diff --git a/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim b/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
index 3bd74ce..965b259 100644
--- a/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
+++ b/autoload/nerdtree/ui_glue.vim
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ endfunction
 " FUNCTION: s:displayHelp() {{{1
 " toggles the help display
 function! s:displayHelp()
-    let b:treeShowHelp = b:treeShowHelp ? 0 : 1
+    call b:NERDTree.ui.toggleHelp()
     call b:NERDTree.render()
     call b:NERDTree.ui.centerView()
 endfunction
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ function! s:findAndRevealPath()
             else
                 call g:NERDTree.CursorToTreeWin()
             endif
-            let b:NERDTreeShowHidden = g:NERDTreeShowHidden
+            call b:NERDTree.setShowHidden(g:NERDTreeShowHidden)
             call s:chRoot(g:NERDTreeDirNode.New(p.getParent()))
         else
             if !g:NERDTree.IsOpen()
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/creator.vim b/lib/nerdtree/creator.vim
index 7289d3f..87d1b1b 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/creator.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/creator.vim
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ function! s:Creator.createTabTree(name)
 
     call self._createTreeWin()
     call self._createNERDTree(path, "tab")
-    let b:treeShowHelp = 0
-    let b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled = 1
-    let b:NERDTreeShowFiles = g:NERDTreeShowFiles
-    let b:NERDTreeShowHidden = g:NERDTreeShowHidden
-    let b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks = g:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
-
     call b:NERDTree.render()
     call b:NERDTreeRoot.putCursorHere(0, 0)
 
@@ -285,12 +279,6 @@ function! s:Creator._setCommonBufOptions()
     endif
 
     call self._setupStatusline()
-
-    let b:treeShowHelp = 0
-    let b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled = 1
-    let b:NERDTreeShowFiles = g:NERDTreeShowFiles
-    let b:NERDTreeShowHidden = g:NERDTreeShowHidden
-    let b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks = g:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
     call self._bindMappings()
     setlocal filetype=nerdtree
 endfunction
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/nerdtree.vim b/lib/nerdtree/nerdtree.vim
index db55cb9..938c5f8 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/nerdtree.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/nerdtree.vim
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ endfunction
 "FUNCTION: s:NERDTree.CursorToBookmarkTable(){{{1
 "Places the cursor at the top of the bookmarks table
 function! s:NERDTree.CursorToBookmarkTable()
-    if !b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
+    if !b:NERDTree.ui.getShowBookmarks()
         throw "NERDTree.IllegalOperationError: cant find bookmark table, bookmarks arent active"
     endif
 
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ function! s:NERDTree.New(path, type)
     let newObj.ui = g:NERDTreeUI.New(newObj)
     let newObj.root = g:NERDTreeDirNode.New(a:path)
     let newObj._type = a:type
-
     return newObj
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/path.vim b/lib/nerdtree/path.vim
index 2af07dd..4a2314e 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/path.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/path.vim
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ endfunction
 "returns true if this path should be ignored
 function! s:Path.ignore()
     "filter out the user specified paths to ignore
-    if b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled
+    if b:NERDTree.ui.isIgnoreFilterEnabled()
         for i in g:NERDTreeIgnore
             if self._ignorePatternMatches(i)
                 return 1
@@ -425,11 +425,11 @@ function! s:Path.ignore()
     endif
 
     "dont show hidden files unless instructed to
-    if b:NERDTreeShowHidden ==# 0 && self.isUnixHiddenFile()
+    if !b:NERDTree.ui.getShowHidden() && self.isUnixHiddenFile()
         return 1
     endif
 
-    if b:NERDTreeShowFiles ==# 0 && self.isDirectory ==# 0
+    if b:NERDTree.ui.getShowFiles() ==# 0 && self.isDirectory ==# 0
         return 1
     endif
 
diff --git a/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim b/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
index 8e18805..bacbf63 100644
--- a/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
+++ b/lib/nerdtree/ui.vim
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ endfunction
 "prints out the quick help
 function! s:UI._dumpHelp()
     let old_h = @h
-    if b:treeShowHelp ==# 1
+    if self.getShowHelp()
         let @h=   "\" NERD tree (" . nerdtree#version() . ") quickhelp~\n"
         let @h=@h."\" ============================\n"
         let @h=@h."\" File node mappings~\n"
@@ -87,10 +87,10 @@ function! s:UI._dumpHelp()
 
         let @h=@h."\"\n\" ----------------------------\n"
         let @h=@h."\" Tree filtering mappings~\n"
-        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleHidden .": hidden files (" . (b:NERDTreeShowHidden ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
-        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleFilters .": file filters (" . (b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
-        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleFiles .": files (" . (b:NERDTreeShowFiles ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
-        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleBookmarks .": bookmarks (" . (b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
+        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleHidden .": hidden files (" . (self.getShowHidden() ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
+        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleFilters .": file filters (" . (self.isIgnoreFilterEnabled() ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
+        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleFiles .": files (" . (self.getShowFiles() ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
+        let @h=@h."\" ". g:NERDTreeMapToggleBookmarks .": bookmarks (" . (self.getShowBookmarks() ? "on" : "off") . ")\n"
 
         "add quickhelp entries for each custom key map
         let @h=@h."\"\n\" ----------------------------\n"
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ endfunction
 function! s:UI.New(nerdtree)
     let newObj = copy(self)
     let newObj.nerdtree = a:nerdtree
+    let newObj._showHelp = 0
+    let newObj._ignoreEnabled = 1
+    let newObj._showFiles = g:NERDTreeShowFiles
+    let newObj._showHidden = g:NERDTreeShowHidden
+    let newObj._showBookmarks = g:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
+
     return newObj
 endfunction
 
@@ -259,6 +265,26 @@ function! s:UI.getRootLineNum()
     return rootLine
 endfunction
 
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.getShowBookmarks() {{{1
+function! s:UI.getShowBookmarks()
+    return self._showBookmarks
+endfunction
+
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.getShowFiles() {{{1
+function! s:UI.getShowFiles()
+    return self._showFiles
+endfunction
+
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.getShowHelp() {{{1
+function! s:UI.getShowHelp()
+    return self._showHelp
+endfunction
+
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.getShowHidden() {{{1
+function! s:UI.getShowHidden()
+    return self._showHidden
+endfunction
+
 "FUNCTION: s:UI._indentLevelFor(line) {{{1
 function! s:UI._indentLevelFor(line)
     let level = match(a:line, '[^ \-+~'.g:NERDTreeDirArrowExpandable.g:NERDTreeDirArrowCollapsible.'`|]') / s:UI.IndentWid()
@@ -275,6 +301,11 @@ function! s:UI.IndentWid()
     return 2
 endfunction
 
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.isIgnoreFilterEnabled() {{{1
+function! s:UI.isIgnoreFilterEnabled()
+    return self._ignoreEnabled == 1
+endfunction
+
 "FUNCTION: s:UI.MarkupReg() {{{1
 function! s:UI.MarkupReg()
     if g:NERDTreeDirArrows
@@ -334,6 +365,11 @@ function! s:UI.saveScreenState()
     call nerdtree#exec(win . "wincmd w")
 endfunction
 
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.setShowHidden(val) {{{1
+function! s:UI.setShowHidden(val)
+    let self._showHidden = a:val
+endfunction
+
 "FUNCTION: s:UI._stripMarkup(line, removeLeadingSpaces){{{1
 "returns the given line with all the tree parts stripped off
 "
@@ -395,7 +431,7 @@ function! s:UI.render()
         call cursor(line(".")+1, col("."))
     endif
 
-    if b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
+    if self.getShowBookmarks()
         call self._renderBookmarks()
     endif
 
@@ -450,10 +486,15 @@ function! s:UI.renderViewSavingPosition()
     endif
 endfunction
 
+"FUNCTION: s:UI.toggleHelp() {{{1
+function! s:UI.toggleHelp()
+    let self._showHelp = !self._showHelp
+endfunction
+
 " FUNCTION: s:UI.toggleIgnoreFilter() {{{1
 " toggles the use of the NERDTreeIgnore option
 function! s:UI.toggleIgnoreFilter()
-    let b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled = !b:NERDTreeIgnoreEnabled
+    let self._ignoreEnabled = !self._ignoreEnabled
     call b:NERDTree.ui.renderViewSavingPosition()
     call b:NERDTree.ui.centerView()
 endfunction
@@ -461,8 +502,8 @@ endfunction
 " FUNCTION: s:UI.toggleShowBookmarks() {{{1
 " toggles the display of bookmarks
 function! s:UI.toggleShowBookmarks()
-    let b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks = !b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
-    if b:NERDTreeShowBookmarks
+    let self._showBookmarks = !self._showBookmarks
+    if self.getShowBookmarks()
         call b:NERDTree.render()
         call g:NERDTree.CursorToBookmarkTable()
     else
@@ -474,7 +515,7 @@ endfunction
 " FUNCTION: s:UI.toggleShowFiles() {{{1
 " toggles the display of hidden files
 function! s:UI.toggleShowFiles()
-    let b:NERDTreeShowFiles = !b:NERDTreeShowFiles
+    let self._showFiles = !self._showFiles
     call b:NERDTree.ui.renderViewSavingPosition()
     call b:NERDTree.ui.centerView()
 endfunction
@@ -482,7 +523,7 @@ endfunction
 " FUNCTION: s:UI.toggleShowHidden() {{{1
 " toggles the display of hidden files
 function! s:UI.toggleShowHidden()
-    let b:NERDTreeShowHidden = !b:NERDTreeShowHidden
+    let self._showHidden = !self._showHidden
     call b:NERDTree.ui.renderViewSavingPosition()
     call self.centerView()
 endfunction