diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cb9e6eeb..1175bc30 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ Set `SCM_GIT_SHOW_DETAILS` to 'false' to **don't show** it:
 
 * `export SCM_GIT_SHOW_DETAILS=false`
 
+**NOTE:** If using `SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO=true`, then the value of `SCM_GIT_SHOW_DETAILS` is ignored.
+
 #### Remotes and remote branches
 
 In some git workflows you must work with various remotes, for this reason, Bash-it can provide some useful information about your remotes and your remote branches, for example, the remote on you are working, or if your local branch is tracking a remote branch.
@@ -218,6 +220,8 @@ Set `SCM_GIT_SHOW_REMOTE_INFO` to 'false' to **disable the feature**:
 
 * `export SCM_GIT_SHOW_REMOTE_INFO=false`
 
+**NOTE:** If using `SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO=true`, then the value of `SCM_GIT_SHOW_REMOTE_INFO` is ignored.
+
 #### Untracked files
 
 By default, `git status` command shows information about *untracked* files, this behavior can be controlled through command line flags or git configuration files, for big repositories, ignoring *untracked* files can make git faster. Bash-it uses `git status` to gather the repo information it shows in the prompt, so in some circumstances, can be useful to instruct Bash-it to ignore these files. You can control this behavior with the flag `SCM_GIT_IGNORE_UNTRACKED`:
@@ -250,6 +254,16 @@ And
 
 * `export SCM_THEME_CURRENT_USER_SUFFIX=' '``
 
+**NOTE:** If using `SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO=true`, then the value of `SCM_GIT_SHOW_CURRENT_USER` is ignored.
+
+#### Git show minimal status info
+
+To speed up the prompt while still getting minimal git status information displayed such as the value of HEAD and whether there are any dirty objects, you can set:
+
+```
+export SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO=true
+```
+
 #### Ignore repo status
 
 When working in repos with a large code base Bash-it can slow down your prompt when checking the repo status, to avoid it, there is an option you can set via Git config to disable checking repo status in Bash-it.
diff --git a/themes/base.theme.bash b/themes/base.theme.bash
index a7e73bca..d1e778e2 100644
--- a/themes/base.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/base.theme.bash
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ SCM_GIT_SHOW_DETAILS=${SCM_GIT_SHOW_DETAILS:=true}
 SCM_GIT_SHOW_REMOTE_INFO=${SCM_GIT_SHOW_REMOTE_INFO:=auto}
 SCM_GIT_IGNORE_UNTRACKED=${SCM_GIT_IGNORE_UNTRACKED:=false}
 SCM_GIT_SHOW_CURRENT_USER=${SCM_GIT_SHOW_CURRENT_USER:=false}
+SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO=${SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO:=false}
 
 SCM_GIT='git'
 SCM_GIT_CHAR='±'
@@ -93,22 +94,24 @@ function scm_prompt_info {
   scm_prompt_char
   SCM_DIRTY=0
   SCM_STATE=''
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_GIT ]] && git_prompt_info && return
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_HG ]] && hg_prompt_info && return
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_SVN ]] && svn_prompt_info && return
+
+  if [[ ${SCM} == ${SCM_GIT} ]]; then
+    if [[ ${SCM_GIT_SHOW_MINIMAL_INFO} == true ]]; then
+      # user requests minimal git status information
+      git_prompt_minimal_info
+    else
+      # more detailed git status
+      git_prompt_info
+    fi
+    return
+  fi
+
+  # TODO: consider adding minimal status information for hg and svn
+  [[ ${SCM} == ${SCM_HG} ]] && hg_prompt_info && return
+  [[ ${SCM} == ${SCM_SVN} ]] && svn_prompt_info && return
 }
 
-function scm_prompt_status {
-  scm
-  scm_prompt_char
-  SCM_DIRTY=0
-  SCM_STATE=''
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_GIT ]] && git_prompt_status && return
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_HG ]] && hg_prompt_info && return
-  [[ $SCM == $SCM_SVN ]] && svn_prompt_info && return
-}
-
-function git_prompt_status {
+function git_prompt_minimal_info {
   local ref
   local status
   local git_status_flags=('--porcelain')
@@ -117,7 +120,7 @@ function git_prompt_status {
   if [[ "$(command git config --get bash-it.hide-status)" != "1" ]]; then
     # Get the branch reference
     ref=$(command git symbolic-ref -q HEAD 2> /dev/null) || \
-    ref=$(command git rev-parse --short HEAD 2> /dev/null)
+    ref=$(command git rev-parse --short HEAD 2> /dev/null) || return 0
     SCM_BRANCH=${SCM_THEME_BRANCH_PREFIX}${ref#refs/heads/}
 
     # Get the status