diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
index 1ad7d92a..4aac225c 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
@@ -195,10 +195,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#load()
     endif
   endif
 
-  if get(g:, 'airline#extensions#readonly#enabled', 1)
-    call airline#extensions#readonly#init()
-  endif
-
   " load all other extensions not part of the default distribution
   for file in split(globpath(&rtp, "autoload/airline/extensions/*.vim"), "\n")
     " check to see that both the resolved and unresolved paths do not match
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
index 38e54d2a..72c9c886 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
 
 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', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? ' ' : ''))
+let s:symbol = g:airline_symbols.branch
 
 let s:has_fugitive = exists('*fugitive#head')
 let s:has_fugitive_detect = exists('*fugitive#detect')
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#branch#get_head()
     endif
   endif
 
-  return empty(head) ? s:empty_message : s:symbol.head
+  return empty(head) ? s:empty_message : s:symbol.' '.head
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#branch#init(ext)
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bff4d43..00000000
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-" MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
-" vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
-
-let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#readonly#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_readonly_symbol', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '' : 'RO'))
-
-function! airline#extensions#readonly#get_mark()
-  return &ro ? s:symbol : ''
-endfunction
-
-function! airline#extensions#readonly#init()
-  let g:airline_section_gutter = ' %#airline_file#%{airline#extensions#readonly#get_mark()} '
-        \ .g:airline_section_gutter
-endfunction
-
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index 4cf7fafa..a2c4f1d7 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ else
   let s:show_message = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#show_message', 1)
 endif
 
-let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_whitespace_symbol', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '✹' : '!'))
-
+let s:symbol = g:airline_symbols.whitespace
 let s:checks = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#checks', ['indent', 'trailing'])
 
 let s:trailing_format = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#trailing_format', 'trailing[%s]')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/fragments.vim b/autoload/airline/fragments.vim
index aa25f9f6..9e3b8b69 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/fragments.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/fragments.vim
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
 " MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
-let g:airline#fragments#symbols = get(g:, 'airline#fragments#symbols', {})
-call extend(g:airline#fragments#symbols, {
-      \ 'paste': get(g:, 'airline_paste_symbol', g:airline_left_alt_sep.' PASTE')
-      \ }, 'keep')
-
 function! airline#fragments#get_paste()
-  return g:airline_detect_paste && &paste ? '  '.g:airline#fragments#symbols.paste : ''
+  return g:airline_detect_paste && &paste ? '  '.g:airline_symbols.paste : ''
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#fragments#get_iminsert()
@@ -17,3 +12,7 @@ function! airline#fragments#get_iminsert()
   return ''
 endfunction
 
+function! airline#fragments#get_readonly()
+  return &readonly ? g:airline_symbols.readonly : ''
+endfunction
+
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 93f7a116..cc9a47bc 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -128,32 +128,32 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_left_sep = '▶'
   let g:airline_right_sep = '«'
   let g:airline_right_sep = '◀'
-  let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '␊ '
-  let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '␤ '
-  let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '¶ '
-  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = '⎇ '
-  let g:airline#fragments#symbols.paste = 'ρ'
-  let g:airline#fragments#symbols.paste = 'Þ'
-  let g:airline#fragments#symbols.paste = '∥'
-  let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol = 'Ξ'
+  let g:airline_symbols.linenr = '␊'
+  let g:airline_symbols.linenr = '␤'
+  let g:airline_symbols.linenr = '¶'
+  let g:airline_symbols.branch = '⎇'
+  let g:airline_symbols.paste = 'ρ'
+  let g:airline_symbols.paste = 'Þ'
+  let g:airline_symbols.paste = '∥'
+  let g:airline_symbols.whitespace = 'Ξ'
 
   " powerline symbols
   let g:airline_left_sep = ''
   let g:airline_left_alt_sep = ''
   let g:airline_right_sep = ''
   let g:airline_right_alt_sep = ''
-  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = ' '
-  let g:airline#extensions#readonly#symbol = ''
-  let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = ' '
+  let g:airline_symbols.branch = ''
+  let g:airline_symbols.readonly = ''
+  let g:airline_symbols.linenr = ''
 
   " old vim-powerline symbols
   let g:airline_left_sep = '⮀'
   let g:airline_left_alt_sep = '⮁'
   let g:airline_right_sep = '⮂'
   let g:airline_right_alt_sep = '⮃'
-  let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = '⭠'
-  let g:airline#extensions#readonly#symbol = '⭤'
-  let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '⭡'
+  let g:airline_symbols.branch = '⭠'
+  let g:airline_symbols.readonly = '⭤'
+  let g:airline_symbols.linenr = '⭡'
 <
 
 For more intricate customizations, you can replace the predefined sections
@@ -245,9 +245,6 @@ vim-signify <https://github.com/mhinz/vim-signify>
 * enable/disable detection of whitespace errors. >
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#enabled = 1
 <
-* customize the whitespace symbol. >
-  let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol = '!'
-<
 * configure which whitespace checks to enable. >
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#checks = [ 'indent', 'trailing' ]
 <
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 0329aaa7..4a0efd98 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -23,12 +23,20 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts
 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_iminsert', 0)
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_linecolumn_prefix', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?' ':':')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_inactive_collapse', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_filenames', ['DebuggerWatch','DebuggerStack','DebuggerStatus'])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_filetypes', [])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_preview', 0)
 
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_symbols', {})
+call extend(g:airline_symbols, {
+      \ 'paste': get(g:, 'airline_paste_symbol', g:airline_left_alt_sep.' PASTE'),
+      \ 'readonly': get(g:, 'airline_readonly_symbol', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '' : 'RO'),
+      \ 'whitespace': get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '✹' : '!',
+      \ 'linenr': get(g:, 'airline_linecolumn_prefix', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '' : ':' ),
+      \ 'branch': get(g:, 'airline_branch_prefix', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '' : ''),
+      \ }, 'keep')
+
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_mode_map', {
       \ '__' : '------',
       \ 'n'  : 'NORMAL',
@@ -50,13 +58,13 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_theme_map', {
       \ '.*solarized.*': 'solarized',
       \ })
 
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_a', '%{get(w:, "airline_current_mode", "")}%{airline#fragments#get_paste()}%{airline#fragments#get_iminsert()}')
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_a', '%{get(w:,"airline_current_mode","")}%{airline#fragments#get_paste()}%{airline#fragments#get_iminsert()}')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_b', '')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_c', '%f%m')
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_gutter', '%=')
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_gutter', '%#airline_file#%{airline#fragments#get_readonly()}%=')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_x', "%{strlen(&filetype)>0?&filetype:''}")
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_y', "%{strlen(&fenc)>0?&fenc:''}%{strlen(&ff)>0?'['.&ff.']':''}")
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_z', '%3p%% '.g:airline_linecolumn_prefix.'%3l:%3c')
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_z', '%3p%% %{g:airline_symbols.linenr} %3l:%3c')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_warning', '__')
 
 let s:airline_initialized = 0