diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index b19d42be..7f7ec693 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 
 " http://got-ravings.blogspot.com/2008/10/vim-pr0n-statusline-whitespace-flags.html
 
+let s:symbol = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol',
+      \ get(g:, 'airline_whitespace_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts') ? '✹' : '!'))
+
 let s:initialized = 0
 let s:vimrc_detect_whitespace = g:airline_detect_whitespace
 
@@ -18,7 +21,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#whitespace#check()
     let mixed = indents[0] != 0 && indents[1] != 0 && indents[2] != 0 && indents[3] != 0
 
     if trailing != 0 || mixed
-      let b:airline_whitespace_check = g:airline_whitespace_symbol." "
+      let b:airline_whitespace_check = s:symbol." "
       if g:airline_detect_whitespace == 1
         if trailing != 0
           let b:airline_whitespace_check .= 'trailing['.trailing.'] '
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 5af112b0..101d6667 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ separators, as well as the powerline font glyths.
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'ρ'
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = 'Þ'
   let g:airline_paste_symbol = '∥'
-  let g:airline_whitespace_symbol = 'Ξ'
+  let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#symbol = 'Ξ'
 
   " powerline symbols
   let g:airline_left_sep = ''
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 34a19b38..11de2d6a 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_iminsert', 0)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_modified', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_paste', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_whitespace', 1)
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_whitespace_symbol', '✹')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_branch_empty_message', '')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_branch_prefix', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?' ':'')
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_readonly_symbol', exists('g:airline_powerline_fonts')?'':'RO')