diff --git a/gitprompt.sh b/gitprompt.sh
index f4ca70e..f4de844 100755
--- a/gitprompt.sh
+++ b/gitprompt.sh
@@ -22,92 +22,107 @@ function git_prompt_dir()
   fi
 }
 
+# gp_set_file_var ENVAR SOMEFILE
+#
+# Set ENVAR to the path to SOMEFILE, based on $HOME, $__GIT_PROMPT_DIR, and the
+# directory of the current script.  The SOMEFILE can be prefixed with '.', or
+# not.
+#
+# Return 0 (success) if ENVAR not already defined, 1 (failure) otherwise.
+
+function gp_set_file_var() {
+  local envar="$1"
+  local file="$2"
+  if eval "test -z \"\$$envar\"" ; then
+    eval "$envar="      # set empty envar
+    gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path "$envar" "$HOME/.$file"            && return 0
+    gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path "$envar" "$HOME/$file"             && return 0
+    gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path "$envar" "$HOME/lib/$file"         && return 0
+    git_prompt_dir
+    gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path "$envar" "$__GIT_PROMPT_DIR/$file" && return 0
+    gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path "$envar" "${0##*/}/$file"          && return 0
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
+# gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path ENVAR FILEPATH
+#
+# return 0 (true) if FILEPATH is readable, set ENVAR to it
+# return 1 (false) if not
+
+function gp_maybe_set_envar_to_path(){
+  local envar="$1"
+  local file="$2"
+  if [[ -r "$file" ]]; then
+    eval "$envar=\"$file\""
+    return 0
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
 function git_prompt_config()
 {
-  # Colors
-  ResetColor="\[\033[0m\]"            # Text reset
-
-  # Bold
-  local BoldGreen="\[\033[1;32m\]"    # Green
-  local BoldBlue="\[\033[1;34m\]"     # Blue
 
-  # High Intensty
-  local IntenseBlack="\[\033[0;90m\]" # Grey
+  # There are two files related to colors:
+  #
+  #  prompt-colors.sh -- sets generic color names suitable for bash `PS1` prompt
+  #  git-prompt-colors.sh -- sets the GIT_PROMPT color scheme, using names from prompt-colors.sh
 
-  # Bold High Intensty
-  local Magenta="\[\033[1;95m\]"      # Purple
+  if gp_set_file_var __PROMPT_COLORS_SH prompt-colors.sh ; then
 
-  # Regular Colors
-  local Yellow="\[\033[0;33m\]"
-  local White='\[\033[37m\]'
-  local Red="\[\033[0;31m\]"
-  local Blue="\[\033[0;34m\]"
-  local Cyan="\[\033[0;36m\]"
+    if [[ -n "${__PROMPT_COLORS_SH}" ]]; then
+      source "${__PROMPT_COLORS_SH}"        # outsource the color defs
+    else
+      echo 1>&2 "Cannot find prompt-colors.sh!"
+    fi
+  fi
 
   # source the user's ~/.git-prompt-colors.sh file, or the one that should be
   # sitting in the same directory as this script
 
-  if [[ -z "$__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE" ]]; then
-    local pfx file dir
-    for dir in "$HOME" "$__GIT_PROMPT_DIR" ; do
-      for pfx in '.' '' ; do
-        file="$dir/${pfx}git-prompt-colors.sh"
-        if [[ -f "$file" ]]; then
-          __GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE="$file"
-          break 2
-        fi
-      done
-    done
-  fi
-  # if the envar is defined, source the file for custom colors
-  if [[ -n "$__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE" && -f "$__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE" ]]; then
-    source "$__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE"
-  else
-    # Default values for the appearance of the prompt.  Do not change these
-    # below.  Instead, copy these to `~/.git-prompt-colors.sh` and change them
-    # there.
-    GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX="["
-    GIT_PROMPT_SUFFIX="]"
-    GIT_PROMPT_SEPARATOR="|"
-    GIT_PROMPT_BRANCH="${Magenta}"
-    GIT_PROMPT_STAGED="${Red}●"
-    GIT_PROMPT_CONFLICTS="${Red}✖"
-    GIT_PROMPT_CHANGED="${Blue}✚"
-    GIT_PROMPT_REMOTE=" "
-    GIT_PROMPT_UNTRACKED="${Cyan}…"
-    GIT_PROMPT_STASHED="${BoldBlue}⚑"
-    GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN="${BoldGreen}✔"
+  if gp_set_file_var __GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE git-prompt-colors.sh ; then
+
+    # if the envar is defined, source the file for custom colors
+    if [[ -n "${__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE}" ]]; then
+      source "${__GIT_PROMPT_COLORS_FILE}"
+    else
+      echo 1>&2 "Cannot find git-prompt-colors.sh!"
+    fi
   fi
 
-  # Various variables you might want for your PS1 prompt instead
-  local Time12a="\$(date +%H:%M)"
-  # local Time12a="(\$(date +%H:%M:%S))"
-  # local Time12a="(\@))"
-  local PathShort="\w"
+  # Do this only once to define PROMPT_START and PROMPT_END
 
-  if [ "x${GIT_PROMPT_START}" == "x" ]; then
-    PROMPT_START="${Yellow}${PathShort}${ResetColor}"
-  else
-    PROMPT_START="${GIT_PROMPT_START}"
-  fi
+  if [[ -z "$PROMPT_START" || -z "$PROMPT_END" ]]; then
 
-  if [ "x${GIT_PROMPT_END}" == "x" ]; then
-    PROMPT_END=" \n${White}${Time12a}${ResetColor} $ "
-  else
-    PROMPT_END="${GIT_PROMPT_END}"
+    # Various variables you might want for your PS1 prompt instead
+    local Time12a="\$(date +%H:%M)"
+    # local Time12a="(\$(date +%H:%M:%S))"
+    # local Time12a="(\@))"
+    local PathShort="\w"
+
+    if [[ -z "${GIT_PROMPT_START}" ]] ; then
+      PROMPT_START="${Yellow}${PathShort}${ResetColor}"
+    else
+      PROMPT_START="${GIT_PROMPT_START}"
+    fi
+
+    if [[ -z "${GIT_PROMPT_END}" ]] ; then
+      PROMPT_END=" \n${White}${Time12a}${ResetColor} $ "
+    else
+      PROMPT_END="${GIT_PROMPT_END}"
+    fi
   fi
 
   EMPTY_PROMPT="${PROMPT_START}$($prompt_callback)${PROMPT_END}"
 
   # fetch remote revisions every other $GIT_PROMPT_FETCH_TIMEOUT (default 5) minutes
   GIT_PROMPT_FETCH_TIMEOUT=${1-5}
-  if [ "x$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" == "x" ]
-  then
+  if [[ -z "$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" ]] ; then          # if GIT_STATUS_CMD not defined..
     git_prompt_dir
     local sfx file
     # look first for a '.sh' version, then use the python version
     for sfx in sh py ; do
-      file="${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}/gitstatus.$sfx"
+      file="$__GIT_PROMPT_DIR/gitstatus.$sfx"
       if [[ -x "$file" ]]; then
         __GIT_STATUS_CMD="$file"
         break
@@ -151,23 +166,9 @@ function checkUpstream() {
 }
 
 function updatePrompt() {
-  local GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX
-  local GIT_PROMPT_SUFFIX
-  local GIT_PROMPT_SEPARATOR
-  local GIT_PROMPT_BRANCH
-  local GIT_PROMPT_STAGED
-  local GIT_PROMPT_CONFLICTS
-  local GIT_PROMPT_CHANGED
-  local GIT_PROMPT_REMOTE
-  local GIT_PROMPT_UNTRACKED
-  local GIT_PROMPT_STASHED
-  local GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN
   local PROMPT_START
   local PROMPT_END
   local EMPTY_PROMPT
-  local ResetColor
-  local Blue
-  local GIT_PROMPT_FETCH_TIMEOUT
   local __GIT_STATUS_CMD
 
   git_prompt_config
@@ -190,37 +191,43 @@ function updatePrompt() {
   if [[ -n "${GitStatus}" ]]; then
     local STATUS=" ${GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX}${GIT_PROMPT_BRANCH}${GIT_BRANCH}${ResetColor}"
 
-    if [[ -n "${GIT_REMOTE}" ]]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_REMOTE}${GIT_REMOTE}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_SEPARATOR}"
-    if [ "${GIT_STAGED}" -ne "0" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_STAGED}${GIT_STAGED}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "${GIT_CONFLICTS}" -ne "0" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_CONFLICTS}${GIT_CONFLICTS}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "${GIT_CHANGED}" -ne "0" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_CHANGED}${GIT_CHANGED}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "${GIT_UNTRACKED}" -ne "0" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_UNTRACKED}${GIT_UNTRACKED}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "${GIT_STASHED}" -ne "0" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_STASHED}${GIT_STASHED}${ResetColor}"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "${GIT_CLEAN}" -eq "1" ]; then
-      STATUS="${STATUS}${GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN}"
-    fi
-
-    STATUS="${STATUS}${ResetColor}${GIT_PROMPT_SUFFIX}"
+    # __add_status KIND VALEXPR INSERT
+    # eg: __add_status  'STAGED' '-ne 0'
 
+    __chk_gitvar_status() {
+      local v
+      if [[ "x$2" == "x-n" ]] ; then
+        v="$2 \"\${GIT_$1}\""
+      else
+        v="\${GIT_$1} $2"
+      fi
+      if eval "test $v" ; then
+        if [[ $# -lt 2 || "$3" != '-' ]]; then
+          __add_status "\${GIT_PROMPT_$1}\${GIT_$1}\${ResetColor}"
+        else
+          __add_status "\${GIT_PROMPT_$1}\${ResetColor}"
+        fi
+      fi
+    }
+
+    __add_gitvar_status() {
+      __add_status "\${GIT_PROMPT_$1}\${GIT_$1}\${ResetColor}"
+    }
+
+    # __add_status SOMETEXT
+    __add_status() {
+      eval "STATUS=\"${STATUS}$1\""
+    }
+
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'REMOTE'     '-n'
+    __add_status        "$GIT_PROMPT_SEPARATOR"
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'STAGED'     '-ne 0'
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'CONFLICTS'  '-ne 0'
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'CHANGED'    '-ne 0'
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'UNTRACKED'  '-ne 0'
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'STASHED'    '-ne 0'
+    __chk_gitvar_status 'CLEAN'      '-eq 1'   -
+    __add_status        "${ResetColor}$GIT_PROMPT_SUFFIX"
 
     PS1="${PROMPT_START}$($prompt_callback)${STATUS}${PROMPT_END}"
     if [[ -n "${VIRTUAL_ENV}" ]]; then