diff --git a/config/settings.conf b/config/settings.conf
index e9f2552..c579acd 100644
--- a/config/settings.conf
+++ b/config/settings.conf
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ SBP_THEME_COLOR=${SBP_THEME_COLOR:-'default-256'}
 SBP_THEME_LAYOUT=${SBP_THEME_LAYOUT:-'plain'}
 
 # Default segment settings
+SEGMENTS_GIT_GITSTATUS=${SEGMENTS_GIT_GITSTATUS:-"false"}
 SEGMENTS_K8S_DEFAULT_USER=${SEGMENTS_K8S_DEFAULT_USER:-"$USER"}
 SEGMENTS_K8S_HIDE_CLUSTER=${SEGMENTS_K8S_HIDE_CLUSTER:-0}
 SEGMENTS_LOAD_THRESHOLD=${SEGMENTS_LOAD_THRESHOLD:-50}
diff --git a/config/settings.conf.template b/config/settings.conf.template
index 4feab36..9106ecf 100644
--- a/config/settings.conf.template
+++ b/config/settings.conf.template
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # Segment specific settings
+SEGMENTS_GIT_GITSTATUS='false'
 SEGMENTS_K8S_DEFAULT_USER="$USER"
 SEGMENTS_K8S_HIDE_CLUSTER=0
 SEGMENTS_LOAD_THRESHOLD=50
diff --git a/sbp.bash b/sbp.bash
index 8dca2b6..6c42f6f 100644
--- a/sbp.bash
+++ b/sbp.bash
@@ -15,6 +15,23 @@ else
   SBP_TMP=$(mktemp -d) && trap 'command rm -rf "$SBP_TMP"' EXIT;
 fi
 
+# start gitstatus in the background if enabled
+# shellcheck source=src/configure.bash
+source "${SBP_PATH}/src/configure.bash"
+configure::load_config
+
+if [[ $SEGMENTS_GIT_GITSTATUS ]]; then
+  if [[ -n ${GITSTATUS_DIR:-} ]]; then
+    source "$GITSTATUS_DIR" || return
+  elif [[ ${BASH_SOURCE[0]} == */* ]]; then
+    source "${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}/gitstatus.plugin.sh" || return
+  else
+    source gitstatus.plugin.sh || return
+  fi
+
+  gitstatus_stop && gitstatus_start -s -1 -u -1 -c -1 -d -1
+fi
+
 export SBP_TMP
 export SBP_PATH
 export COLUMNS
@@ -39,10 +56,9 @@ _sbp_set_prompt() {
     title="${HOSTNAME:-ssh}:${title}"
   fi
   printf '\e]2;%s\007' "$title"
-
-  PS1=$(bash "${SBP_PATH}/src/main.bash" "$command_status" "$command_duration")
+  # gitstatus.plugin.sh requires an interactive shell
+  PS1=$(bash --noediting --noprofile --norc -i "${SBP_PATH}/src/main.bash" "$command_status" "$command_duration" "$GITSTATUS_DIR" "$GITSTATUS_DAEMON_PID" "$_GITSTATUS_REQ_FD" "$_GITSTATUS_RESP_FD")
   [[ -n "$SBP_DEBUG" ]] && debug::tick_timer "Done"
-
 }
 
 _sbp_pre_exec() {
diff --git a/src/main.bash b/src/main.bash
index a6d0bd2..8ba5642 100755
--- a/src/main.bash
+++ b/src/main.bash
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-#! /usr/bin/env bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# turn off history to not pollute the users history with our commands
+# first turn of the history file to not add the set afterwards to it
+export HISTFILE=/dev/null
+set +o history
 
 # shellcheck source=src/debug.bash
 source "${SBP_PATH}/src/debug.bash"
@@ -13,6 +18,10 @@ configure::load_config
 
 readonly COMMAND_EXIT_CODE=$1
 readonly COMMAND_DURATION=$2
+readonly GITSTATUS_DIR=$3
+readonly GITSTATUS_DAEMON_PID=$4
+readonly _GITSTATUS_REQ_FD=$5
+readonly _GITSTATUS_RESP_FD=$6
 
 main::main() {
   execute::execute_prompt_hooks
diff --git a/src/segments/git.bash b/src/segments/git.bash
index 9741518..c6a7a59 100644
--- a/src/segments/git.bash
+++ b/src/segments/git.bash
@@ -1,28 +1,6 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env bash
 
-segments::git() {
-  local max_length=$SEGMENTS_MAX_LENGTH
-
-  local incoming_icon="${SEGMENTS_GIT_INCOMING_ICON:-↓}"
-  local outgoing_icon="${SEGMENTS_GIT_OUTGOING_ICON:-↑}"
-
-  local branch_only="${SEGMENTS_GIT_BRANCH_ONLY:-false}"
-
-  local path=${PWD}
-  while [[ $path ]]; do
-    if [[ -d "${path}/.git" ]]; then
-      local git_folder="${path}/.git"
-      break
-    fi
-    path=${path%/*}
-  done
-
-  [[ -z "$git_folder" ]] && exit 0
-  if [[ "$PWD" == "$git_folder" ]]; then
-    print_themed_segment 'normal' '.git/'
-    return 0
-  fi
-
+segments::git::native() {
   if [[ "$branch_only" == false ]]; then
     local git_status="$(git status --porcelain --branch 2>/dev/null)"
 
@@ -61,10 +39,11 @@ segments::git() {
             outgoing_filled="${upstream_stripped/ahead / ${outgoing_icon}}"
             upstream_status="${outgoing_filled/behind / ${incoming_icon}}"
           fi
+          ;;
       esac
     done <<< "$git_status"
 
-    local git_state="${additions_icon}${additions#0}${modifications_icon}${modifications#0}${deletions_icon}${deletions#0}${untracked_icon}${untracked#0}"
+    git_state="${additions_icon}${additions#0}${modifications_icon}${modifications#0}${deletions_icon}${deletions#0}${untracked_icon}${untracked#0}"
 
     # git status does not support detached head
     if [[ "$branch" != 'HEAD' ]]; then
@@ -75,6 +54,75 @@ segments::git() {
   else
     git_head=$(git symbolic-ref --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || git rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null)
   fi
+}
+
+segments::git::gitstatus() {
+  # TODO: keep the source from sbp.bash
+  if [[ -n ${GITSTATUS_DIR:-} ]]; then
+    source "$GITSTATUS_DIR" || return
+  elif [[ ${BASH_SOURCE[0]} == */* ]]; then
+    source "${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}/gitstatus.plugin.sh" || return
+  else
+    source gitstatus.plugin.sh || return
+  fi
+
+  gitstatus_query "$@" || return 1                # error
+  [[ $VCS_STATUS_RESULT == ok-sync ]] || return 0 # not a git repo
+
+  git_head="${VCS_STATUS_LOCAL_BRANCH:-${VCS_STATUS_TAG:-${VCS_STATUS_COMMIT:-}}}"
+
+  if [[ "$branch_only" == false ]]; then
+    VCS_STATUS_DELETED=$((VCS_STATUS_NUM_STAGED_DELETED + VCS_STATUS_NUM_UNSTAGED_DELETED))
+
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_NUM_STAGED_NEW -gt 0  ]]; then
+      git_state=' +'${VCS_STATUS_NUM_STAGED_NEW#0}
+    fi
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_NUM_UNSTAGED -gt 0  ]]; then
+      git_state=$git_state' ~'${VCS_STATUS_NUM_UNSTAGED#0}
+    fi
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_DELETED -gt 0  ]]; then
+      git_state=$git_state' -'${VCS_STATUS_DELETED#0}
+    fi
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_NUM_UNTRACKED -gt 0  ]]; then
+      git_state=$git_state' ?'${VCS_STATUS_NUM_UNTRACKED#0}
+    fi
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_COMMITS_AHEAD -gt 0 ]]; then
+      upstream_status="$outgoing_icon$VCS_STATUS_COMMITS_AHEAD "
+    fi
+    if [[ $VCS_STATUS_COMMITS_BEHIND -gt 0 ]]; then
+      upstream_status="$upstream_status $incoming_icon$VCS_STATUS_COMMITS_BEHIND"
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+segments::git() {
+  max_length=$SEGMENTS_MAX_LENGTH
+
+  incoming_icon="${SEGMENTS_GIT_INCOMING_ICON:-↓}"
+  outgoing_icon="${SEGMENTS_GIT_OUTGOING_ICON:-↑}"
+
+  branch_only="${SEGMENTS_GIT_BRANCH_ONLY:-false}"
+
+  local path=${PWD}
+  while [[ $path ]]; do
+  if [[ -d "${path}/.git" ]]; then
+      local git_folder="${path}/.git"
+      break
+    fi
+    path=${path%/*}
+  done
+
+  [[ -z "$git_folder" ]] && exit 0
+  if [[ "$PWD" == "$git_folder" ]]; then
+    print_themed_segment 'normal' '.git/'
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  if [[ $SEGMENTS_GIT_GITSTATUS == true ]]; then
+    segments::git::gitstatus
+  else
+    segments::git::native
+  fi
 
   git_size=$(( ${#git_state} + ${#SEGMENTS_GIT_ICON} + ${#git_head} + ${#upstream_status} ))