diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c60af16c..7468a1a5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ __pycache__
 *.egg-info
 dist
 build
+
+message.fail
diff --git a/powerline/bindings/vim/__init__.py b/powerline/bindings/vim/__init__.py
index 7b8bdb24..db926f6a 100644
--- a/powerline/bindings/vim/__init__.py
+++ b/powerline/bindings/vim/__init__.py
@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@ if hasattr(vim, 'bindeval'):
 			return func
 		except vim.error:
 			return None
+
+	if hasattr(vim, 'Dictionary'):
+		VimDictionary = vim.Dictionary
+		VimList = vim.List
+		VimFunction = vim.Function
+	else:
+		VimDictionary = type(vim.bindeval('{}'))
+		VimList = type(vim.bindeval('[]'))
+		VimFunction = type(vim.bindeval('function("mode")'))
+
+	_vim_to_python_types = {
+		VimDictionary: lambda value: dict(((key, _vim_to_python(value[key])) for key in value.keys())),
+		VimList: lambda value: [_vim_to_python(item) for item in value],
+		VimFunction: lambda _: None,
+	}
+
+	_id = lambda value: value
+
+	def _vim_to_python(value):
+		return _vim_to_python_types.get(type(value), _id)(value)
 else:
 	import json
 
@@ -42,13 +62,13 @@ else:
 
 if hasattr(vim, 'vars'):
 	def vim_getvar(varname):
-		return vim.vars[str(varname)]
+		return _vim_to_python(vim.vars[str(varname)])
 elif hasattr(vim, 'bindeval'):
 	_vim_globals = vim.bindeval('g:')
 
 	def vim_getvar(varname):  # NOQA
 		try:
-			return _vim_globals[str(varname)]
+			return _vim_to_python(_vim_globals[str(varname)])
 		except (KeyError, IndexError):
 			raise KeyError(varname)
 else:
diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index 9bbe0b2e..e5b137ff 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,12 @@ done
 if ! ${PYTHON} scripts/powerline-lint -p powerline/config_files ; then
 	FAILED=1
 fi
-if ! vim -S tests/test_plugin_file.vim ; then
-	FAILED=1
-fi
+for script in tests/*.vim ; do
+	if ! vim -u NONE -S $script || test -f message.fail ; then
+		echo "Failed script $script" >&2
+		cat message.fail >&2
+		rm message.fail
+		FAILED=1
+	fi
+done
 exit $FAILED
diff --git a/tests/test_local_overrides.vim b/tests/test_local_overrides.vim
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a58578fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_local_overrides.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/vim -S
+let g:powerline_config_path = expand('<sfile>:p:h:h') . '/powerline/config_files'
+let g:powerline_config_overrides = {'common': {'dividers': {'left': {'hard': ' ', 'soft': ' > '}, 'right': {'hard': ' ', 'soft': ' < '}}}}
+let g:powerline_theme_overrides__default = {'segment_data': {'line_current_symbol': {'contents': 'LN '}, 'branch': {'before': 'B '}}}
+try
+	python import powerline.vim
+	let pycmd = 'python'
+catch
+	try
+		python3 import powerline.vim
+		let pycmd = 'python3'
+	catch
+		call writefile(['Unable to determine python version', v:exception], 'message.fail')
+		cquit
+	endtry
+endtry
+
+try
+	execute pycmd 'powerline.vim.setup()'
+catch
+	call writefile(['Failed to run setup function', v:exception], 'message.fail')
+	cquit
+endtry
+
+try
+	let &columns = 80
+	let result = eval(&statusline[2:])
+catch
+	call writefile(['Exception while evaluating &stl', v:exception], 'message.fail')
+	cquit
+endtry
+
+if result isnot# '%#Pl_22_24320_148_11523840_bold# NORMAL %#Pl_148_11523840_236_3158064_NONE# %#Pl_231_16777215_236_3158064_NONE#                                                 %#Pl_247_10395294_236_3158064_NONE#unix%#Pl_240_5789784_236_3158064_NONE# %#Pl_160_15485749_240_5789784_NONE# 100%%%#Pl_252_13684944_240_5789784_NONE# %#Pl_235_2500134_252_13684944_NONE# LN %#Pl_235_2500134_252_13684944_bold#  1%#Pl_22_24320_252_13684944_NONE#:1  '
+	call writefile(['Unexpected result', result], 'message.fail')
+	cquit
+endif
+
+qall!
diff --git a/tests/test_plugin_file.vim b/tests/test_plugin_file.vim
index 6c9c3a6f..02d916fd 100755
--- a/tests/test_plugin_file.vim
+++ b/tests/test_plugin_file.vim
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ set nocompatible
 try
 	source powerline/bindings/vim/plugin/powerline.vim
 catch
+	call writefile([v:exception], 'message.fail')
 	cquit
 endtry
 set ls=2
@@ -10,7 +11,9 @@ redrawstatus!
 redir =>mes
 	messages
 redir END
-if len(split(mes, "\n"))>1
+let mess=split(mes, "\n")
+if len(mess)>1
+	call writefile(mess, 'message.fail')
 	cquit
 endif
 quit!
diff --git a/tests/vim.py b/tests/vim.py
index bad320d7..bbcc2f27 100644
--- a/tests/vim.py
+++ b/tests/vim.py
@@ -175,6 +175,10 @@ def eval(expr):
 def bindeval(expr):
 	if expr == 'g:':
 		return vars
+	elif expr == '{}':
+		return {}
+	elif expr == '[]':
+		return []
 	import re
 	match = re.compile(r'^function\("([^"\\]+)"\)$').match(expr)
 	if match: