diff --git a/runtime/plugins/status/help/status.md b/runtime/plugins/status/help/status.md
index 6b18613d..d500f3e4 100644
--- a/runtime/plugins/status/help/status.md
+++ b/runtime/plugins/status/help/status.md
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ those options (`> help options`) for more information.
 
 This plugin provides functions that can be used in the status line format:
 
-* `status.branch`: returns the name of the current git branch.
-* `status.hash`: returns the hash of the current git commit.
+* `status.branch`: returns the name of the current git branch in the repository
+   where the file is located.
+* `status.hash`: returns the hash of the current git commit in the repository
+   where the file is located.
 * `status.paste`: returns "" if the paste option is disabled and "PASTE"
    if it is enabled.
 * `status.lines`: returns the number of lines in the buffer.
diff --git a/runtime/plugins/status/status.lua b/runtime/plugins/status/status.lua
index ae1f77a6..d7d4e85f 100644
--- a/runtime/plugins/status/status.lua
+++ b/runtime/plugins/status/status.lua
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ VERSION = "1.0.0"
 local micro = import("micro")
 local buffer = import("micro/buffer")
 local config = import("micro/config")
+local shell = import("micro/shell")
+local filepath = import("filepath")
 local humanize = import("humanize")
+local strings = import("strings")
 
 function init()
     micro.SetStatusInfoFn("status.branch")
@@ -32,30 +35,23 @@ function size(b)
     return humanize.Bytes(b:Size())
 end
 
-function branch(b)
+local function parseRevision(b, opt)
     if b.Type.Kind ~= buffer.BTInfo then
-        local shell = import("micro/shell")
-        local strings = import("strings")
-
-        local branch, err = shell.ExecCommand("git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD")
+        local dir = filepath.Dir(b.Path)
+        local str, err = shell.ExecCommand("git", "-C", dir, "rev-parse", opt, "HEAD")
         if err == nil then
-            return strings.TrimSpace(branch)
+            return strings.TrimSpace(str)
         end
-        return ""
     end
+    return ""
+end
+
+function branch(b)
+    return parseRevision(b, "--abbrev-ref")
 end
 
 function hash(b)
-    if b.Type.Kind ~= 5 then
-        local shell = import("micro/shell")
-        local strings = import("strings")
-
-        local hash, err = shell.ExecCommand("git", "rev-parse", "--short", "HEAD")
-        if err == nil then
-            return strings.TrimSpace(hash)
-        end
-        return ""
-    end
+    return parseRevision(b, "--short")
 end
 
 function paste(b)