diff --git a/lib/git.zsh b/lib/git.zsh
index b6546d8e4..c1ecb2b77 100644
--- a/lib/git.zsh
+++ b/lib/git.zsh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ function git_prompt_info() {
 
 # Checks if working tree is dirty
 parse_git_dirty() {
-    if $(is_legacy_git); then
+    if [ "true" = "$IS_LEGACY_GIT" ]; then
         echo $(parse_legacy_git_dirty)
     else
         echo $(parse_recent_git_dirty)
@@ -15,21 +15,27 @@ parse_git_dirty() {
 
 # echos the string 'true' if this git is old enough not to have --ignore-submodules
 # echos false otherwise 
-is_legacy_git() {
+get_is_legacy_git() {
     checkit() {
         if [ $1 -gt 1 ]; then
-            echo false
+            echo "false"
         elif [ $1 -eq 1 -a $2 -gt 7 ]; then
-            echo false
+            echo "false"
         elif [ $1 -eq 1 -a $2 -eq 7 -a $3 -ge 2 ]; then
-            echo false
+            echo "false"
         else
-            echo true 
+            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 $(git status --porcelain 2> /dev/null) ]]; then
@@ -96,4 +102,4 @@ git_prompt_status() {
     STATUS="$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_UNMERGED$STATUS"
   fi
   echo $STATUS
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}