diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
index bfe6e78..38e54d2 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 let s:empty_message = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#branch#empty_message',
       \ get(g:, 'airline_branch_empty_message', ''))
 let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#branch#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_branch_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : ''))
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_branch_prefix', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? ' ' : ''))
 
 let s:has_fugitive = exists('*fugitive#head')
 let s:has_fugitive_detect = exists('*fugitive#detect')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/paste.vim
index 74e64bc..9f94835 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', (exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? ' ' : '').'PASTE'))
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_paste_symbol', (get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? ' ' : '').'PASTE'))
 
 function! airline#extensions#paste#get_mark()
   return &paste ? '  ' . s:symbol : ''
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim
index 13d2877..c080760 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/readonly.vim
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
 let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#readonly#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_readonly_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? '' : 'RO'))
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_readonly_symbol', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '' : 'RO'))
 
 function! airline#extensions#readonly#get_mark()
   return &ro ? s:symbol : ''
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index b108a4b..da76bf5 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol',
-      \ get(g:, 'airline_whitespace_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? '✹' : '!'))
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_whitespace_symbol', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0) ? '✹' : '!'))
 
 let s:checks = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#checks', ['indent', 'trailing'])
 
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index ce5fec2..9cafbe9 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ function! s:check_defined(variable, default)
   endif
 endfunction
 
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?"":">")
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?"":">")
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?"":"<")
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?"":"<")
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":">")
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_left_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":">")
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":"<")
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_right_alt_sep', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?"":"<")
 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_linecolumn_prefix', get(g:, 'airline_powerline_fonts', 0)?' ':':')
 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', [])