diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4baf0629..c5ef1afe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -231,6 +231,12 @@ VI-Mode, you need to configure it separately in your `~/.zshrc`:
     # make it more responsive
     export KEYTIMEOUT=1
 
+If you want to display another string than "NORMAL" or "INSERT" in command or
+insert-mode, you can do that by setting environment variables like:
+
+    POWERLEVEL9K_VI_INSERT_MODE_STRING="INS"
+    POWERLEVEL9K_VI_COMMAND_MODE_STRING="CMD"
+
 #### Unit Test Ratios
 
 The `symfony2_tests` and `rspec_stats` segments both show a ratio of "real"
diff --git a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
index c2ee2625..0af9f56d 100755
--- a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
+++ b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
@@ -850,13 +850,15 @@ prompt_time() {
 }
 
 # Vi Mode: show editing mode (NORMAL|INSERT)
+set_default POWERLEVEL9K_VI_INSERT_MODE_STRING "INSERT"
+set_default POWERLEVEL9K_VI_COMMAND_MODE_STRING "NORMAL"
 prompt_vi_mode() {
   case ${KEYMAP} in
     main|viins)
-      "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_INSERT" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "blue" "INSERT"
+      "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_INSERT" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "blue" "$POWERLEVEL9K_VI_INSERT_MODE_STRING"
     ;;
     vicmd)
-      "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_NORMAL" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "default" "NORMAL"
+      "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_NORMAL" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "default" "$POWERLEVEL9K_VI_COMMAND_MODE_STRING"
     ;;
   esac
 }