diff --git a/lib/git.zsh b/lib/git.zsh
index b1dfce357..41251068b 100644
--- a/lib/git.zsh
+++ b/lib/git.zsh
@@ -12,7 +12,15 @@ parse_git_dirty() {
   if [[ $POST_1_7_2_GIT -gt 0 ]]; then
         SUBMODULE_SYNTAX="--ignore-submodules=dirty"
   fi
-  if [[ -n $(git status -s ${SUBMODULE_SYNTAX}  2> /dev/null) ]]; then
+  local GIT_DIRTY=0
+  # see https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh/commit/3c87d483628267e48fc0f462f46488dcd4f87810
+  # and https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh/issues/40
+  if [[ $POST_1_6_1_GIT -gt 0 ]]; then
+        [[ -n $(git status -s ${SUBMODULE_SYNTAX}  2> /dev/null) ]] && GIT_DIRTY=1
+  else
+        [[ $((git status 2> /dev/null) | tail -n1) != "nothing to commit (working directory clean)" ]] && GIT_DIRTY=1
+  fi
+  if (( GIT_DIRTY )); then
     echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY"
   else
     echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN"
@@ -124,6 +132,7 @@ function git_compare_version() {
 
 #this is unlikely to change so make it all statically assigned
 POST_1_7_2_GIT=$(git_compare_version "1.7.2")
+POST_1_6_1_GIT=$(git_compare_version "1.6.1")
 #clean up the namespace slightly by removing the checker function
 unset -f git_compare_version