diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index 4e98964..861fb28 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ function! airline#extensions#whitespace#toggle()
   echo 'Whitespace checking: '.(s:enabled ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled')
 endfunction
 
+function! airline#extensions#whitespace#disable()
+  if s:enabled
+    call airline#extensions#whitespace#toggle()
+  endif
+endfunction
+
 function! airline#extensions#whitespace#init(...)
   call airline#parts#define_function('whitespace', 'airline#extensions#whitespace#check')
 
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 2e97af1..11454e9 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@ eclim <https://eclim.org>
 * enable/disable detection of whitespace errors. >
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#enabled = 1
 <
+* disable detection of whitespace errors. >
+  " useful to call for particular file types (e.g., in "ftplugin/*")
+  silent! call airline#extensions#whitespace#disable
+<
 * customize the type of mixed indent checking to perform. >
   " must be all spaces or all tabs before the first non-whitespace character
   let g:airline#extensions#whitespace#mixed_indent_algo = 0 (default)