diff --git a/autoload/airline.vim b/autoload/airline.vim
index 82f644c9..29e4e144 100644
--- a/autoload/airline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline.vim
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function! s:get_statusline(winnr, active)
   let l:file_flag_color = a:active ? "%#Al7#" : "%#Al7_inactive#"
 
   let sl = '%{airline#update_highlight()}'
-  if s:getwinvar(a:winnr, 'airline_render_left', a:active)
+  if s:getwinvar(a:winnr, 'airline_render_left', a:active || (!a:active && !g:airline_inactive_collapse))
     let sl.=l:mode_color.s:get_section(a:winnr, 'a')
     let sl.='%{g:airline_detect_paste && &paste ? g:airline_paste_symbol." " : ""}'
     let sl.=l:mode_sep_color
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 42da6786..c42836ad 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ values):
   let g:airline_detect_whitespace=2 "icon only
 <
 
+* determine whether inactive windows should have the left section collapsed to
+  only the filename of that buffer.
+>
+  let g:airline_inactive_collapse=1
+<
+
 * change the default theme
 >
   let g:airline_theme='dark'
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 3a037a11..dbd88847 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_readonly_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fo
 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_theme', 'dark')
+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', [])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_preview', 0)
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_statusline_funcrefs', [])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_funcrefs', [])
 
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_mode_map', {
-      \ '__' : ' ---- ',
+      \ '__' : '------',
       \ 'n'  : 'NORMAL',
       \ 'i'  : 'INSERT',
       \ 'R'  : 'REPLACE',