diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
index 1389fb3b..bfe6e78d 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 " MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
+let s:empty_message = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#branch#empty_message',
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_branch_empty_message', ''))
+let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#branch#symbol',
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_branch_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : ''))
+
 let s:has_fugitive = exists('*fugitive#head')
 let s:has_fugitive_detect = exists('*fugitive#detect')
 let s:has_lawrencium = exists('*lawrencium#statusline')
@@ -23,7 +28,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#branch#get_head()
     endif
   endif
 
-  return empty(head) ? g:airline_branch_empty_message : g:airline_branch_prefix.head
+  return empty(head) ? s:empty_message : s:symbol.head
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#branch#init(ext)
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
index b0402a06..6f0087cc 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 " MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
-" vim: ts=2 sts=2 sw=2 fdm=indent
+" vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
-if !exists('g:airline#extensions#csv#column_display')
-  let g:airline#extensions#csv#column_display = 'Number'
-endif
+let s:column_display = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#csv#column_display', 'Number')
 
 function! airline#extensions#csv#get_column()
   if exists('*CSV_WCol')
-    if g:airline#extensions#csv#column_display ==# 'Name'
+    if s:column_display ==# 'Name'
       return '['.CSV_WCol('Name').CSV_WCol().']'
     else
       return '['.CSV_WCol().']'
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 139a2376..6ae9a192 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '␊ '
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '␤ '
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '¶ '
-  let g:airline_branch_prefix = '⎇ '
+  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = '⎇ '
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'ρ'
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'Þ'
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = '∥'
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_left_alt_sep = ''
   let g:airline_right_sep = ''
   let g:airline_right_alt_sep = ''
-  let g:airline_branch_prefix = ' '
+  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = ' '
   let g:airline_readonly_symbol = ''
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = ' '
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_left_alt_sep = '⮁'
   let g:airline_right_sep = '⮂'
   let g:airline_right_alt_sep = '⮃'
-  let g:airline_branch_prefix = '⭠'
+  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = '⭠'
   let g:airline_readonly_symbol = '⭤'
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '⭡'
 <
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ lawrencium   <https://bitbucket.org/ludovicchabant/vim-lawrencium>
   let g:airline_enable_branch = 1
 <
 * change the text for when no branch is detected >
-  let g:airline_branch_empty_message = ''
+  let g:airline#extensions#branch#empty_message = ''
 <
                                                          *airline-syntastic*
 syntastic <https://github.com/scrooloose/syntastic>
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 0c02562e..0d9d8d3c 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_iminsert', 0)
 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_whitespace', 1)
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_branch_empty_message', '')
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_branch_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?' ':'')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_readonly_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?'':'RO')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_linecolumn_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?' ':':')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_paste_symbol', (exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : '').'PASTE')