diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim
index 7ffd7cfa..74e64bcf 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
 let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#paste#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_paste_symbol', ''))
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_paste_symbol', (exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : '').'PASTE'))
 
 function! airline#extensions#paste#get_mark()
   return &paste ? '  ' . s:symbol : ''
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 5f9edb8f..7b7a923a 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '␤ '
   let g:airline_linecolumn_prefix = '¶ '
   let g:airline#extensions#branch#symbol = '⎇ '
-  let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'ρ'
-  let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'Þ'
-  let g:airline_paste_symbol = '∥'
+  let g:airline#extensions#paste#symbol = 'ρ'
+  let g:airline#extensions#paste#symbol = 'Þ'
+  let g:airline#extensions#paste#symbol = '∥'
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol = 'Ξ'
 
   " powerline symbols
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 8eea40ad..ce5fec2d 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ 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_linecolumn_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?' ':':')
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_paste_symbol', (exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : '').'PASTE')
 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', [])