diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
index a3b10ed..4227769 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/wordcount.vim
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@
 
 scriptencoding utf-8
 
-let s:filetypes = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes', '\vhelp|markdown|rst|org|text|asciidoc|tex|mail')
 let s:format = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#format', '%d words')
 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')
 
 function! s:update()
-  if match(&ft, s:filetypes) > -1
+  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()
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ function! s:update()
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#wordcount#apply(...)
-  if &ft =~ s:filetypes
+  if match(&ft, get(g:, 'airline#extensions#wordcount#filetypes')) > -1
     call airline#extensions#prepend_to_section('z', '%{get(b:, "airline_wordcount", "")}')
   endif
 endfunction