diff --git a/lib/git.zsh b/lib/git.zsh
index 4d1634e8b..c1ecb2b77 100644
--- a/lib/git.zsh
+++ b/lib/git.zsh
@@ -6,6 +6,47 @@ function git_prompt_info() {
 
 # Checks if working tree is dirty
 parse_git_dirty() {
+    if [ "true" = "$IS_LEGACY_GIT" ]; then
+        echo $(parse_legacy_git_dirty)
+    else
+        echo $(parse_recent_git_dirty)
+    fi
+}
+
+# echos the string 'true' if this git is old enough not to have --ignore-submodules
+# echos false otherwise 
+get_is_legacy_git() {
+    checkit() {
+        if [ $1 -gt 1 ]; then
+            echo "false"
+        elif [ $1 -eq 1 -a $2 -gt 7 ]; then
+            echo "false"
+        elif [ $1 -eq 1 -a $2 -eq 7 -a $3 -ge 2 ]; then
+            echo "false"
+        else
+            echo "true" 
+        fi
+    }
+    echo $(checkit $(git --version | cut -d " " -f 3 | tr '.' ' '))
+}
+
+#this is unlikely to change so make it all statically assigned
+IS_LEGACY_GIT=$(get_is_legacy_git)
+
+#clean up the namespace slightly by removing the checker function
+unset -f get_is_legacy_git
+
+# Checks if working tree is dirty when --ignore-submodules is not present
+parse_legacy_git_dirty() {
+  if [[ -n $(git status --porcelain 2> /dev/null) ]]; then
+    echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY"
+  else
+    echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Checks if working tree is dirty when git is recent
+parse_recent_git_dirty() {
   if [[ -n $(git status -s --ignore-submodules=dirty 2> /dev/null) ]]; then
     echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY"
   else
@@ -61,4 +102,4 @@ git_prompt_status() {
     STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_UNMERGED$STATUS"
   fi
   echo $STATUS
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}