diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index 0317e62..bc2741f 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -105,3 +105,11 @@ Stick this in your vimrc:
 > Can I have different highlighting for different file extensions?
 
 See here: https://github.com/scrooloose/nerdtree/issues/433#issuecomment-92590696
+
+> How can I change default arrows?
+
+Use these variables in your vimrc. Note that below are default arrow symbols
+
+    let g:NERDTreeDirArrows = 1
+    let g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable = '▸'
+    let g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable = '▾'
diff --git a/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim b/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
index 1f922df..e706ee5 100644
--- a/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
+++ b/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ function! s:handleLeftClick()
         endfor
 
         if currentNode.path.isDirectory
-            if startToCur =~# g:NERDTreeUI.MarkupReg() && startToCur =~# '[+~▾▸] \?$'
+            if startToCur =~# g:NERDTreeUI.MarkupReg() && startToCur =~# '[+~'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.'] \?$'
                 call currentNode.activate()
                 return
             endif
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/tree_file_node.vim b/lib/nerdtree/tree_file_node.vim
index b4924d7..5c38641 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/tree_file_node.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/tree_file_node.vim
@@ -383,13 +383,13 @@ function! s:TreeFileNode._renderToString(depth, drawText, vertMap, isLastChild)
         if self.path.isDirectory
             if self.isOpen
                 if g:NERDTreeDirArrows
-                    let treeParts = treeParts . '▾ '
+                    let treeParts = treeParts . g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable . ' '
                 else
                     let treeParts = treeParts . '~'
                 endif
             else
                 if g:NERDTreeDirArrows
-                    let treeParts = treeParts . '▸ '
+                    let treeParts = treeParts . g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable . ' '
                 else
                     let treeParts = treeParts . '+'
                 endif
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim b/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
index 22e450c..5632ab0 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ function! s:UI.getPath(ln)
 
     if !g:NERDTreeDirArrows
         " in case called from outside the tree
-        if line !~# '^ *[|`▸▾ ]' || line =~# '^$'
+        if line !~# '^ *[|`'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.' ]' || line =~# '^$'
             return {}
         endif
     endif
@@ -261,9 +261,9 @@ endfunction
 
 "FUNCTION: s:UI._indentLevelFor(line) {{{1
 function! s:UI._indentLevelFor(line)
-    let level = match(a:line, '[^ \-+~▸▾`|]') / s:UI.IndentWid()
+    let level = match(a:line, '[^ \-+~'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.'`|]') / s:UI.IndentWid()
     " check if line includes arrows
-    if match(a:line, '[▸▾]') > -1
+    if match(a:line, '['.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.]') > -1
         " decrement level as arrow uses 3 ascii chars
         let level = level - 1
     endif
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ endfunction
 "FUNCTION: s:UI.MarkupReg() {{{1
 function! s:UI.MarkupReg()
     if g:NERDTreeDirArrows
-        return '^\([▾▸] \| \+[▾▸] \| \+\)'
+        return '^\(['.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.'] \| \+['.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.'] \| \+\)'
     endif
 
     return '^[ `|]*[\-+~]'
diff --git a/plugin/NERD_tree.vim b/plugin/NERD_tree.vim
index 966838c..7b3dff0 100644
--- a/plugin/NERD_tree.vim
+++ b/plugin/NERD_tree.vim
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeShowHidden", 0)
 call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeShowLineNumbers", 0)
 call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeSortDirs", 1)
 call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeDirArrows", !nerdtree#runningWindows())
+call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable", "▸")
+call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable", "▾")
 call s:initVariable("g:NERDTreeCascadeOpenSingleChildDir", 1)
 
 if !exists("g:NERDTreeSortOrder")
diff --git a/syntax/nerdtree.vim b/syntax/nerdtree.vim
index 5f7b49c..1d09788 100644
--- a/syntax/nerdtree.vim
+++ b/syntax/nerdtree.vim
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@ syn match NERDTreeLinkDir #.*/ ->#me=e-3 containedin=NERDTreeDir
 syn match NERDTreeDirSlash #/# containedin=NERDTreeDir
 
 if g:NERDTreeDirArrows
-    syn match NERDTreeClosable #▾# containedin=NERDTreeDir,NERDTreeFile
-    syn match NERDTreeOpenable #▸# containedin=NERDTreeDir,NERDTreeFile
+    exec 'syn match NERDTreeClosable #'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.'# containedin=NERDTreeDir,NERDTreeFile'
+    exec 'syn match NERDTreeOpenable #'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.'# containedin=NERDTreeDir,NERDTreeFile'
 
-    syn match NERDTreeDir #[^▾▸ ].*/#
+    let s:dirArrows = g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable
+    exec 'syn match NERDTreeDir #[^'.s:dirArrows.' ].*/#'
     syn match NERDTreeExecFile  #^ .*\*\($\| \)# contains=NERDTreeRO,NERDTreeBookmark
-    syn match NERDTreeFile  #^[^"\.▾▸] *[^▾▸]*# contains=NERDTreeLink,NERDTreeRO,NERDTreeBookmark,NERDTreeExecFile
+    exec 'syn match NERDTreeFile  #^[^"\.'.s:dirArrows.'] *[^'.s:dirArrows.']*# contains=NERDTreeLink,NERDTreeRO,NERDTreeBookmark,NERDTreeExecFile'
 
     "highlighting for readonly files
     syn match NERDTreeRO # *\zs.*\ze \[RO\]# contains=NERDTreeIgnore,NERDTreeBookmark,NERDTreeFile