diff --git a/doc/diffview_defaults.txt b/doc/diffview_defaults.txt
index 1ff1f7db..ab9b3e5a 100644
--- a/doc/diffview_defaults.txt
+++ b/doc/diffview_defaults.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,19 @@ DEFAULT CONFIG                                  *diffview.defaults*
       folder_closed = "",
       folder_open = "",
     },
+    status_icons = {
+      ["A"] = "A", -- added
+      ["?"] = "?", -- untracked
+      ["M"] = "M", -- modified
+      ["R"] = "R", -- renamed
+      ["C"] = "C", -- copied
+      ["T"] = "T", -- file type change
+      ["U"] = "U", -- updated but unmerged
+      ["X"] = "X",
+      ["D"] = "D", -- deleted
+      ["B"] = "B",
+      ["!"] = "!", -- untracked
+    },
     signs = {
       fold_closed = "",
       fold_open = "",
diff --git a/lua/diffview/config.lua b/lua/diffview/config.lua
index f1f6d0f1..0680d181 100644
--- a/lua/diffview/config.lua
+++ b/lua/diffview/config.lua
@@ -48,6 +48,19 @@ M.defaults = {
     folder_closed = "",
     folder_open = "",
   },
+  status_icons = {
+    ["A"] = "A",
+    ["?"] = "?",
+    ["M"] = "M",
+    ["R"] = "R",
+    ["C"] = "C",
+    ["T"] = "T",
+    ["U"] = "U",
+    ["X"] = "X",
+    ["D"] = "D",
+    ["B"] = "B",
+    ["!"] = "!",
+  },
   signs = {
     fold_closed = "",
     fold_open = "",
diff --git a/lua/diffview/hl.lua b/lua/diffview/hl.lua
index 693dd358..e5aeb023 100644
--- a/lua/diffview/hl.lua
+++ b/lua/diffview/hl.lua
@@ -403,6 +403,13 @@ function M.get_git_hl(status)
   return git_status_hl_map[status]
 end
 
+
+--- @param status string
+--- @return string
+function M.get_status_icon(status)
+  return config._config.status_icons[status] or status
+end
+
 function M.get_colors()
   return {
     white = M.get_fg("Normal") or "White",
diff --git a/lua/diffview/scene/views/diff/render.lua b/lua/diffview/scene/views/diff/render.lua
index 3790a555..99006ca3 100644
--- a/lua/diffview/scene/views/diff/render.lua
+++ b/lua/diffview/scene/views/diff/render.lua
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ local function render_file(comp, show_path, depth)
   ---@type FileEntry
   local file = comp.context
 
-  comp:add_text(file.status .. " ", hl.get_git_hl(file.status))
+  comp:add_text(hl.get_status_icon(file.status) .. " ", hl.get_git_hl(file.status))
 
   if depth then
     comp:add_text(string.rep(" ", depth * 2 + 2))
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ local function render_file_tree_recurse(depth, comp)
   local ctx = comp.context --[[@as DirData ]]
 
   dir:add_text(
-    get_dir_status_text(ctx, conf.file_panel.tree_options) .. " ",
+    hl.get_status_icon(get_dir_status_text(ctx, conf.file_panel.tree_options)) .. " ",
     hl.get_git_hl(ctx.status)
   )
   dir:add_text(string.rep(" ", depth * 2))
diff --git a/lua/diffview/scene/views/file_history/render.lua b/lua/diffview/scene/views/file_history/render.lua
index 24b13970..607f982e 100644
--- a/lua/diffview/scene/views/file_history/render.lua
+++ b/lua/diffview/scene/views/file_history/render.lua
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ local function render_files(comp, files)
       )
     else
       if file.status then
-        comp:add_text(file.status .. " ", hl.get_git_hl(file.status))
+        comp:add_text(hl.get_status_icon(file.status) .. " ", hl.get_git_hl(file.status))
       else
         comp:add_text("-" .. " ", "DiffviewNonText")
       end
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ local function render_entries(panel, parent, entries, updating)
     end
 
     if entry.status then
-      comp:add_text(entry.status, hl.get_git_hl(entry.status))
+      comp:add_text(hl.get_status_icon(entry.status), hl.get_git_hl(entry.status))
     else
       comp:add_text("-", "DiffviewNonText")
     end