diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index e53e73aa..3124e110 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@
 [submodule ".vim/bundle/salt-vim"]
 	path = .vim/bundle/salt-vim
 	url = https://github.com/saltstack/salt-vim.git
+[submodule ".vim/bundle/vim-airline"]
+	path = .vim/bundle/vim-airline
+	url = https://github.com/bling/vim-airline
diff --git a/.vim/bundle/vim-airline b/.vim/bundle/vim-airline
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..de1d1e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vim/bundle/vim-airline
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit de1d1e365e8a1b5ac27adafeddc44cf22ea3606d
diff --git a/.vimrc b/.vimrc
index a0756dd4..a9f288ef 100644
--- a/.vimrc
+++ b/.vimrc
@@ -24,5 +24,10 @@ set encoding=utf-8
 
 execute pathogen#infect()
 filetype plugin indent on
-set laststatus=2
+
+"always show statusline
+set laststatus=2
+"don't show default mode indicators
+set noshowmode
+let g:bufferline_echo = 0