diff --git a/pure.zsh b/pure.zsh
index 6986af2..beb71eb 100644
--- a/pure.zsh
+++ b/pure.zsh
@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ prompt_pure_async_vcs_info() {
 	print -r - ${(@kvq)info}
 }
 
-# Fastest possible way to check if a Git repo is dirty.
+# Check if a Git repo is dirty and report detailed status.
+# Outputs a markers string: * (unstaged), + (staged), ? (untracked).
 prompt_pure_async_git_dirty() {
 	setopt localoptions noshwordsplit
 	local untracked_dirty=$1
@@ -326,13 +327,32 @@ prompt_pure_async_git_dirty() {
 	# Prevent e.g. `git status` from refreshing the index as a side effect.
 	export GIT_OPTIONAL_LOCKS=0
 
+	local u_flag
 	if [[ $untracked_dirty = 0 ]]; then
-		command git diff --no-ext-diff --quiet --exit-code
+		u_flag='-uno'
 	else
-		test -z "$(command git status --porcelain -u${untracked_git_mode})"
+		u_flag="-u${untracked_git_mode}"
 	fi
 
-	return $?
+	local output
+	output=$(command git status --porcelain $u_flag)
+	[[ -z $output ]] && return 0
+
+	local has_unstaged=0 has_staged=0 has_untracked=0 line
+	for line in "${(f)output}"; do
+		(( ! has_unstaged )) && [[ ${line[2]} == [MTDUA] ]] && has_unstaged=1
+		(( ! has_staged )) && [[ ${line[1]} == [MTADRCU] ]] && has_staged=1
+		(( ! has_untracked )) && [[ $line == '??'* ]] && has_untracked=1
+		(( has_unstaged + has_staged + has_untracked == 3 )) && break
+	done
+
+	local markers=""
+	(( has_unstaged )) && markers+="*"
+	(( has_staged )) && markers+="+"
+	(( has_untracked )) && markers+="?"
+
+	print -r - "$markers"
+	return 1
 }
 
 prompt_pure_async_git_fetch() {
@@ -674,7 +694,7 @@ prompt_pure_async_callback() {
 			if (( code == 0 )); then
 				unset prompt_pure_git_dirty
 			else
-				typeset -g prompt_pure_git_dirty="*"
+				typeset -g prompt_pure_git_dirty="${output:-*}"
 			fi
 
 			[[ $prev_dirty != $prompt_pure_git_dirty ]] && do_render=1
@@ -921,7 +941,7 @@ prompt_pure_preview() {
 	fi
 
 	# Sample preprompt with all components visible.
-	print -P "%F{$c[suspended_jobs]}${PURE_SUSPENDED_JOBS_SYMBOL-✦}%f %F{$c[user]}zaphod%f${host_sample} ${path_sample} %F{$c[git:branch]}main%f%F{$c[git:dirty]}*%f %F{$c[git:action]}rebase-i%f %F{$c[git:arrow]}${PURE_GIT_DOWN_ARROW:-⇣}${PURE_GIT_UP_ARROW:-⇡}%f %F{$c[git:stash]}${PURE_GIT_STASH_SYMBOL-≡}%f %F{$c[node_version]}${node_symbol}22%f %F{$c[execution_time]}42s%f"
+	print -P "%F{$c[suspended_jobs]}${PURE_SUSPENDED_JOBS_SYMBOL-✦}%f %F{$c[user]}zaphod%f${host_sample} ${path_sample} %F{$c[git:branch]}main%f%F{$c[git:dirty]}*+%f %F{$c[git:action]}rebase-i%f %F{$c[git:arrow]}${PURE_GIT_DOWN_ARROW:-⇣}${PURE_GIT_UP_ARROW:-⇡}%f %F{$c[git:stash]}${PURE_GIT_STASH_SYMBOL-≡}%f %F{$c[node_version]}${node_symbol}22%f %F{$c[execution_time]}42s%f"
 	print -P "%F{$c[virtualenv]}venv%f %F{$c[prompt:success]}${PURE_PROMPT_SYMBOL:-❯}%f"
 	print
 	print -P "%F{$c[prompt:error]}${PURE_PROMPT_SYMBOL:-❯}%f  prompt after error"
@@ -1011,7 +1031,7 @@ prompt_pure_setup() {
 	#   psvar[12] = suspended jobs symbol (e.g. ✦)
 	#   psvar[13] = username flag, renders user/host (e.g. user@host)
 	#   psvar[14] = git branch
-	#   psvar[15] = git dirty marker, nested inside [14] conditional
+	#   psvar[15] = git dirty markers (* unstaged, + staged, ? untracked)
 	#   psvar[16] = git action (e.g. rebase, merge)
 	#   psvar[17] = git arrows (e.g. ⇣⇡)
 	#   psvar[18] = git stash symbol (e.g. ≡)
@@ -1020,7 +1040,7 @@ prompt_pure_setup() {
 	#   psvar[21] = Node.js version (e.g. ⬢22)
 	#
 	# Example output:
-	#   ✦ user@host ~/Code/pure main* rebase ⇣⇡ ≡ ⬢22 3s
+	#   ✦ user@host ~/Code/pure main*+ rebase ⇣⇡ ≡ ⬢22 3s
 	#   myenv ❯
 	#
 	# Preprompt line: each %(NV..) section only renders when its psvar is non-empty.
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 3831fd0..fbac6cb 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Most prompts are cluttered, ugly and slow. We wanted something visually pleasing
 
 - Comes with the perfect prompt character.
   Author went through the whole Unicode range to find it.
-- Shows `git` branch and whether it's dirty (with a `*`).
+- Shows `git` branch and whether it's dirty (`*` unstaged, `+` staged, `?` untracked).
 - Indicates when you have unpushed/unpulled `git` commits with up/down arrows. *(Check is done asynchronously!)*
 - Prompt character turns red if the last command didn't exit with `0`.
 - Command execution time will be displayed if it exceeds the set threshold.
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ Colors can be changed by using [`zstyle`](http://zsh.sourceforge.net/Doc/Release
 - `git:branch` (242) - The name of the current branch when in a Git repository.
 - `git:branch:cached` (red) - The name of the current branch when the data isn't fresh.
 - `git:action` (yellow) - The current action in progress (cherry-pick, rebase, etc.) when in a Git repository.
-- `git:dirty` (218) - The asterisk showing the branch is dirty.
+- `git:dirty` (218) - The dirty indicators showing the branch state (`*` unstaged, `+` staged, `?` untracked).
 - `host` (242) - The hostname when on a remote machine.
 - `node_version` (green) - The current major Node.js version in directories with `package.json`.
 - `path` (blue) - The current path, for example, `PWD`.
@@ -166,14 +166,14 @@ The following diagram shows where each color is applied on the prompt:
 │      ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────── host
 │      │           ┌─────────────────────────────────── path
 │      │           │          ┌──────────────────────── git:branch
-│      │           │          │   ┌────────────────────── git:dirty
-│      │           │          │   │ ┌──────────────────── git:action
-│      │           │          │   │ │        ┌─────────── git:arrow
-│      │           │          │   │ │        │ ┌───────── git:stash
-│      │           │          │   │ │        │ │ ┌─────── node_version
-│      │           │          │   │ │        │ │ │   ┌── execution_time
-│      │           │          │   │ │        │ │ │   │
-zaphod@heartofgold ~/dev/pure main* rebase-i ⇡ ≡ ⬢22 42s
+│      │           │          │   ┌─────────────────────── git:dirty
+│      │           │          │   │  ┌──────────────────── git:action
+│      │           │          │   │  │        ┌─────────── git:arrow
+│      │           │          │   │  │        │ ┌───────── git:stash
+│      │           │          │   │  │        │ │ ┌─────── node_version
+│      │           │          │   │  │        │ │ │   ┌── execution_time
+│      │           │          │   │  │        │ │ │   │
+zaphod@heartofgold ~/dev/pure main*+ rebase-i ⇡ ≡ ⬢22 42s
 venv ❯
 │    │
 │    └──────────────────────────────────────────────── prompt
diff --git a/tests/git-dirty.zsh b/tests/git-dirty.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f81161b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/git-dirty.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env zsh
+
+setopt clobber
+set -euo pipefail
+
+zmodload -F zsh/files b:zf_rm b:zf_mkdir
+
+source "${0:A:h}/test-helper.zsh"
+
+tmpdir="$PWD/.ai-temporary/git-dirty-test.$$"
+zf_mkdir -p "$tmpdir"
+
+cleanup() {
+	zf_rm -rf -- "$tmpdir"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+setup_repo() {
+	cd "$tmpdir"
+	command git init -q
+	command git config user.email "test@test.com"
+	command git config user.name "Test"
+	echo "initial" > file.txt
+	command git add file.txt
+	command git commit -q -m "initial"
+}
+
+check_dirty() {
+	local dirty_output dirty_code
+	dirty_output=$(prompt_pure_async_git_dirty "$@") && dirty_code=0 || dirty_code=$?
+	typeset -g check_output=$dirty_output check_code=$dirty_code
+}
+
+setup_repo
+
+# Clean repo.
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 0 $check_code "clean repo should return 0"
+assert_empty "$check_output" "clean repo should have no output"
+
+# Unstaged changes only.
+echo "modified" > file.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "unstaged should return 1"
+assert_equal "*" "$check_output" "unstaged only should show *"
+
+# Staged changes only.
+command git add file.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "staged should return 1"
+assert_equal "+" "$check_output" "staged only should show +"
+
+# Staged + intent-to-add.
+echo "intent" > intent.txt
+command git add -N intent.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "staged+intent-to-add should return 1"
+assert_equal "*+" "$check_output" "staged+intent-to-add should show *+"
+command git reset -q HEAD -- intent.txt
+zf_rm -f intent.txt
+
+# Staged + unstaged (same file).
+echo "more changes" > file.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "staged+unstaged should return 1"
+assert_equal "*+" "$check_output" "staged+unstaged should show *+"
+
+# Untracked only (commit current changes first).
+command git add file.txt
+command git commit -q -m "second"
+echo "new" > newfile.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "untracked should return 1"
+assert_equal "?" "$check_output" "untracked only should show ?"
+
+# All three: unstaged + staged + untracked.
+echo "modified again" > file.txt
+command git add file.txt
+echo "even more" > file.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "all three should return 1"
+assert_equal "*+?" "$check_output" "all three should show *+?"
+
+# PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 with only untracked files.
+command git add file.txt
+command git commit -q -m "third"
+zf_rm -f newfile.txt
+echo "untracked" > anotherfile.txt
+check_dirty 0
+assert_equal 0 $check_code "untracked with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should be clean"
+assert_empty "$check_output" "untracked with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should have no output"
+
+# PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 with unstaged changes only.
+echo "modified" > file.txt
+check_dirty 0
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "unstaged with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should return 1"
+assert_equal "*" "$check_output" "unstaged with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should show *"
+
+# PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 with staged changes.
+command git checkout -- file.txt
+echo "staged" > staged.txt
+command git add staged.txt
+check_dirty 0
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "staged with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should return 1"
+assert_equal "+" "$check_output" "staged with PURE_GIT_UNTRACKED_DIRTY=0 should show +"
+
+# Deleted file (unstaged).
+command git commit -q --allow-empty -m "prep"
+command git checkout -- file.txt 2>/dev/null || true
+zf_rm -f anotherfile.txt staged.txt
+command git add -A
+command git commit -q -m "clean slate"
+echo "to delete" > deleteme.txt
+command git add deleteme.txt
+command git commit -q -m "add deleteme"
+zf_rm -f deleteme.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "deleted unstaged should return 1"
+assert_equal "*" "$check_output" "deleted unstaged should show *"
+
+# Deleted file (staged).
+command git rm -q deleteme.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "deleted staged should return 1"
+assert_equal "+" "$check_output" "deleted staged should show +"
+
+# Renamed file (staged).
+command git reset -q HEAD -- deleteme.txt
+command git checkout -- deleteme.txt 2>/dev/null || true
+echo "to rename" > renameme.txt
+command git add renameme.txt
+command git commit -q -m "add renameme"
+command git mv renameme.txt renamed.txt
+check_dirty 1
+assert_equal 1 $check_code "renamed staged should return 1"
+assert_equal "+" "$check_output" "renamed staged should show +"
+
+print "git-dirty tests passed"