diff --git a/autoload/airline/init.vim b/autoload/airline/init.vim
index 1a74cca9..02f1c49e 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/init.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/init.vim
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
   let s:loaded = 1
 
   let g:airline#init#bootstrapping = 1
-  call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0b0" : " ")
-  call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0b1" : "|")
-  call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0b2" : " ")
-  call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0b3" : "|")
+
+  let g:airline#util#async = v:version >= 800 && has('job')
+  let g:airline#util#is_windows = has('win32') || has('win64')
+
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_modified', 1)
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_paste', 1)
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_crypt', 1)
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_preview', 0)
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_gui_mode', airline#init#gui_mode())
 
-  let g:airline#util#async = v:version >= 800 && has('job')
-  let g:airline#util#is_windows = has('win32') || has('win64')
-
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_mode_map', {})
   call extend(g:airline_mode_map, {
         \ '__' : '------',
@@ -64,19 +61,64 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
         \ }, 'keep')
 
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_symbols', {})
+  " First define the symbols,
+  " that are common in Powerline/Unicode/ASCII mode,
+  " then add specific symbols for either mode
   call extend(g:airline_symbols, {
-        \ 'paste': 'PASTE',
-        \ 'spell': 'SPELL',
-        \ 'readonly': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0a2" : 'RO',
-        \ 'whitespace': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\u2632" : "\u2632",
-        \ 'linenr': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0a1" : "\u33D1",
-        \ 'maxlinenr': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\u2630" : "\u2630",
-        \ 'branch': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? "\ue0a0" : "\u16A0",
-        \ 'notexists': "\u2204",
-        \ 'modified': '+',
-        \ 'space': ' ',
-        \ 'crypt': get(g:, 'airline_crypt_symbol', nr2char(0x1F512)),
-        \ }, 'keep')
+          \ 'paste': 'PASTE',
+          \ 'spell': 'SPELL',
+          \ 'modified': '+',
+          \ 'space': ' '
+          \  }, 'keep')
+
+  if exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')
+    " Symbols for Powerline terminals
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', "\ue0b0")      " 
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', "\ue0b1")  " 
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', "\ue0b2")     " 
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', "\ue0b3") " 
+    " ro=, ws=☲, lnr=☰, mlnr=, br=, nx=Ɇ, crypt=🔒
+    call extend(g:airline_symbols, {
+          \ 'readonly': "\ue0a2",
+          \ 'whitespace': "\u2632",
+          \ 'linenr': "\u2630",
+          \ 'maxlinenr': "\ue0a1",
+          \ 'branch': "\ue0a0",
+          \ 'notexists': "\u0246",
+          \ 'crypt': nr2char(0x1F512),
+          \ }, 'keep')
+  elseif &encoding==?'utf-8'
+    " Symbols for Unicode terminals
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', "")
+    " ro=⊝, ws=☲, lnr=☰, mlnr=㏑, br=ᚠ, nx=Ɇ, crypt=🔒
+    call extend(g:airline_symbols, {
+          \ 'readonly': "\u229D",
+          \ 'whitespace': "\u2632",
+          \ 'linenr': "\u2630",
+          \ 'maxlinenr': "\u33D1",
+          \ 'branch': "\u16A0",
+          \ 'notexists': "\u0246",
+          \ 'crypt': nr2char(0x1F512),
+          \ }, 'keep')
+  else
+    " Symbols for ASCII terminals
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', "")
+    call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', "")
+    call extend(g:airline_symbols, {
+          \ 'readonly': 'RO',
+          \ 'whitespace': '!',
+          \ 'linenr': 'ln',
+          \ 'maxlinenr': ':',
+          \ 'branch': '',
+          \ 'notexists': '?',
+          \ 'crypt': 'cr',
+          \ }, 'keep')
+  endif
 
   call airline#parts#define('mode', {
         \ 'function': 'airline#parts#mode',