diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
index cb9e1b30..0c6013ce 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#bufferline#init(ext)
     let g:bufferline_active_highlight = 'bufferline_selected'
     let g:bufferline_active_buffer_left = ''
     let g:bufferline_active_buffer_right = ''
-    let g:bufferline_separator = ' '
+    let g:bufferline_separator = g:airline_symbols.space
   endif
 
   call airline#parts#define_raw('file', '%{bufferline#refresh_status()}'.bufferline#get_status_string())
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
index 851b0b7f..e114ae53 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#ctrlp#ctrlp_airline(...)
   let prv = '%#CtrlPlight# '.a:4.' %#Ctrlparrow1#'.g:airline_left_sep
   let item = '%#CtrlPwhite# '.a:5.' %#CtrlParrow2#'.g:airline_left_sep
   let nxt = '%#CtrlPlight# '.a:6.' %#CtrlParrow3#'.g:airline_left_sep
-  let marked = '%#CtrlPdark# '.a:7.' '
+  let marked = '%#CtrlPdark# '.a:7.(g:airline_symbols.space)
   let focus = '%=%<%#CtrlPdark# '.a:1.' %*'
   let byfname = '%#CtrlParrow3#'.g:airline_right_alt_sep.'%#CtrlPdark# '.a:2.' %*'
   let dir = '%#CtrlParrow3#'.g:airline_right_sep.'%#CtrlPlight# '.getcwd().' %*'
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/default.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/default.vim
index 817d9417..1fe889a6 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/default.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/default.vim
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ let s:layout = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#default#layout', [
       \ [ 'a', 'b', 'c' ],
       \ [ 'x', 'y', 'z', 'warning' ]
       \ ])
+let s:spc = g:airline_symbols.space
 
 function! s:get_section(winnr, key, ...)
   if has_key(s:section_truncate_width, a:key)
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ function! s:get_section(winnr, key, ...)
     endif
   endif
   let text = airline#util#getwinvar(a:winnr, 'airline_section_'.a:key, g:airline_section_{a:key})
-  let [prefix, suffix] = [get(a:000, 0, '%( '), get(a:000, 1, ' %)')]
+  let [prefix, suffix] = [get(a:000, 0, '%('.s:spc), get(a:000, 1, s:spc.'%)')]
   return empty(text) ? '' : prefix.text.suffix
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
index 09083dd9..0c64f2c8 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 " we don't actually want this loaded :P
 finish
 
+" Due to some potential rendering issues, the use of the `space` variable is
+" recommended.
+let s:spc = g:airline_symbols.space
+
 " Extension specific variables can be defined the usual fashion.
 if !exists('g:airline#extensions#example#number_of_cats')
   let g:airline#extensions#example#number_of_cats = 42
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#example#apply(...)
     let w:airline_section_c = get(w:, 'airline_section_c', g:airline_section_c)
 
     " Then we just append this extenion to it, optionally using separators.
-    let w:airline_section_c .= ' '.g:airline_left_alt_sep.' %{airline#extensions#example#get_cats()}'
+    let w:airline_section_c .= s:spc.g:airline_left_alt_sep.s:spc.'%{airline#extensions#example#get_cats()}'
   endif
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
index 4e35f0d3..3ecc1eb1 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ endif
 function! airline#extensions#syntastic#get_warnings()
   let errors = SyntasticStatuslineFlag()
   if strlen(errors) > 0
-    return errors.' '
+    return errors.(g:airline_symbols.space)
   endif
   return ''
 endfunction
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
index 205a64c3..3c54778e 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function! s:get_tabs()
     if s:tab_nr_type == 0
       let val .= ' %{len(tabpagebuflist('.i.'))}'
     else
-      let val .= ' '.i
+      let val .= (g:airline_symbols.space).i
     endif
     call b.add_section(group, val.'%'.i.'T %{airline#extensions#tabline#title('.i.')} %)')
   endfor
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
index d786abf2..061a47f2 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ if !exists(':TagbarToggle')
 endif
 
 let s:flags = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#tagbar#flags', '')
+let s:spc = g:airline_symbols.space
 
 " Arguments: current, sort, fname
 function! airline#extensions#tagbar#get_status(...)
   let builder = airline#builder#new({ 'active': a:1 })
-  call builder.add_section('airline_a', ' Tagbar ')
-  call builder.add_section('airline_b', ' '.a:2.' ')
-  call builder.add_section('airline_c', ' '.a:3.' ')
+  call builder.add_section('airline_a', s:spc.'Tagbar'.s:spc)
+  call builder.add_section('airline_b', s:spc.a:2.s:spc)
+  call builder.add_section('airline_c', s:spc.a:3.s:spc)
   return builder.build()
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/virtualenv.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/virtualenv.vim
index 7b564a96..c052282c 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/virtualenv.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/virtualenv.vim
@@ -5,13 +5,16 @@ if !get(g:, 'virtualenv_loaded', 0)
   finish
 endif
 
+let s:spc = g:airline_symbols.space
+
 function! airline#extensions#virtualenv#init(ext)
   call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#virtualenv#apply')
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#virtualenv#apply(...)
   if &filetype =~ "python"
-    call airline#extensions#append_to_section('x', ' '.g:airline_right_alt_sep.' %{virtualenv#statusline()}')
+    call airline#extensions#append_to_section('x',
+          \ s:spc.g:airline_right_alt_sep.s:spc.'%{virtualenv#statusline()}')
   endif
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index a9d9cb00..99dfd768 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ function! airline#extensions#whitespace#check()
       let b:airline_whitespace_check = s:symbol
       if s:show_message
         if trailing != 0
-          let b:airline_whitespace_check .= ' '.printf(s:trailing_format, trailing)
+          let b:airline_whitespace_check .= (g:airline_symbols.space).printf(s:trailing_format, trailing)
         endif
         if mixed
           let mixnr = indents[0] == indents[1] ? indents[0] : indents[2]
-          let b:airline_whitespace_check .= ' '.printf(s:mixed_indent_format, mixnr)
+          let b:airline_whitespace_check .= (g:airline_symbols.space).printf(s:mixed_indent_format, mixnr)
         endif
       endif
     endif