diff --git a/lib/git.zsh b/lib/git.zsh
index 6fc79bdfc..c82f63e7c 100644
--- a/lib/git.zsh
+++ b/lib/git.zsh
@@ -10,28 +10,18 @@ function git_prompt_info() {
 
 # Checks if working tree is dirty
 parse_git_dirty() {
-  local SUBMODULE_SYNTAX=''
-  local GIT_STATUS=''
-  local CLEAN_MESSAGE='nothing to commit (working directory clean)'
-  if [[ "$(command git config --get oh-my-zsh.hide-status)" != "1" ]]; then
-    if [[ $POST_1_7_2_GIT -gt 0 ]]; then
-          SUBMODULE_SYNTAX="--ignore-submodules=dirty"
-    fi
-    if [[ "$DISABLE_UNTRACKED_FILES_DIRTY" == "true" ]]; then
-        GIT_STATUS=$(command git status -s ${SUBMODULE_SYNTAX} -uno 2> /dev/null | tail -n1)
-    else
-        GIT_STATUS=$(command git status -s ${SUBMODULE_SYNTAX} 2> /dev/null | tail -n1)
-    fi
-    if [[ -n $GIT_STATUS ]]; then
-      echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY"
-    else
-      echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN"
-    fi
+  [[ GIT_HIDE == 'true' ]] && return
+  if git_is_clean; then
+    echo $ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN
   else
-    echo "$ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_CLEAN"
+    echo $ZSH_THEME_GIT_PROMPT_DIRTY
   fi
 }
 
+git_is_clean() {
+  [[ $(command git status -s $GIT_STATUS_OPTIONS 2> /dev/null) == '' ]]
+}
+
 # get the difference between the local and remote branches
 git_remote_status() {
     remote=${$(command git rev-parse --verify ${hook_com[branch]}@{upstream} --symbolic-full-name 2>/dev/null)/refs\/remotes\/}
@@ -119,25 +109,39 @@ git_prompt_status() {
 #compare the provided version of git to the version installed and on path
 #prints 1 if installed version > input version
 #prints -1 otherwise
-function git_compare_version() {
-  local INPUT_GIT_VERSION=$1;
-  local INSTALLED_GIT_VERSION
-  INPUT_GIT_VERSION=(${(s/./)INPUT_GIT_VERSION});
-  INSTALLED_GIT_VERSION=($(command git --version 2>/dev/null));
-  INSTALLED_GIT_VERSION=(${(s/./)INSTALLED_GIT_VERSION[3]});
+function is_recent_git_version() {
+  local not_recent_git
+  local installed_git
+  not_recent_git=(1 7 2);
+  installed_git=($(command git --version 2>/dev/null));
+  installed_git=(${(s/./)installed_git[3]});
 
   for i in {1..3}; do
-    if [[ $INSTALLED_GIT_VERSION[$i] -gt $INPUT_GIT_VERSION[$i] ]]; then
-      echo 1
+    if [[ $installed_git[$i] -gt $not_recent_git[$i] ]]; then
       return 0
     fi
   done
-  echo -1
+  return 1
 }
 
+function set_git_status_options() {
+  GIT_STATUS_OPTIONS=''
+  if is_recent_git_version; then
+    GIT_STATUS_OPTIONS+='--ignore-submodules=dirty'
+  fi
+  if [[ $DISABLE_UNTRACKED_FILES_DIRTY == 'true' ]]; then
+    GIT_STATUS_OPTIONS+=' -uno'
+  fi
+}
+
+function check_git_show_status() {
+  if [[ $(command git config --get oh-my-zsh.hide-status) != "1" ]]; then
+    # no need to set options if status is hidden anyway
+    set_git_status_options
+  else
+    GIT_HIDE='true'
+  fi
+}
 #this is unlikely to change so make it all statically assigned
-POST_1_7_2_GIT=$(git_compare_version "1.7.2")
-#clean up the namespace slightly by removing the checker function
-unset -f git_compare_version
-
+check_git_show_status