diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/unique_tail.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/unique_tail.vim
index d9c7d6ac..9bf8fdf3 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/unique_tail.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/unique_tail.vim
@@ -21,8 +21,14 @@ function! airline#extensions#tabline#formatters#unique_tail#format(bufnr, buffer
     endif
   endfor
 
+  let fmod = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#tabline#fnamemod', ':p:.')
   for nr in values(duplicates)
-    let map[nr] = airline#extensions#tabline#formatters#default#wrap_name(nr, fnamemodify(bufname(nr), ':p:.'))
+    let fnamecollapse = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#tabline#fnamecollapse', 1)
+    if fnamecollapse
+      let map[nr] = airline#extensions#tabline#formatters#default#wrap_name(nr, substitute(fnamemodify(name, fmod), '\v\w\zs.{-}\ze(\\|/)', '', 'g'))
+    else
+      let map[nr] = airline#extensions#tabline#formatters#default#wrap_name(nr, fnamemodify(bufname(nr), fmod))
+    endif
   endfor
 
   if has_key(map, a:bufnr)
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 18636292..178537c2 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ with the middle mouse button to delete that buffer.
   let g:airline#extensions#tabline#formatter = 'foo'
 <
 
-  Note: the following variables are only used by the 'default' formatter.
+  Note: the following variables are used by the 'default' formatter.
   When no disambiguation is needed, both 'unique_tail_improved' and
   'unique_tail' delegate formatting to 'default', so these variables also
   control rendering of unique filenames when using these formatters.
@@ -766,6 +766,12 @@ with the middle mouse button to delete that buffer.
   " with the containing parent directory.
   let g:airline#extensions#tabline#formatter = 'unique_tail'
 
+      " The following variables are also used by `unique_tail` formatter.
+      " the meanings are the same as the ones in default formatter.
+
+      let g:airline#extensions#tabline#fnamemod = ':p:.'
+      let g:airline#extensions#tabline#fnamecollapse = 1
+
   " The `unique_tail_improved` - another algorithm, that will smartly uniquify
   " buffers names with similar filename, suppressing common parts of paths.
   let g:airline#extensions#tabline#formatter = 'unique_tail_improved'