diff --git a/powerline/config_files/colorschemes/shell/default.json b/powerline/config_files/colorschemes/shell/default.json
index 6c744f8a..57cff291 100644
--- a/powerline/config_files/colorschemes/shell/default.json
+++ b/powerline/config_files/colorschemes/shell/default.json
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@
 		"cwd": { "fg": "gray9", "bg": "gray4" },
 		"cwd:current_folder": { "fg": "gray10", "bg": "gray4", "attr": ["bold"] },
 		"cwd:divider": { "fg": "gray7", "bg": "gray4" },
-		"hostname": { "fg": "brightyellow", "bg": "mediumorange" }
+		"hostname": { "fg": "brightyellow", "bg": "mediumorange" },
+		"exit_fail": { "fg": "white", "bg": "darkestred" },
+		"exit_success": { "fg": "white", "bg": "darkestgreen" }
 	}
 }
diff --git a/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default.json b/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default.json
index 877365b6..29946684 100644
--- a/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default.json
+++ b/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default.json
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@
 			}
 		],
 		"right": [
+			{
+				"module": "powerline.segments.shell",
+				"name": "last_pipe_status",
+				"highlight_group": "exit_fail"
+			},
 			{
 				"name": "branch",
 				"before": " "
diff --git a/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json b/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json
index 33e8b7df..a81c9658 100644
--- a/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json
+++ b/powerline/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 					"dir_limit_depth": 3
 				},
 				"divider_highlight_group": "cwd:divider"
+			},
+			{
+				"name": "last_status",
+				"highlight_group": ["exit_fail"],
+				"module": "powerline.segments.shell"
 			}
 		]
 	}
diff --git a/powerline/core.py b/powerline/core.py
index c8ec5b6e..1c588ade 100644
--- a/powerline/core.py
+++ b/powerline/core.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from powerline.lib import underscore_to_camelcase
 
 
 class Powerline(object):
-	def __init__(self, ext, renderer_module=None):
+	def __init__(self, ext, renderer_module=None, segment_info=None):
 		config_home = os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME', os.path.expanduser('~/.config'))
 		config_path = os.path.join(config_home, 'powerline')
 		plugin_path = os.path.join(os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(__file__)), 'config_files')
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class Powerline(object):
 			'ext': ext,
 			'colorscheme': colorscheme,
 			'common_config': self.config,
+			'segment_info': segment_info,
 			}
 		local_themes = {}
 		for key, local_theme_name in self.config_ext.get('local_themes', {}).items():
diff --git a/powerline/segments/shell.py b/powerline/segments/shell.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59a33fc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/powerline/segments/shell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+
+def last_status(segment_info):
+	return str(segment_info.last_exit_code) if segment_info.last_exit_code else None
+last_status.requires_powerline_segment_info = True
+
+
+def last_pipe_status(segment_info):
+	pipe_status = [int(status) for status in segment_info.last_pipe_status.split()]
+	if any(pipe_status):
+		return [{"contents": str(status), "highlight_group": "exit_fail" if status else "exit_success"}
+			for status in pipe_status]
+	else:
+		return None
+last_pipe_status.requires_powerline_segment_info = True
diff --git a/powerline/theme.py b/powerline/theme.py
index d4d14a35..3bf22ea5 100644
--- a/powerline/theme.py
+++ b/powerline/theme.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ except NameError:
 
 
 class Theme(object):
-	def __init__(self, ext, colorscheme, theme_config, common_config):
+	def __init__(self, ext, colorscheme, theme_config, common_config, segment_info=None):
 		self.colorscheme = colorscheme
 		self.dividers = theme_config.get('dividers', common_config['dividers'])
 		self.segments = {
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class Theme(object):
 			'contents': None,
 			'highlight': defaultdict(lambda: {'fg': False, 'bg': False, 'attr': 0})
 			}
+		self.segment_info = segment_info
 		get_segment = Segment(ext, common_config['paths'], colorscheme, theme_config.get('default_module')).get
 		for side in ['left', 'right']:
 			self.segments[side].extend((get_segment(segment, side) for segment in theme_config['segments'].get(side, [])))
@@ -41,7 +42,11 @@ class Theme(object):
 			parsed_segments = []
 			for segment in self.segments[side]:
 				if segment['type'] == 'function':
-					contents = segment['contents_func'](**segment['args'])
+					if (hasattr(segment['contents_func'], 'requires_powerline_segment_info')
+							and segment['contents_func'].requires_powerline_segment_info):
+						contents = segment['contents_func'](segment_info=self.segment_info, **segment['args'])
+					else:
+						contents = segment['contents_func'](**segment['args'])
 					if contents is None:
 						continue
 					if isinstance(contents, list):
diff --git a/scripts/powerline-prompt b/scripts/powerline-prompt
index 6f125628..729430de 100755
--- a/scripts/powerline-prompt
+++ b/scripts/powerline-prompt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ parser.add_argument('--last_pipe_status', default=None)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 	args = parser.parse_args()
-	powerline = Powerline(ext=args.ext, renderer_module=args.renderer_module)
+	powerline = Powerline(ext=args.ext, renderer_module=args.renderer_module, segment_info=args)
 	rendered = powerline.renderer.render(side=args.side)
 	try:
 		sys.stdout.write(rendered)