diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index f425925..53a4649 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -146,10 +146,9 @@ async function notifyOnNewGitLensVersion(context: ExtensionContext, version: str
 async function notifyOnUnsupportedGitVersion(context: ExtensionContext, version: string) {
     if (context.globalState.get(WorkspaceState.SuppressGitVersionWarning, false)) return;
 
-    const [major, minor] = version.split('.');
-    // If git is less than v2.11.0
-    if (parseInt(major, 10) < 2 || parseInt(minor, 10) < 11) {
-        const result = await window.showErrorMessage(`GitLens requires a newer version of Git (>= 2.11.0) than is currently installed (${version}). Please install a more recent version of Git.`, `Don't Show Again`);
+    // If git is less than v2.2.0
+    if (!Git.validateVersion(2, 2)) {
+        const result = await window.showErrorMessage(`GitLens requires a newer version of Git (>= 2.2.0) than is currently installed (${version}). Please install a more recent version of Git.`, `Don't Show Again`);
         if (result === `Don't Show Again`) {
             context.globalState.update(WorkspaceState.SuppressGitVersionWarning, true);
         }
diff --git a/src/git/git.ts b/src/git/git.ts
index 56d072b..f346c0c 100644
--- a/src/git/git.ts
+++ b/src/git/git.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@ export class Git {
         return [ fileName, repoPath ];
     }
 
+    static validateVersion(major: number, minor: number): boolean {
+        const [gitMajor, gitMinor] = git.version.split('.');
+        return (parseInt(gitMajor, 10) >= major && parseInt(gitMinor, 10) >= minor);
+    }
+
     // Git commands
 
     static blame(repoPath: string, fileName: string, sha?: string, startLine?: number, endLine?: number) {
@@ -230,15 +235,17 @@ export class Git {
         return gitCommand(repoPath, ...params);
     }
 
-    static status(repoPath: string): Promise<string> {
-        const params = ['status', '--porcelain=v2', '--branch'];
+    static status(repoPath: string, porcelainVersion: number = 1): Promise<string> {
+        const porcelain = porcelainVersion >= 2 ? `--porcelain=v${porcelainVersion}` : '--porcelain';
+        const params = ['status', porcelain, '--branch'];
         return gitCommand(repoPath, ...params);
     }
 
-    static status_file(repoPath: string, fileName: string): Promise<string> {
+    static status_file(repoPath: string, fileName: string, porcelainVersion: number = 1): Promise<string> {
         const [file, root] = Git.splitPath(fileName, repoPath);
 
-        const params = ['status', '--porcelain=v2', file];
+        const porcelain = porcelainVersion >= 2 ? `--porcelain=v${porcelainVersion}` : '--porcelain';
+        const params = ['status', porcelain, file];
         return gitCommand(root, ...params);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/git/parsers/statusParser.ts b/src/git/parsers/statusParser.ts
index 7b46bca..18c05c4 100644
--- a/src/git/parsers/statusParser.ts
+++ b/src/git/parsers/statusParser.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@ interface IFileStatusEntry {
     originalFileName: string;
 }
 
+const aheadStatusV1Regex = /(?:ahead ([0-9]+))/;
+const behindStatusV1Regex = /(?:behind ([0-9]+))/;
+
 export class GitStatusParser {
 
-    static parse(data: string, repoPath: string): IGitStatus {
+    static parse(data: string, repoPath: string, porcelainVersion: number): IGitStatus {
         if (!data) return undefined;
 
         const lines = data.split('\n').filter(_ => !!_);
@@ -25,6 +28,42 @@ export class GitStatusParser {
             files: []
         } as IGitStatus;
 
+        if (porcelainVersion >= 2) {
+            this._parseV2(lines, repoPath, status);
+        }
+        else {
+            this._parseV1(lines, repoPath, status);
+        }
+
+        return status;
+    }
+
+    private static _parseV1(lines: string[], repoPath: string, status: IGitStatus) {
+        let position = -1;
+        while (++position < lines.length) {
+            const line = lines[position];
+            // Header
+            if (line.startsWith('##')) {
+                const lineParts = line.split(' ');
+                [status.branch, status.upstream] = lineParts[1].split('...');
+                if (lineParts.length > 2) {
+                    const upstreamStatus = lineParts.slice(2).join(' ');
+
+                    const aheadStatus = aheadStatusV1Regex.exec(upstreamStatus);
+                    status.state.ahead = +aheadStatus[1] || 0;
+
+                    const behindStatus = behindStatusV1Regex.exec(upstreamStatus);
+                    status.state.behind = +behindStatus[1] || 0;
+                }
+            }
+            else {
+                const entry = this._parseFileEntry(line.substring(0, 2), line.substring(3));
+                status.files.push(new GitStatusFile(repoPath, entry.status, entry.staged, entry.fileName, entry.originalFileName));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static _parseV2(lines: string[], repoPath: string, status: IGitStatus) {
         let position = -1;
         while (++position < lines.length) {
             const line = lines[position];
@@ -71,8 +110,6 @@ export class GitStatusParser {
                 }
             }
         }
-
-        return status;
     }
 
     private static _parseFileEntry(rawStatus: string, fileName: string, originalFileName?: string): IFileStatusEntry {
diff --git a/src/gitService.ts b/src/gitService.ts
index ef13201..800fb59 100644
--- a/src/gitService.ts
+++ b/src/gitService.ts
@@ -673,16 +673,20 @@ export class GitService extends Disposable {
     async getStatusForFile(repoPath: string, fileName: string): Promise<GitStatusFile> {
         Logger.log(`getStatusForFile('${repoPath}', '${fileName}')`);
 
-        const data = await Git.status_file(repoPath, fileName);
-        const status = GitStatusParser.parse(data, repoPath);
+        const porcelainVersion = Git.validateVersion(2, 11) ? 2 : 1;
+
+        const data = await Git.status_file(repoPath, fileName, porcelainVersion);
+        const status = GitStatusParser.parse(data, repoPath, porcelainVersion);
         return status && status.files.length && status.files[0];
     }
 
     async getStatusForRepo(repoPath: string): Promise<IGitStatus> {
         Logger.log(`getStatusForRepo('${repoPath}')`);
 
-        const data = await Git.status(repoPath);
-        return GitStatusParser.parse(data, repoPath);
+        const porcelainVersion = Git.validateVersion(2, 11) ? 2 : 1;
+
+        const data = await Git.status(repoPath, porcelainVersion);
+        return GitStatusParser.parse(data, repoPath, porcelainVersion);
     }
 
     async getVersionedFile(repoPath: string, fileName: string, sha: string) {
diff --git a/src/quickPicks/repoStatus.ts b/src/quickPicks/repoStatus.ts
index fb44f07..d127e5a 100644
--- a/src/quickPicks/repoStatus.ts
+++ b/src/quickPicks/repoStatus.ts
@@ -132,9 +132,9 @@ export class RepoStatusQuickPick {
         if (status.upstream && status.state.behind) {
             items.splice(0, 0, new CommandQuickPickItem({
                 label: `$(cloud-download)\u00a0 ${status.state.behind} Commit${status.state.behind > 1 ? 's' : ''} behind \u00a0$(git-branch) ${status.upstream}`,
-                description: `\u00a0 \u2014 \u00a0\u00a0 shows commits in \u00a0$(git-branch) ${status.upstream} but not \u00a0$(git-branch) ${status.branch} (since \u00a0$(git-commit) ${status.sha.substring(0, 8)})`
+                description: `\u00a0 \u2014 \u00a0\u00a0 shows commits in \u00a0$(git-branch) ${status.upstream} but not \u00a0$(git-branch) ${status.branch}${status.sha ? ` (since \u00a0$(git-commit) ${status.sha.substring(0, 8)})` : ''}`
             }, Commands.ShowQuickBranchHistory, [
-                    new GitUri(Uri.file(status.repoPath), { fileName: '', repoPath: status.repoPath, sha: `${status.sha}..${status.upstream}` }),
+                    new GitUri(Uri.file(status.repoPath), { fileName: '', repoPath: status.repoPath, sha: `${status.sha ? status.sha : 'HEAD'}..${status.upstream}` }),
                     status.upstream,
                     0,
                     new CommandQuickPickItem({