diff --git a/plugins/status.js b/plugins/status.js
index d5859a2..5c499be 100644
--- a/plugins/status.js
+++ b/plugins/status.js
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ var exec = require('child_process').exec;
 
 module.exports = function(req, res, next) {
   var cwd = req.path,
+      trackingRegex = /\[(?:ahead (\d+))?(?:, )?(?:behind (\d+))?\]/,
+      fileStates = ['M','A','D','R','C'],
       tags,
       dirname = path.dirname(cwd).replace(req.gr.homePath, '~') + path.sep,
       repos = (req.gr.directories ? req.gr.directories : []),
@@ -18,11 +20,77 @@ module.exports = function(req, res, next) {
         return Math.max(prev, current.replace(req.gr.homePath, '~').length + 2);
       }, 0);
 
+  function cloneState(lines) {
+    var stage, workTree,
+        i = 0,
+        flags = 0; // 0b100: modified, 0b010: staged, 0b001: untracked
+    // stop parsing if all flags are set (0b111)
+    while (i < lines.length && lines[i].length > 1 && flags !== 7) {
+      stage = lines[i].charAt(0);
+      workTree = lines[i++].charAt(1);
+      if (stage === 'U' || workTree === 'U') {
+        return ['MERGE', 'red']; // early exit
+      }
+      if ((flags & 2) === 0 && fileStates.includes(stage)) {
+        flags += 2;
+      }
+      if ((flags & 4) === 0 && fileStates.includes(workTree)) {
+        flags += 4;
+      }
+      if ((flags & 1) === 0 && workTree === '?') {
+        flags += 1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    switch (flags) {
+      case 0:
+        return ['clean', 'green'];
+      case 1:
+        return ['%    ', 'green'];
+      case 2:
+        return ['+    ', 'red'];
+      case 3:
+        return ['+%   ', 'red'];
+      case 4:
+        return ['*    ', 'red'];
+      case 5:
+        return ['*%   ', 'red'];
+      case 6:
+        return ['+*   ', 'red'];
+      case 7:
+        return ['+*%  ', 'red'];
+    }
+  }
+
   function pad(s, len) {
     return (s.toString().length < len ?
       new Array(len - s.toString().length).join(' ') : '');
   }
 
+  function remoteInfo(porcelain) {
+    var display = 'u',
+        parsed;
+    if (!porcelain) {
+      return style('no upstream', 'gray'); // early exit
+    }
+
+    parsed = porcelain.match(trackingRegex) || ['', undefined, undefined];
+    if (parsed[1]) {
+      display = display + '+' + parsed[1];
+    }
+    if (parsed[2]) {
+      display = display + '-' + parsed[2];
+    }
+
+    if (!parsed[1] && !parsed[2]) {
+      return '           '; // neither ahead nor behind (directly padded)
+    } else if (parsed[1] && parsed[2]) {
+      return style(display, 'red') + pad(display, 12); // both
+    } else {
+      return display + pad(display, 12); // either ahead or behind
+    }
+  }
+
   // force human format, makes commandRequirements print out when skipping
   if (!commandRequirements.git({ format: 'json', path: cwd })) {
 
@@ -38,7 +106,7 @@ module.exports = function(req, res, next) {
   // search for matching tags
   tags = req.gr.getTagsByPath(cwd);
 
-  if (req.argv.length > 0 && req.argv[0] == '-v') {
+  if (req.argv.length > 0 && req.argv.includes('-v')) {
     console.log(
       style('\nin ' + dirname, 'gray') +
       style(path.basename(cwd), 'white') + '\n'
@@ -50,30 +118,27 @@ module.exports = function(req, res, next) {
         cwd: cwd,
         maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024 // 1Mb
       }, function(err, stdout, stderr) {
-        var lines = stdout.split('\n').filter(function(line) {
-          return !!line.trim();
-        });
+        var lines = stdout.split('\n');
 
         //remove the branch info so it isn't counted as a change
-        var branchInfo = lines.shift();
+        var branchInfo = lines.shift().slice(3).split('...', 2);
 
         // parse
-        var behind = (branchInfo || '').match(/(\[.+\])/g) || '',
-            modified = (lines.length > 0 ?
-              lines.length + ' modified' :
-              'Clean'
-            );
-
-        var branchName = branchInfo.slice(3).split('...', 1)[0];
-
-        console.log(
-          style(dirname, 'gray') +
-          style(path.basename(cwd), 'white') + pad(dirname + path.basename(cwd), pathMaxLen) + ' ' +
-          branchName + pad(branchName, 15) + ' ' +
-          style(modified, (lines.length > 0 ? 'red' : 'green')) + pad(modified, 14) +
-          behind + pad(behind, 14) +
-          tags.map(function(s) { return '@' + s; }).join(' ')
-        );
+        var branchName = branchInfo[0],
+            behind = remoteInfo(branchInfo[1]),
+            modified = cloneState(lines),
+            pname = path.basename(cwd),
+            printed;
+
+        printed = style(dirname, 'gray') +
+          style(pname, 'white') + pad(dirname + pname, pathMaxLen) + ' ' +
+          branchName + pad(branchName, 24) + ' ' +
+          style(modified[0], modified[1]) + ' ' +
+          behind;
+        if (req.argv.length === 0 || !req.argv.includes('-q')) {
+          printed += tags.map(function(s) { return '@' + s; }).join(' ');
+        }
+        console.log(printed);
         if (err !== null) {
           console.log('exec error: ' + err);
           if (stderr) {