diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
index 0a8988c..e2eb305 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
@@ -1,12 +1,59 @@
 " MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013-2018 Bailey Ling et al.
-" vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
+" vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2 fdm=marker
 
 scriptencoding utf-8
 
-let s:formatter = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter', 'default')
-let g:airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes',
-      \ '\vhelp|markdown|rst|org|text|asciidoc|tex|mail')
+" get wordcount {{{1
+if exists('*wordcount')
+  function! s:get_wordcount(type)
+    return string(wordcount()[a:type])
+  endfunction
+else
+  function! s:get_wordcount(type)
+    " index to retrieve from whitespace-separated output of g_CTRL-G
+    " 11 - words, 5 - visual words (in visual mode)
+    let idx = (a:type == 'words') ? 11 : 5
 
+    let save_status = v:statusmsg
+    execute "silent normal! g\<cn-g>"
+    let stat = v:statusmsg
+    let v:statusmsg = save_status
+
+    let parts = split(stat)
+    if len(parts) > idx
+      return parts[idx]
+    endif
+  endfunction
+endif
+
+" format {{{1
+let s:formatter = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter', 'default')
+
+" wrapper function for compatibility; redefined below for old-style formatters
+function! s:format_wordcount(type)
+  return airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#transform(
+        \ s:get_wordcount(a:type))
+endfunction
+
+" check user-defined formatter exists and has appropriate functions, otherwise
+" fall back to default
+if s:formatter !=# 'default'
+  execute 'runtime! autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount/formatters/'.s:formatter
+  if !exists('*airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#transform')
+    if !exists('*airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#format')
+      let s:formatter = 'default'
+    else
+      " redefine for backwords compatibility
+      function! s:format_wordcount(type)
+        if a:type !=# 'visual_words'
+          return airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#format()
+        endif
+      endfunction
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
+" update {{{1
 function! s:wordcount_update()
   if empty(bufname(''))
     return
@@ -14,7 +61,7 @@ function! s:wordcount_update()
   if match(&ft, get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes')) > -1
     let l:mode = mode()
     if l:mode ==# 'v' || l:mode ==# 'V' || l:mode ==# 's' || l:mode ==# 'S'
-      let b:airline_wordcount = airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#format()
+      let b:airline_wordcount = s:format_wordcount('visual_words')
       let b:airline_change_tick = b:changedtick
     else
       if get(b:, 'airline_wordcount_cache', '') is# '' ||
@@ -22,7 +69,7 @@ function! s:wordcount_update()
             \ get(b:, 'airline_change_tick', 0) != b:changedtick || 
             \ get(b:, 'airline_winwidth', 0) != winwidth(0)
         " cache data
-        let b:airline_wordcount = airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#{s:formatter}#format()
+        let b:airline_wordcount = s:format_wordcount('words')
         let b:airline_wordcount_cache = b:airline_wordcount
         let b:airline_change_tick = b:changedtick
         let b:airline_winwidth = winwidth(0)
@@ -31,6 +78,11 @@ function! s:wordcount_update()
   endif
 endfunction
 
+" autocmds & airline functions {{{1
+" default filetypes
+let g:airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes',
+      \ '\vhelp|markdown|rst|org|text|asciidoc|tex|mail')
+
 function! airline#extensions#wordcount#apply(...)
   if match(&ft, get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes')) > -1
     call airline#extensions#prepend_to_section('z', '%{get(b:, "airline_wordcount", "")}')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount/formatters/default.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount/formatters/default.vim
index d7b5fae..846b4e0 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount/formatters/default.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount/formatters/default.vim
@@ -3,59 +3,30 @@
 
 scriptencoding utf-8
 
-function! airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#default#format()
-  let fmt = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter#default#fmt', '%s words')
-  let fmt_short = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter#default#fmt_short', fmt == '%s words' ? '%sW' : fmt)
-  let words = string(s:wordcount())
-  if empty(words)
+let s:fmt = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter#default#fmt', '%s words')
+let s:fmt_short = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#formatter#default#fmt_short', s:fmt == '%s words' ? '%sW' : s:fmt)
+
+function! airline#extensions#wordcount#formatters#default#transform(text)
+  if empty(a:text)
     return
   endif
+
   let result = g:airline_symbols.space . g:airline_right_alt_sep . g:airline_symbols.space
   if winwidth(0) >= 80
     let separator = s:get_decimal_group()
-    if words > 999 && !empty(separator)
+    if a:text > 999 && !empty(separator)
       " Format number according to locale, e.g. German: 1.245 or English: 1,245
-      let words = substitute(words, '\d\@<=\(\(\d\{3\}\)\+\)$', separator.'&', 'g')
+      let text = substitute(a:text, '\d\@<=\(\(\d\{3\}\)\+\)$', separator.'&', 'g')
+    else
+      let text = a:text
     endif
-    let result = printf(fmt, words). result
+    let result = printf(s:fmt, a:text). result
   else
-    let result = printf(fmt_short, words). result
+    let result = printf(s:fmt_short, a:text). result
   endif
   return result
 endfunction
 
-function! s:wordcount()
-  if exists("*wordcount")
-    let l:mode = mode()
-    if l:mode ==# 'v' || l:mode ==# 'V' || l:mode ==# 's' || l:mode ==# 'S'
-      let l:visual_words = wordcount()['visual_words']
-      if l:visual_words != ''
-        return l:visual_words
-      else
-        return 0
-      endif
-    else
-      return wordcount()['words']
-    endif
-  elseif mode() =~? 's'
-    return
-  else
-    let old_status = v:statusmsg
-    let position = getpos(".")
-    exe "silent normal! g\<c-g>"
-    let stat = v:statusmsg
-    call setpos('.', position)
-    let v:statusmsg = old_status
-
-    let parts = split(stat)
-    if len(parts) > 11
-      return str2nr(parts[11])
-    else
-      return
-    endif
-  endif
-endfunction
-
 function! s:get_decimal_group()
   if match(get(v:, 'lang', ''), '\v\cC|en') > -1
     return ','
@@ -64,3 +35,4 @@ function! s:get_decimal_group()
   endif
   return ''
 endfunction
+