diff --git a/.tmux.conf b/.tmux.conf
index a0a1c35..2ce546b 100644
--- a/.tmux.conf
+++ b/.tmux.conf
@@ -32,19 +32,19 @@ bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'L' send -X end-of-line
 set -g pane-active-border-style fg=brightred
 
 # statusline (shamelessly stolen from powerline)
-bg_color='#262626'
+BG_COLOR='#262626'
 set-option -g status-interval 2
-set-option -g status-left "#{?client_prefix,#[fg=colour254]#[bg=colour31]#[bold]#[noitalics]#[nounderscore],#[fg=colour16]#[bg=colour254]#[bold]#[noitalics]#[nounderscore]} #S #{?client_prefix,#[fg=colour31],#[fg=colour254]}#[bg=bg_color]#[nobold] "
+set-option -g status-left "#{?client_prefix,#[fg=colour254]#[bg=colour31]#[bold]#[noitalics]#[nounderscore],#[fg=colour16]#[bg=colour254]#[bold]#[noitalics]#[nounderscore]} #S #{?client_prefix,#[fg=colour31],#[fg=colour254]}#[bg=$BG_COLOR]#[nobold] "
 set-option -g status-left-length 20
 set-option -g status-right ""
-set-option -g status-style fg=colour231,bg=bg_color
-
-set-option -g window-status-activity-style fg=colour11,bg=bg_color
-set-option -g window-status-bell-style fg=colour1,bg=bg_color
-set-option -g window-status-current-format "#[fg=colour0,bg=colour31,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore] #[fg=colour117,bg=colour31,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#I#F#[fg=colour231,bg=colour31,bold,noitalics,nounderscore] #W #[fg=colour31,bg=bg_color,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]"
-set-option -g window-status-format "#[fg=colour244,bg=bg_color,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore] #I#{?window_flags,#F, } #[fg=colour240,bg=colour0,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#[default]#W "
-set-option -g window-status-last-style fg=colour31,bg=bg_color
-set-option -g window-status-style fg=colour249,bg=bg_color
+set-option -g status-style fg=colour231,bg=$BG_COLOR
+
+set-option -g window-status-activity-style fg=colour11,bg=$BG_COLOR
+set-option -g window-status-bell-style fg=colour1,bg=$BG_COLOR
+set-option -g window-status-current-format "#[fg=colour0,bg=colour31,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore] #[fg=colour117,bg=colour31,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#I#F#[fg=colour231,bg=colour31,bold,noitalics,nounderscore] #W #[fg=colour31,bg=$BG_COLOR,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]"
+set-option -g window-status-format "#[fg=colour244,bg=$BG_COLOR,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore] #I#{?window_flags,#F, } #[fg=colour240,bg=colour0,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#[default]#W "
+set-option -g window-status-last-style fg=colour31,bg=$BG_COLOR
+set-option -g window-status-style fg=colour249,bg=$BG_COLOR
 
 ## etc
 set-window-option -g mode-keys vi