diff --git a/_bashrc b/_bashrc
index 070ac8d..fd1b4a9 100644
--- a/_bashrc
+++ b/_bashrc
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ if [ "$TERM" != "dumb" ]; then
     [ -x /usr/bin/dircolors ] && eval "`dircolors -b`"
 fi
 
+GREEN='\[\033[0;32m\]'
+GREENB='\[\033[1;32m\]'
+RED='\[\033[0;31m\]'
+REDB='\[\033[1;31m\]'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m\]'
+BLUEB='\033[1;34m\]'
+WHITE='\[\033[0;37m\]'
+WHITEB='\[\033[1;37m\]'
+RESET='\[\033[0;00m\]'
+
 ##### FUNCTIONS #####
 
 # status indicator
@@ -36,11 +46,10 @@ prompt_status()
 {
   if [[ "$?" == "0" ]]
   then
-    echo -n '\[\033[1;32m\]>'
+    echo -n "${GREENB}-"
   else
-    echo -n '\[\033[1;31m\]X'
+    echo -n "${REDB}X"
   fi
-  echo -n '\[\033[1;31m\]'
 }
 
 ##### INCLUDES #####
@@ -89,9 +98,15 @@ export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=~/.ssh/ssh_auth_sock
 
 ##### PROMPT #####
 
-PS1_pre="\[\033[1;31m\]>> \[\033[01;37m\](\[\033[0;37m\]\u@\[\033[0;32m\]\h\[\033[01;37m\]) \[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]"
-PS1_post="\[\033[1;31m\]$(prompt_status)>\[\033[0;37m\] "
-PS1="${PS1_pre}\n${PS1_post}"
+__ps1()
+{
+  ps1pre="$1"
+  ps1post="$2"
+  PS1="$ps1pre$ps1post"
+}
+PS1pre='"${REDB}>> ${WHITEB}(${WHITE}\u@${GREEN}\h${WHITEB}) ${BLUEB}\w${RESET}"'
+PS1post='"\n$(prompt_status)${REDB}>${WHITE} "'
+PROMPT_COMMAND="__ps1 $PS1pre $PS1post"
 
 ##### GIT #####
 
@@ -110,6 +125,6 @@ if [ -e /usr/local/share/git-core/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh ] || [ -e /us
   export GIT_PS1_SHOWUNTRACKEDFILES=1
   export GIT_PS1_SHOWUPSTREAM="auto"
   export GIT_PS1_SHOWCOLORHINTS=1
-  export PROMPT_COMMAND='__git_ps1 "$PS1_pre" "\n$PS1_post"'
+  PROMPT_COMMAND="__git_ps1 $PS1pre $PS1post"
 fi