diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 278de6f..9452119 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ The prompt may look like the following:
 
 By default, the general appearance of the prompt is::
 
-    (<branch> <branch tracking>|<local status>)
+    (<branch> <upstream branch> <branch tracking>|<local status>)
 
 The symbols are as follows:
 
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ The symbols are as follows:
   - ``✚n``: there are ``n`` changed but *unstaged* files
   - ``…n``: there are ``n`` untracked files
   - ``⚑n``: there are ``n`` stash entries
+- Upstream branch
+  - Shows the remote tracking branch
+  - Disabled by default
+  - Enable by setting GIT_PROMPT_SHOW_UPSTREAM=1
 - Branch Tracking Symbols
   - ``↑n``: ahead of remote by ``n`` commits
   - ``↓n``: behind remote by ``n`` commits
@@ -119,6 +123,8 @@ git clone https://github.com/magicmonty/bash-git-prompt.git .bash-git-prompt
 
    # 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
    # GIT_PROMPT_END=...      # uncomment for custom prompt end sequence
 
diff --git a/gitprompt.sh b/gitprompt.sh
index 3c06abf..df4f168 100755
--- a/gitprompt.sh
+++ b/gitprompt.sh
@@ -434,23 +434,33 @@ function updatePrompt() {
   git_prompt_config
 
   export __GIT_PROMPT_IGNORE_STASH=${GIT_PROMPT_IGNORE_STASH}
-  local -a GitStatus
-  GitStatus=($("$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" 2>/dev/null))
+  export __GIT_PROMPT_SHOW_UPSTREAM=${GIT_PROMPT_SHOW_UPSTREAM}
 
-  local GIT_BRANCH=$(replaceSymbols ${GitStatus[0]})
-  local GIT_REMOTE="$(replaceSymbols ${GitStatus[1]})"
+  local -a git_status_fields
+  git_status_fields=($("$__GIT_STATUS_CMD" 2>/dev/null))
+
+  local GIT_BRANCH=$(replaceSymbols ${git_status_fields[0]})
+  local GIT_REMOTE="$(replaceSymbols ${git_status_fields[1]})"
   if [[ "." == "$GIT_REMOTE" ]]; then
     unset GIT_REMOTE
   fi
-  local GIT_STAGED=${GitStatus[2]}
-  local GIT_CONFLICTS=${GitStatus[3]}
-  local GIT_CHANGED=${GitStatus[4]}
-  local GIT_UNTRACKED=${GitStatus[5]}
-  local GIT_STASHED=${GitStatus[6]}
-  local GIT_CLEAN=${GitStatus[7]}
+
+  local GIT_UPSTREAM="${git_status_fields[2]}"
+  if [[ -z "${__GIT_PROMPT_SHOW_UPSTREAM}" || "^" == "$GIT_UPSTREAM" ]]; then
+    unset GIT_UPSTREAM
+  else
+    GIT_UPSTREAM="${GIT_PROMPT_UPSTREAM//_UPSTREAM_/${GIT_UPSTREAM}}"
+  fi
+
+  local GIT_STAGED=${git_status_fields[3]}
+  local GIT_CONFLICTS=${git_status_fields[4]}
+  local GIT_CHANGED=${git_status_fields[5]}
+  local GIT_UNTRACKED=${git_status_fields[6]}
+  local GIT_STASHED=${git_status_fields[7]}
+  local GIT_CLEAN=${git_status_fields[8]}
 
   local NEW_PROMPT="$EMPTY_PROMPT"
-  if [[ -n "$GitStatus" ]]; then
+  if [[ -n "$git_status_fields" ]]; then
     local STATUS="${PROMPT_LEADING_SPACE}${GIT_PROMPT_PREFIX}${GIT_PROMPT_BRANCH}${GIT_BRANCH}${ResetColor}"
 
     # __add_status KIND VALEXPR INSERT
@@ -481,6 +491,7 @@ function updatePrompt() {
       eval "STATUS=\"$STATUS$1\""
     }
 
+    __add_status        '$GIT_UPSTREAM'
     __chk_gitvar_status 'REMOTE'     '-n'
     __add_status        "$GIT_PROMPT_SEPARATOR"
     __chk_gitvar_status 'STAGED'     '-ne 0'
@@ -522,7 +533,8 @@ function is_function {
 }
 #Helper function that truncates $PWD depending on window width
 function gp_truncate_pwd {
-  local newPWD="${PWD/#$HOME/~}"
+  local tilde="~"
+  local newPWD="${PWD/#${HOME}/${tilde}}"
   local pwdmaxlen=$((${COLUMNS:-80}/3))
   [ ${#newPWD} -gt $pwdmaxlen ] && newPWD="...${newPWD:3-$pwdmaxlen}"
   echo -n "$newPWD"
diff --git a/gitstatus.sh b/gitstatus.sh
index 95d312a..787775d 100755
--- a/gitstatus.sh
+++ b/gitstatus.sh
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ fi
 IFS="^" read -ra branch_fields <<< "${branch_line/\#\# }"
 branch="${branch_fields[0]}"
 remote=
+upstream=
 
 if [[ "$branch" == *"Initial commit on"* ]]; then
   IFS=" " read -ra fields <<< "$branch"
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ else
     remote="_NO_REMOTE_TRACKING_"
   else
     IFS="[,]" read -ra remote_fields <<< "${branch_fields[1]}"
+    upstream="${remote_fields[0]}"
     for remote_field in "${remote_fields[@]}"; do
       if [[ "$remote_field" == *ahead* ]]; then
         num_ahead=${remote_field:6}
@@ -88,9 +90,14 @@ if [[ -z "$remote" ]] ; then
   remote='.'
 fi
 
-printf "%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n" \
+if [[ -z "$upstream" ]] ; then
+  upstream='^'
+fi
+
+printf "%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n" \
   "$branch" \
   "$remote" \
+  "$upstream" \
   $num_staged \
   $num_conflicts \
   $num_changed \
diff --git a/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh b/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh
index f613709..1f60657 100755
--- a/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh
+++ b/gitstatus_pre-1.7.10.sh
@@ -19,26 +19,27 @@ if [ -z "${__GIT_PROMPT_DIR}" ]; then
   __GIT_PROMPT_DIR="$( cd -P "$( dirname "${SOURCE}" )" && pwd )"
 fi
 
-gitsym=`git symbolic-ref HEAD`
+branch=$( git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD )
 
-# if "fatal: Not a git repo .., then exit
-case "$gitsym" in fatal*) exit 0 ;; esac
+#If error code we are not in a repo - exit
+if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then exit 0; fi
 
-# the current branch is the tail end of the symbolic reference
-branch="${gitsym##refs/heads/}"    # get the basename after "refs/heads/"
+#If we are detached, branch name will be HEAD
+if [[ "$branch" == "HEAD" ]]; then
+  unset branch
+fi
 
-gitstatus=`git diff --name-status 2>&1`
+gitstatus=$( git diff --name-status 2>&1 )
 
 # if the diff is fatal, exit now
-case "$gitstatus" in fatal*) exit 0 ;; esac
-
+if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then exit 0; fi
 
-staged_files=`git diff --staged --name-status`
+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 $(git rev-parse --show-cdup) | wc -l`
+num_changed=$(( $( all_lines "$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
@@ -56,19 +57,20 @@ if (( num_changed == 0 && num_staged == 0 && num_U == 0 && num_untracked == 0 &&
 fi
 
 remote=
+upstream=
 
 if [[ -z "$branch" ]]; then
-  tag=`git describe --exact-match`
+  tag=$( git describe --exact-match 2>/dev/null )
   if [[ -n "$tag" ]]; then
     branch="$tag"
   else
-    branch="_PREHASH_`git rev-parse --short HEAD`"
+    branch="_PREHASH_$( git rev-parse --short HEAD )"
   fi
 else
-  remote_name=`git config branch.${branch}.remote`
+  remote_name=$( git config branch.${branch}.remote )
 
   if [[ -n "$remote_name" ]]; then
-    merge_name=`git config branch.${branch}.merge`
+    merge_name=$( git config branch.${branch}.merge )
   else
     remote_name='origin'
     merge_name="refs/heads/${branch}"
@@ -81,24 +83,27 @@ else
   fi
 
   # detect if the local branch have a remote tracking branch
-  cmd_output=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref ${branch}@{upstream} 2>&1 >/dev/null)
+  upstream=$( git rev-parse --abbrev-ref ${branch}@{upstream} 2>&1 )
 
   if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
     has_remote_tracking=1
   else
     has_remote_tracking=0
+    unset upstream
   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}"
+  revgit=$( git rev-list --left-right ${remote_ref}...HEAD 2>/dev/null )
+  if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
+    num_revs=$( 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
 fi
 
@@ -110,9 +115,14 @@ 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" \
+if [[ -z "$upstream" ]] ; then
+  upstream='^'
+fi
+
+printf "%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n%s\n" \
   "$branch" \
   "$remote" \
+  "$upstream" \
   $num_staged \
   $num_conflicts \
   $num_changed \
diff --git a/themes/Default.bgptheme b/themes/Default.bgptheme
index fd823cb..b24a11e 100644
--- a/themes/Default.bgptheme
+++ b/themes/Default.bgptheme
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ unset_git_prompt_colors() {
   unset GIT_PROMPT_COMMAND_FAIL
   unset GIT_PROMPT_STATUS_COMMAND
   unset GIT_PROMPT_VIRTUALENV
+  unset GIT_PROMPT_UPSTREAM
   unset GIT_PROMPT_START_USER
   unset GIT_PROMPT_START_ROOT
   unset GIT_PROMPT_END_USER
@@ -73,6 +74,11 @@ define_undefined_git_prompt_colors() {
   # 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
 
+  # template for displaying the current remote tracking branch
+  # 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