diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
index a1e32f60..59203068 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ if exists('*wordcount')
     if get(g:, 'actual_curbuf', '') != bufnr('')
       return
     endif
-    if &filetype ==# 'tex' && exists('b:vimtex')
-" We're in a TeX file and vimtex is a plugin, so use vimtex's wordcount...
+    if &filetype ==# 'tex' && exists('b:vimtex') && get(g:, 'airline#extensions#vimtex#wordcount', 0)
+      " We're in a TeX file and vimtex is a plugin, so use vimtex's wordcount...
       return vimtex#misc#wordcount()
     else
       let query = a:visual_mode_active ? 'visual_words' : 'words'
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 076e0e33..2459b571 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -1507,6 +1507,11 @@ State indicators:
 * viewer is opened >
   let g:airline#extensions#vimtex#viewer = "v"
 
+* use vimtex specific wordcount function
+  for TeX buffers Note: this more accurate
+  but may slow down Vim) >
+  let g:airline#extensions#vimtex#wordcount = 1 
+
 -------------------------------------                   *airline-virtualenv*
 virtualenv <https://github.com/jmcantrell/vim-virtualenv>