diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 98d3edd..ed5d847 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ preserving the first two directories;
 * the current Python virtual environment, if any;
 * an up arrow if an HTTP proxy is in use;
 * the name of the current branch if you are in a version control repository
-(git, mercurial or subversion), in green if everything is up to date, in red if
-there is changes, in yellow if there is pending commits to push;
+(git, mercurial, subversion or fossil), in green if everything is up
+to date, in red if there is changes, in yellow if there is pending
+commits to push;
 * the number of added/deleted lines (git) or files (fossil), if
 changes have been made and the number of pending commits, if any;
 * a star if there is some untracked files in the repository;
diff --git a/liquidprompt b/liquidprompt
index 7a49b22..5d2d8ee 100755
--- a/liquidprompt
+++ b/liquidprompt
@@ -741,13 +741,12 @@ _lp_fossil_branch()
 {
     [[ "$LP_ENABLE_FOSSIL" != 1 ]] && return
 
-    # first, are we in an open fossil repository?
-    if fossil info &>/dev/null ; then
-	local branch
-	branch=$(fossil status 2>/dev/null | grep tags: | cut -c17-)
-	if [[ -n "$branch" ]] ; then
-	    echo "$branch"
-	else
+    local branch
+    branch=$(fossil status 2>/dev/null | grep tags: | cut -c17-)
+    if [[ -n "$branch" ]] ; then
+	echo "$branch"
+    else
+	if fossil info &>/dev/null ; then
 	    echo "no-tag"
 	fi
     fi