num_stashed++))
+    done < ${stash_file}
+  fi
+fi
+
+clean=0
+if (( num_changed == 0 && num_staged == 0 && num_U == 0 && num_untracked == 0 && num_stashed == 0 )) ; then
+  clean=1
+fi
+
+remote=
+
+if [[ -z "$branch" ]]; then
+  tag=`git describe --exact-match`
+  if [[ -n "$tag" ]]; then
+    branch="$tag"
+  else
+    branch="_PREHASH_`git rev-parse --short HEAD`"
+  fi
+else
+  remote_name=`git config branch.${branch}.remote`
+
+  if [[ -n "$remote_name" ]]; then
+    merge_name=`git config branch.${branch}.merge`
+  else
+    remote_name='origin'
+    merge_name="refs/heads/${branch}"
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$remote_name" == '.' ]]; then
+    remote_ref="$merge_name"
+  else
+    remote_ref="refs/remotes/$remote_name/${merge_name##refs/heads/}"
+  fi
+
+  # detect if the local branch have a remote tracking branch
+  cmd_output=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref ${branch}@{upstream} 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+
+  if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
+    has_remote_tracking=1
+  else
+    has_remote_tracking=0
+  fi
+
+  # get the revision list, and count the leading "<" and ">"
+  revgit=`git rev-list --left-right ${remote_ref}...HEAD`
+  num_revs=`all_lines "$revgit"`
+  num_ahead=`count_lines "$revgit" "^>"`
+  num_behind=$(( num_revs - num_ahead ))
+  if (( num_behind > 0 )) ; then
+    remote="${remote}_BEHIND_${num_behind}"
+  fi
+  if (( num_ahead > 0 )) ; then
+    remote="${remote}_AHEAD_${num_ahead}"
+  fi
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "$remote" ]] ; then
+  remote='.'
+fi
+
+if [[ "$has_remote_tracking" == "0" ]] ; then
+  remote='_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING_'
+fi
+
+printf "%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n" \
+  "$branch" \
+  "$remote" \
+  $num_staged \
+  $num_conflicts \
+  $num_changed \
+  $num_untracked \
+  $num_stashed \
+  $clean
+
+exit
diff --git a/themes/Default.bgptheme b/themes/Default.bgptheme
index 057038a..b24a11e 100644
--- a/themes/Default.bgptheme
+++ b/themes/Default.bgptheme
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ unset_git_prompt_colors() {
   unset GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN
   unset GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_OK
   unset GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_FAIL
+  unset GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND
   unset GIT_PROMPT_VIRTUALENV
   unset GIT_PROMPT_UPSTREAM
   unset GIT_PROMPT_START_USER
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ define_undefined_git_prompt_colors() {
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_STASHED} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_STASHED="${BoldBlue}⚑ "; fi    # the number of stashed files/dir
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN="${BoldGreen}✔"; fi      # a colored flag indicating a "clean" repo
 
-  # For the command indicator, the placeholder _LAST_COMMAND_STATE_ 
+  # For the command indicator, the placeholder _LAST_COMMAND_STATE_
   # will be replaced with the exit code of the last command
   # e.g.
   # GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_OK="${Green}✔-_LAST_COMMAND_STATE_ "    # indicator if the last command returned with an exit code of 0
@@ -61,8 +62,15 @@ define_undefined_git_prompt_colors() {
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_OK} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_OK="${Green}✔"; fi    # indicator if the last command returned with an exit code of 0
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_FAIL} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_FAIL="${Red}✘-_LAST_COMMAND_STATE_"; fi    # indicator if the last command returned with an exit code of other than 0
 
+  # Possible to change which command is used to create git status information
+  # There are three options:
+  # 1) gitstatus.sh (uses git status --branch --porcelain - fast, requires git > 1.7.10)
+  # 2) gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh (Uses a variety of git commands and pipes - slower, works with older git clients)
+  # 3) gitstatus.py (Unsupported, lack features found in the bash versions)
+  if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND="gitstatus.sh"; fi    # Point out the command to get the git status from
+
   # template for displaying the current virtual environment
-  # use the placeholder _VIRTUALENV_ will be replaced with 
+  # use the placeholder _VIRTUALENV_ will be replaced with
   # the name of the current virtual environment (currently CONDA and VIRTUAL_ENV)
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_VIRTUALENV} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_VIRTUALENV="(${Blue}_VIRTUALENV_${ResetColor}) "; fi
 
@@ -70,7 +78,7 @@ define_undefined_git_prompt_colors() {
   # use the placeholder _UPSTREAM_ will be replaced with
   # the name of the current remote tracking branch
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_UPSTREAM} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_UPSTREAM=" {${Blue}_UPSTREAM_${ResetColor}}"; fi
-  
+
   # _LAST_COMMAND_INDICATOR_ will be replaced by the appropriate GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_OK OR GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_FAIL
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_START_USER} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_START_USER="_LAST_COMMAND_INDICATOR_ ${Yellow}${PathShort}${ResetColor}"; fi
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_START_ROOT} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_START_ROOT="${GIT_PROMPT_START_USER}"; fi
@@ -81,7 +89,7 @@ define_undefined_git_prompt_colors() {
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_AHEAD} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_AHEAD="↑·"; fi             # The symbol for "n versions ahead of origin"
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_BEHIND} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_BEHIND="↓·"; fi            # The symbol for "n versions behind of origin"
   if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_PREHASH} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_PREHASH=":"; fi            # Written before hash of commit, if no name could be found
-  if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING="L"; fi # This symbol is written after the branch, if the branch is not tracked 
+  if [[ -z ${GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING} ]]; then GIT_PROMPT_SYMBOLS_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING="L"; fi # This symbol is written after the branch, if the branch is not tracked
 }
 
 # call only from theme file