diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
index f61a3da6..87a70693 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/branch.vim
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 let s:has_fugitive = exists('*fugitive#head')
 let s:has_fugitive_detect = exists('*fugitive#detect')
 let s:has_lawrencium = exists('*lawrencium#statusline')
-let s:has_vcscommand = exists('*VCSCommandGetStatusLine')
+let s:has_vcscommand = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#branch#use_vcscommand', 0) && exists('*VCSCommandGetStatusLine')
 
 if !s:has_fugitive && !s:has_lawrencium && !s:has_vcscommand
   finish
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 7a955b71..2816c290 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -265,12 +265,16 @@ vim-bufferline <https://github.com/bling/vim-bufferline>
 -------------------------------------                       *airline-branch*
 fugitive.vim <https://github.com/tpope/vim-fugitive>
 lawrencium   <https://bitbucket.org/ludovicchabant/vim-lawrencium>
+vcscommand   <http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=90>
 
 * enable/disable fugitive/lawrencium integration >
   let g:airline#extensions#branch#enabled = 1
 <
 * change the text for when no branch is detected >
   let g:airline#extensions#branch#empty_message = ''
+
+* use vcscommand.vim if available >
+  let g:airline#extensions#branch#use_vcscommand = 0
 <
 -------------------------------------                    *airline-syntastic*
 syntastic <https://github.com/scrooloose/syntastic>