diff --git a/autoload/airline.vim b/autoload/airline.vim
index 69eb4c0..12bb33d 100644
--- a/autoload/airline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline.vim
@@ -1,9 +1,26 @@
 " MIT License. Copyright (c) 2013 Bailey Ling.
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
+let g:airline_statusline_funcrefs = get(g:, 'airline_statusline_funcrefs', [])
+
 let s:sections = ['a','b','c','gutter','x','y','z','warning']
 let s:highlighter = airline#highlighter#new()
 
+function! airline#add_statusline_func(name)
+  call airline#add_statusline_funcref(function(a:name))
+endfunction
+
+function! airline#add_statusline_funcref(function)
+  call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, a:function)
+endfunction
+
+function! airline#remove_statusline_func(name)
+  let i = index(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, function(a:name))
+  if i > -1
+    call remove(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, i)
+  endif
+endfunction
+
 function! airline#load_theme()
   call s:highlighter.load_theme()
   call airline#extensions#load_theme()
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
index c918545..a4a639d 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions.vim
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
 let s:ext = {}
-function! s:ext.add_statusline_funcref(funcref) dict
-  call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, a:funcref)
+function! s:ext.add_statusline_func(name) dict
+  call airline#add_statusline_func(a:name)
+endfunction
+function! s:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function) dict
+  call airline#add_statusline_funcref(a:function)
 endfunction
 
 let s:script_path = expand('<sfile>:p:h')
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#load()
   autocmd CursorMoved * call <sid>sync_active_winnr()
 
   " load core funcrefs
-  call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, function('airline#extensions#update_statusline'))
+  call airline#add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#update_statusline')
 
   if get(g:, 'loaded_unite', 0)
     let g:unite_force_overwrite_statusline = 0
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
index a6b9848..5546236 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/bufferline.vim
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#bufferline#init(ext)
   let g:bufferline_separator = ' '
 
   if g:airline_section_c == '%f%m'
-    call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#bufferline#apply'))
+    call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#bufferline#apply')
   endif
 endfunction
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/commandt.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/commandt.vim
index 644cc66..c1e7890 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/commandt.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/commandt.vim
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ function! airline#extensions#commandt#apply(...)
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#commandt#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#commandt#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#commandt#apply')
 endfunction
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
index d669be8..4130d1e 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/csv.vim
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#csv#apply(...)
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#csv#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#csv#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#csv#apply')
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
index fe70a89..ec882f1 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/ctrlp.vim
@@ -59,6 +59,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#ctrlp#init(ext)
         \ 'main': 'airline#extensions#ctrlp#ctrlp_airline',
         \ 'prog': 'airline#extensions#ctrlp#ctrlp_airline_status',
         \ }
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#ctrlp#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#ctrlp#apply')
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
index 637f83d..ae1e764 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/example.vim
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ endif
 " First you should follow the convention and define an 'init' function.
 " It takes a single argument, which is the 'ext'ension manager of sorts,
 " which you can invoke certain functions.  The most important one is
-" 'add_statusline_funcref', which as the name implies, adds a funcref to
+" 'add_statusline_func', which as the name implies, adds a function to
 " the collection such that it will be invoked prior to changes being made
 " to the statusline. Finally, invoke this init function in the
 " 'extensions.vim' file after a check to a non-autoloaded variable,
 " command, or function.
 function! airline#extensions#example#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#example#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#example#apply')
 
   " Alternatively, you can also modify the default global section by
   " appending or prepending to it.  But read on to see why using the funcref
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
index 21ec0d8..288cdd1 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/syntastic.vim
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#syntastic#apply(...)
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#syntastic#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#syntastic#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#syntastic#apply')
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
index 3326e49..bb957bc 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tagbar.vim
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ function! s:check_statusline()
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#tagbar#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#tagbar#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#tagbar#apply')
 
   let g:airline_section_x = '%(%{get(w:,"airline_active",0) ? tagbar#currenttag("%s","") : ""} '
         \ .g:airline_right_alt_sep.' %)'.g:airline_section_x
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/undotree.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/undotree.vim
index f869d0c..1f1e3ac 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/undotree.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/undotree.vim
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ function! airline#extensions#undotree#apply(...)
 endfunction
 
 function! airline#extensions#undotree#init(ext)
-  call a:ext.add_statusline_funcref(function('airline#extensions#undotree#apply'))
+  call a:ext.add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#undotree#apply')
 endfunction
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
index 17f9c08..8f2fd1a 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/whitespace.vim
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ endfunction
 function! airline#extensions#whitespace#init(...)
   if !s:initialized
     let s:initialized = 1
-    call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, function('airline#extensions#whitespace#apply'))
+    call airline#add_statusline_func('airline#extensions#whitespace#apply')
   endif
 
   unlet! b:airline_whitespace_check
diff --git a/doc/airline.txt b/doc/airline.txt
index 7f1feeb..10cb823 100644
--- a/doc/airline.txt
+++ b/doc/airline.txt
@@ -255,11 +255,9 @@ FUNCREFS                                                  *airline-funcrefs*
 vim-airline internally uses funcrefs to integrate with third party plugins,
 and you can tap into this functionality to extend it for you needs.
 
-                                             *g:airline_statusline_funcrefs*
-The g:airline_statusline_funcrefs variable is an array of funcrefs that get
-invoked before the statusline gets overwritten for each window.  The following
-is an example of how you can extend vim-airline to support a new plugin.
->
+                                                       *add_statusline_func*
+The following is an example of how you can extend vim-airline to support a
+new plugin. >
   function! MyPlugin(...)
     if &filetype == 'MyPluginFileType'
       let w:airline_section_a = 'MyPlugin'
@@ -268,8 +266,14 @@ is an example of how you can extend vim-airline to support a new plugin.
       let g:airline_variable_referenced_in_statusline = 'foo'
     endif
   endfunction
-  call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, function('MyPlugin'))
+  call airline#add_statusline_func('MyPlugin')
 <
+                                                    *remove_statusline_func*
+You can also remove a function as well, if you only need to have something
+activated temporarily. >
+  call airline#remove_statusline_func('MyPlugin')
+<
+
 ==============================================================================
 PIPELINE                                                  *airline-pipeline*
 
@@ -307,7 +311,7 @@ For each section that the algorithm encounters, it will first check to see if
 there is a window-local variable of the section.  If it exists, the value will
 be used, otherwise, the global variable of the section will be used.  This
 means it is possible to override only one or two sections of the statusline.
-See |g:airline_statusline_funcrefs| for an example of a simple extension.
+See |add_statusline_func| for an example of a simple extension.
 
 For contributions into the plugin, here are the following guidelines:
 
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 4a1b87d..022d8fb 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_inactive_collapse', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_filenames', ['DebuggerWatch','DebuggerStack','DebuggerStatus'])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_filetypes', [])
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_exclude_preview', 0)
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_statusline_funcrefs', [])
 
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_mode_map', {
       \ '__' : '------',
@@ -108,9 +107,9 @@ function! s:airline_toggle()
       autocmd!
 
       autocmd CmdwinEnter *
-            \ call add(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, function('airline#cmdwinenter'))
+            \ call airline#add_statusline_func('airline#cmdwinenter')
             \ | call <sid>on_window_changed()
-      autocmd CmdwinLeave * call remove(g:airline_statusline_funcrefs, -1)
+      autocmd CmdwinLeave * call airline#remove_statusline_func('airline#cmdwinenter')
 
       autocmd ColorScheme * call <sid>on_colorscheme_changed()
       autocmd WinEnter,BufWinEnter,FileType,BufUnload,ShellCmdPost *