diff --git a/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
index 291a4c39..cbe5f957 100644
--- a/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
+++ b/powerline/bindings/zsh/__init__.py
@@ -101,7 +101,20 @@ class Environment(object):
 			return False
 
 
-environ = getattr(zsh, 'environ', Environment())
+if hasattr(getattr(zsh, 'environ', None), '__contains__'):
+	environ = zsh.environ
+else:
+	environ = Environment()
+
+
+if hasattr(zsh, 'expand') and zsh.expand('${:-}') == '':
+	zsh_expand = zsh.expand
+else:
+	def zsh_expand(s):
+		zsh.eval('_POWERLINE_REPLY="' + s + '"')
+		ret = zsh.getvalue('_POWERLINE_REPLY')
+		zsh.setvalue('_POWERLINE_REPLY', None)
+		return ret
 
 
 class ZshPowerline(ShellPowerline):
@@ -135,8 +148,8 @@ class Prompt(object):
 		self.theme = theme
 
 	def __str__(self):
-		zsh.eval('_POWERLINE_PARSER_STATE="${(%):-%_}"')
-		zsh.eval('_POWERLINE_SHORTENED_PATH="${(%):-%~}"')
+		parser_state = u(zsh_expand('${(%):-%_}'))
+		shortened_path = u(zsh_expand('${(%):-%~}'))
 		try:
 			mode = u(zsh.getvalue('_POWERLINE_MODE'))
 		except IndexError:
@@ -150,13 +163,11 @@ class Prompt(object):
 			'environ': environ,
 			'client_id': 1,
 			'local_theme': self.theme,
-			'parser_state': zsh.getvalue('_POWERLINE_PARSER_STATE'),
-			'shortened_path': zsh.getvalue('_POWERLINE_SHORTENED_PATH'),
+			'parser_state': parser_state,
+			'shortened_path': shortened_path,
 			'mode': mode,
 			'default_mode': default_mode,
 		}
-		zsh.setvalue('_POWERLINE_PARSER_STATE', None)
-		zsh.setvalue('_POWERLINE_SHORTENED_PATH', None)
 		try:
 			zle_rprompt_indent = zsh.getvalue('ZLE_RPROMPT_INDENT')
 		except IndexError:
@@ -194,7 +205,7 @@ def set_prompt(powerline, psvar, side, theme, above=False):
 		savedps = None
 	zpyvar = 'ZPYTHON_POWERLINE_' + psvar
 	prompt = Prompt(powerline, side, theme, psvar, savedps, above)
-	zsh.eval('unset ' + zpyvar)
+	zsh.setvalue(zpyvar, None)
 	zsh.set_special_string(zpyvar, prompt)
 	zsh.setvalue(psvar, '${' + zpyvar + '}')
 	return ref(prompt)