diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
index 1b86fb7..6daa406 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 " MIT license. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
 " vim: ts=2 sts=2 sw=2 fdm=indent
 
-function! airline#extensions#branch#apply()
-  let w:airline_current_branch = exists('*fugitive#head') && strlen(fugitive#head()) > 0
-        \ ? g:airline_branch_prefix.fugitive#head()
-        \ : exists('*lawrencium#statusline') && strlen(lawrencium#statusline()) > 0
-          \ ? g:airline_branch_prefix.lawrencium#statusline()
-          \ : g:airline_branch_empty_message
+function! airline#extensions#branch#get_head()
+  let head = ''
+
+  if exists('*fugitive#head')
+    let head = fugitive#head()
+  endif
+
+  if empty(head)
+    if exists('*lawrencium#statusline')
+      let head = lawrencium#statusline()
+    endif
+  endif
+
+  return empty(head) ? g:airline_branch_empty_message : g:airline_branch_prefix.head
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#branch#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#branch#apply'))
+  let g:airline_section_b .= '%{airline#extensions#branch#get_head()}'
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 74e88ca..a9b0644 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_theme_map', {
       \ })
 
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_a', '%{get(w:, "airline_current_mode", "")}')
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_section_b', '%{get(w:, "airline_current_branch", "")}')
+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_x', "%{strlen(&filetype)>0?&filetype:''}")