diff --git a/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75b36658
--- /dev/null
+++ b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import zsh
+from powerline.core import Powerline
+
+
+class Args(object):
+	@property
+	def last_exit_code(self):
+		return zsh.last_exit_code()
+
+	@property
+	def last_pipe_status(self):
+		return zsh.pipestatus()
+
+
+class Prompt(object):
+	__slots__ = ('render', 'side', 'savedpsvar', 'savedps')
+
+	def __init__(self, powerline, side, savedpsvar=None, savedps=None):
+		self.render = powerline.renderer.render
+		self.side = side
+		self.savedpsvar = savedpsvar
+		self.savedps = savedps
+
+	def __str__(self):
+		return self.render(width=zsh.columns(), side=self.side).encode('utf-8')
+
+	def __del__(self):
+		if self.savedps:
+			zsh.setvalue(self.savedpsvar, self.savedps)
+
+
+def set_prompt(powerline, psvar, side):
+	savedps = zsh.getvalue(psvar)
+	zpyvar = 'ZPYTHON_POWERLINE_' + psvar
+	prompt = Prompt(powerline, side, psvar, savedps)
+	zsh.set_special_string(zpyvar, prompt)
+	zsh.setvalue(psvar, '${' + zpyvar + '}')
+
+
+def setup():
+	powerline = Powerline(ext='shell', renderer_module='zsh_prompt', segment_info=Args())
+	set_prompt(powerline, 'PS1', 'left')
+	set_prompt(powerline, 'RPS1', 'right')
diff --git a/powerline/bindings/zsh/powerline.zsh b/powerline/bindings/zsh/powerline.zsh
index 4512a6f1..4499bf9c 100644
--- a/powerline/bindings/zsh/powerline.zsh
+++ b/powerline/bindings/zsh/powerline.zsh
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-_powerline_precmd() {
-	_powerline_tmux_set_pwd
-}
-
 _powerline_tmux_setenv() {
 	if [[ -n "$TMUX" ]]; then
 		tmux setenv TMUX_"$1"_$(tmux display -p "#D" | tr -d %) "$2"
@@ -22,11 +18,17 @@ _powerline_install_precmd() {
 			return
 		fi
 	done
-	precmd_functions+=(_powerline_precmd)
+	precmd_functions+=(_powerline_tmux_set_pwd)
 	setopt promptpercent
 	setopt promptsubst
-	PS1='$(powerline shell left -r zsh_prompt --last_exit_code=$? --last_pipe_status="$pipestatus")'
-	RPS1='$(powerline shell right -r zsh_prompt --last_exit_code=$? --last_pipe_status="$pipestatus")'
+	if zmodload zsh/zpython &>/dev/null ; then
+		zpython 'from powerline.bindings.zsh import setup as powerline_setup'
+		zpython 'powerline_setup()'
+		zpython 'del powerline_setup'
+	else
+		PS1='$(powerline shell left -r zsh_prompt --last_exit_code=$? --last_pipe_status="$pipestatus")'
+		RPS1='$(powerline shell right -r zsh_prompt --last_exit_code=$? --last_pipe_status="$pipestatus")'
+	fi
 }
 
 trap "_powerline_tmux_set_columns" SIGWINCH