diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
index e4fffdff6da5..4f69c496b5c5 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
@@ -207,6 +207,11 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
    * The reference tracker
    */
   private GitReferenceTracker myReferenceTracker;
+  /**
+   * If true, the vcs was activated
+   */
+  private boolean isActivated;
+
 
   public static GitVcs getInstance(@NotNull Project project) {
     return (GitVcs)ProjectLevelVcsManager.getInstance(project).findVcsByName(NAME);
@@ -496,6 +501,7 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
    */
   @Override
   protected void activate() {
+    isActivated = true;
     if (!myProject.isDefault() && myRootTracker == null) {
       myRootTracker = new GitRootTracker(this, myProject, myRootListeners.getMulticaster());
     }
@@ -519,6 +525,7 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
    */
   @Override
   protected void deactivate() {
+    isActivated = false;
     GitBranchConfigurations.getInstance(myProject).deactivate();
     if (myRootTracker != null) {
       myRootTracker.dispose();
@@ -768,4 +775,11 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
     final VirtualFile vcsRoot = GitUtil.getGitRoot(file);
     return GitChangeUtils.getRevisionChanges(project, vcsRoot, revision.getRevisionNumber().asString(), false);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * @return true if vcs was activated
+   */
+  public boolean isActivated() {
+    return isActivated;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/checkout/branches/GitBranchConfigurations.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/checkout/branches/GitBranchConfigurations.java
index 35cdcb832a12..ef2bc44d9d85 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/checkout/branches/GitBranchConfigurations.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/checkout/branches/GitBranchConfigurations.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import git4idea.vfs.GitReferenceListener;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
+import javax.swing.*;
 import java.util.*;
 
 /**
@@ -147,6 +148,10 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
    * Listener for changes
    */
   private final ChangeListAdapter myChangesListener;
+  /**
+   * If true, the widget is enabled
+   */
+  private boolean myWidgetEnabled = true;
 
   /**
    * The constructor used to dependency injection
@@ -268,8 +273,20 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
       }
       referencesChanged();
     }
+    if (isWidgetEnabled()) {
+      installWidget();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Install widget
+   */
+  private void installWidget() {
     if (!ApplicationManager.getApplication().isHeadlessEnvironment()) {
-      myWidgetUninstall = GitBranchesWidget.install(myProject, this);
+      final Runnable r = GitBranchesWidget.install(myProject, this);
+      synchronized (myStateLock) {
+        myWidgetUninstall = r;
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -279,10 +296,18 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
   public void deactivate() {
     myVcs.removeGitReferenceListener(myReferenceListener);
     myChangeManager.removeChangeListListener(myChangesListener);
-    if (myWidgetUninstall != null) {
-      myWidgetUninstall.run();
+    uninstallWidget();
+  }
+
+  private void uninstallWidget() {
+    final Runnable r;
+    synchronized (myStateLock) {
+      r = myWidgetUninstall;
       myWidgetUninstall = null;
     }
+    if (r != null) {
+      r.run();
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -310,6 +335,7 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
   public State getState() {
     synchronized (myStateLock) {
       State rc = new State();
+      rc.IS_WIDGET_ENABLED = myWidgetEnabled;
       rc.CURRENT = myCurrentConfiguration == null ? null : myCurrentConfiguration.getName();
       ArrayList<BranchConfiguration> cs = new ArrayList<BranchConfiguration>(myConfigurations.size());
       for (GitBranchConfiguration ci : myConfigurations.values()) {
@@ -363,9 +389,54 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
       }
       fireCurrentConfigurationChanged();
       fireConfigurationsChanged();
+      if (state.IS_WIDGET_ENABLED != myWidgetEnabled) {
+        myWidgetEnabled = state.IS_WIDGET_ENABLED;
+        updateWidgetState();
+      }
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Update widget state after update
+   */
+  private void updateWidgetState() {
+    SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        if (isWidgetEnabled()) {
+          if (myVcs.isActivated() && myWidgetUninstall == null) {
+            installWidget();
+          }
+        }
+        else {
+          uninstallWidget();
+        }
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @return true if widget is enabled
+   */
+  public boolean isWidgetEnabled() {
+    synchronized (myStateLock) {
+      return myWidgetEnabled;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Update widget state
+   *
+   * @param value true to enable widget
+   */
+  public void setWidgetEnabled(boolean value) {
+    synchronized (myStateLock) {
+      myWidgetEnabled = value;
+      updateWidgetState();
+    }
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * @return the candidate remote configurations
    */
@@ -632,18 +703,6 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
     return myStateLock;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Check if configuration with specified name already exists
-   *
-   * @param name the name to check
-   * @return true if the configuration exists
-   */
-  boolean hasConfigurationName(String name) {
-    synchronized (myStateLock) {
-      return myConfigurations.containsKey(name);
-    }
-  }
-
   /**
    * Set current configuration
    *
@@ -765,6 +824,10 @@ public class GitBranchConfigurations implements PersistentStateComponent<GitBran
    * The configuration state
    */
   public static class State {
+    /**
+     * If true, branches widget is enabled
+     */
+    public boolean IS_WIDGET_ENABLED = true;
     /**
      * The current configuration
      */
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.form b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.form
index d134d7bb3804..fdfdc001fb15 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.form
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.form
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <form xmlns="http://www.intellij.com/uidesigner/form/" version="1" bind-to-class="git4idea.config.GitVcsPanel">
-  <grid id="27dc6" binding="myPanel" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="6" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+  <grid id="27dc6" binding="myPanel" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="4" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
     <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
     <constraints>
       <xy x="20" y="20" width="500" height="400"/>
@@ -10,107 +10,150 @@
     </properties>
     <border type="none"/>
     <children>
-      <component id="b1a9d" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-        <properties>
-          <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.path.label"/>
-          <verifyInputWhenFocusTarget value="false"/>
-        </properties>
-      </component>
-      <component id="25af7" class="com.intellij.openapi.ui.TextFieldWithBrowseButton" binding="myGitField">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="7" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-        <properties/>
-      </component>
-      <vspacer id="4c83d">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="5" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="6" hsize-policy="1" anchor="0" fill="2" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-      </vspacer>
-      <component id="563b2" class="javax.swing.JButton" binding="myTestButton">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="1" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="2" hsize-policy="0" anchor="4" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-        <properties>
-          <horizontalAlignment value="0"/>
-          <label resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.test.label"/>
-          <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.test"/>
-        </properties>
-      </component>
-      <component id="5a909" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-        <properties>
-          <labelFor value="f5de9"/>
-          <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.ssh.mode"/>
-        </properties>
-      </component>
-      <grid id="97c7d" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+      <grid id="b95e2" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
         <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
         <constraints>
-          <grid row="2" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+          <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
         <properties/>
-        <border type="none"/>
+        <border type="etched" title="Interface Options">
+          <font/>
+        </border>
         <children>
-          <component id="f5de9" class="javax.swing.JComboBox" binding="mySSHExecutableComboBox" default-binding="true">
+          <component id="26b57" class="javax.swing.JCheckBox" binding="myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox" default-binding="true">
             <constraints>
-              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="2" anchor="8" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <selected value="true"/>
+              <text value="Enable &amp;branches widget"/>
+              <toolTipText value="Enables status widget in status bar"/>
+            </properties>
           </component>
-          <hspacer id="9eafb">
+          <hspacer id="a6134">
             <constraints>
               <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
           </hspacer>
         </children>
       </grid>
-      <component id="a6d8e" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
-        <constraints>
-          <grid row="3" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
-        </constraints>
-        <properties>
-          <labelFor value="7a626"/>
-          <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.crlf"/>
-        </properties>
-      </component>
-      <grid id="a4472" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+      <grid id="e7668" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="2" column-count="3" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
         <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
         <constraints>
-          <grid row="3" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+          <grid row="1" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
         <properties/>
-        <border type="none"/>
+        <border type="etched" title="File Conversion"/>
         <children>
+          <component id="a6d8e" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <labelFor value="7a626"/>
+              <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.crlf"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
+          <hspacer id="9e883">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="0" column="2" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+          </hspacer>
+          <vspacer id="8bedb">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="1" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="6" hsize-policy="1" anchor="0" fill="2" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+          </vspacer>
           <component id="7a626" class="javax.swing.JComboBox" binding="myConvertTextFilesComboBox" default-binding="true">
             <constraints>
-              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="2" anchor="8" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+              <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="2" anchor="8" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
             <properties>
               <toolTipText resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.tooltip"/>
             </properties>
           </component>
-          <hspacer id="3c6b8">
+          <component id="a8818" class="javax.swing.JCheckBox" binding="myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox" default-binding="true">
             <constraints>
-              <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+              <grid row="1" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="2" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
-          </hspacer>
+            <properties>
+              <selected value="true"/>
+              <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.ask"/>
+              <toolTipText resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.ask.tooltip"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
         </children>
       </grid>
-      <component id="a8818" class="javax.swing.JCheckBox" binding="myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox" default-binding="true">
+      <grid id="c9e6b" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="3" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+        <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
         <constraints>
-          <grid row="4" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+          <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
-        <properties>
-          <selected value="true"/>
-          <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.ask"/>
-          <toolTipText resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.convert.ask.tooltip"/>
-        </properties>
-      </component>
+        <properties/>
+        <border type="etched" title="Git"/>
+        <children>
+          <component id="b1a9d" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.path.label"/>
+              <verifyInputWhenFocusTarget value="false"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
+          <component id="25af7" class="com.intellij.openapi.ui.TextFieldWithBrowseButton" binding="myGitField">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="7" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties/>
+          </component>
+          <component id="563b2" class="javax.swing.JButton" binding="myTestButton">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="1" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="2" hsize-policy="0" anchor="4" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <horizontalAlignment value="0"/>
+              <label resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.test.label"/>
+              <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.test"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
+          <component id="5a909" class="javax.swing.JLabel">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="0" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <labelFor value="f5de9"/>
+              <text resource-bundle="git4idea/i18n/GitBundle" key="git.vcs.config.ssh.mode"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
+          <grid id="97c7d" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+            <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="2" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties/>
+            <border type="none"/>
+            <children>
+              <hspacer id="9eafb">
+                <constraints>
+                  <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+                </constraints>
+              </hspacer>
+              <component id="f5de9" class="javax.swing.JComboBox" binding="mySSHExecutableComboBox" default-binding="true">
+                <constraints>
+                  <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="2" anchor="8" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+                </constraints>
+                <properties/>
+              </component>
+            </children>
+          </grid>
+        </children>
+      </grid>
+      <vspacer id="4c83d">
+        <constraints>
+          <grid row="3" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="6" hsize-policy="1" anchor="0" fill="2" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+        </constraints>
+      </vspacer>
     </children>
   </grid>
 </form>
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.java
index 128a0d4cb5be..8e5bbf8e5b57 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsPanel.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.ui.Messages;
 import com.intellij.openapi.ui.TextFieldWithBrowseButton;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vcs.VcsException;
 import git4idea.GitVcs;
+import git4idea.checkout.branches.GitBranchConfigurations;
 import git4idea.i18n.GitBundle;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
@@ -57,6 +58,10 @@ public class GitVcsPanel {
    * The confirmation checkbox
    */
   private JCheckBox myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox;
+  /**
+   * The if selected, the branches widget is enabled in the status bar
+   */
+  private JCheckBox myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox;
   /**
    * The project
    */
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@ public class GitVcsPanel {
     myConvertTextFilesComboBox.setSelectedItem(CRLF_CONVERT_TO_PROJECT);
     myGitField.addBrowseFolderListener(GitBundle.getString("find.git.title"), GitBundle.getString("find.git.description"), project,
                                        new FileChooserDescriptor(true, false, false, false, false, false));
+    myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox.setSelected(GitBranchConfigurations.getInstance(myProject).isWidgetEnabled());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -148,6 +154,7 @@ public class GitVcsPanel {
     mySSHExecutableComboBox.setSelectedItem(settings.isIdeaSsh() ? IDEA_SSH : NATIVE_SSH);
     myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox.setSelected(settings.askBeforeLineSeparatorConversion());
     myConvertTextFilesComboBox.setSelectedItem(crlfPolicyItem(settings));
+    myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox.setSelected(GitBranchConfigurations.getInstance(myProject).isWidgetEnabled());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -181,7 +188,8 @@ public class GitVcsPanel {
     return !settings.getGitExecutable().equals(myGitField.getText()) ||
            (settings.isIdeaSsh() != IDEA_SSH.equals(mySSHExecutableComboBox.getSelectedItem())) ||
            !crlfPolicyItem(settings).equals(myConvertTextFilesComboBox.getSelectedItem()) ||
-           settings.askBeforeLineSeparatorConversion() != myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox.isSelected();
+           settings.askBeforeLineSeparatorConversion() != myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox.isSelected() ||
+           GitBranchConfigurations.getInstance(myProject).isWidgetEnabled() != myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox.isSelected();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -205,5 +213,6 @@ public class GitVcsPanel {
     }
     settings.setLineSeparatorsConversion(conversionPolicy);
     settings.setAskBeforeLineSeparatorConversion(myAskBeforeConversionsCheckBox.isSelected());
+    GitBranchConfigurations.getInstance(myProject).setWidgetEnabled(myEnableBranchesWidgetCheckBox.isSelected());
   }
 }