diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index 375a8902..584aa70f 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#whitespace#check()
 
   if !exists('b:airline_whitespace_check')
     let b:airline_whitespace_check = ''
-    let checks = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#checks', s:default_checks)
+    let checks = get(b:, 'airline_whitespace_checks', get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#checks', s:default_checks))
 
     let trailing = 0
     if index(checks, 'trailing') > -1
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 280b4c76..40434418 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -487,6 +487,9 @@ eclim <https://eclim.org>
   " trailing: trailing whitespace
   " mixed-indent-file: different indentation in different lines
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#checks = [ 'indent', 'trailing', 'long', 'mixed-indent-file' ]
+
+  " this can also be configured for an individual buffer
+  let b:airline_whitespace_checks = [ 'indent', 'trailing', 'long', 'mixed-indent-file' ]
 <
 * configure the maximum number of lines where whitespace checking is enabled. >
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#max_lines = 20000