diff --git a/zsh/prompt.zsh b/zsh/prompt.zsh
index 39d3716..67a0479 100644
--- a/zsh/prompt.zsh
+++ b/zsh/prompt.zsh
@@ -1,70 +1,131 @@
-function precmd {
+# ===== setopts and misc
+# only show RPROMPT on the current prompt
+setopt transient_rprompt # only show the rprompt on the current prompt
 
-    local TERMWIDTH
-    (( TERMWIDTH = ${COLUMNS} - 1 ))
+# set RPROMPT_INDENT to zero in order to remove the useless space on the bottom
+# right of the prompt.
+ZLE_RPROMPT_INDENT=0
 
-    ###
-    # Truncate the path if it's too long.
-    
-    PR_FILLBAR=""
-    PR_PWDLEN=""
-    
-    local promptsize=${#${(%):---(%n@%m)---()--}}
-    local pwdsize=${#${(%):-%~}}
-    
-    if [[ "$promptsize + $pwdsize" -gt $TERMWIDTH ]]; then
-	    ((PR_PWDLEN=$TERMWIDTH - $promptsize))
-    else
-		PR_FILLBAR="\${(l.(($TERMWIDTH - ($promptsize + $pwdsize)))..${PR_HBAR}.)}"
-    fi
-}
+# ===== set the prompt
+zshrc_prompt_precmd() {
 
-function show_battery {
-	if [[ $HAS_PMSET -eq 1 ]]; then
-		~/.zsh/scripts/battery_osx.sh
+	# regex to remove all zerospace elements. Used to calculate the width of
+	# the top prompt.
+	local zero='%([BSUBfksu]|([FB]|){*})'
+
+	# linedrawing characters
+	local top_left_corner="╭"
+	local top_right_corner="╮"
+	local bottom_left_corner="╰"
+	local bottom_right_corner="╯"
+	local dash="─"
+
+	# check $TERM and use non unicode symbols if necessary
+	if [[ $TERM == "linux" ]]; then
+		top_left_corner="+"
+		top_right_corner="+"
+		bottom_left_corner="+"
+		bottom_right_corner="+"
+		dash="-"
 	fi
-}
 
-function setprompt {
-	PR_HBAR="─"
-		
-	if [[ "$TERM" != "xterm" ]]; then
-		PR_ULCORNER="╭"
-		PR_LLCORNER="╰"
-		PR_LRCORNER="╯"
-		PR_URCORNER="╮"
+	# commonly used design elements
+	local bracket_open="%F{blue}${dash}(%f"
+	local bracket_close="%F{blue}%)${dash}%f"
+	local separator="%F{cyan}${dash}%f"
+
+	# current directory, truncated if necessary (WIDTH is replaced later)
+	local directory="%F{magenta}%WIDTH<..<%~%<<%f"
+
+	# current time (HH:MM)
+	local time="%F{yellow}%D{%H:%M}%f"
+
+	# username, green for normal users, red for root
+	local user="%(!.%F{red}.%F{green})%n%f"
+
+	# hostname, underlined if running on a remote system through SSH
+	local host="%F{green}%m%f"
+	if [[ -n $SSH_CONNECTION ]]; then
+		host="%U${host}%u"
+	fi
+
+	# exitcode in parentheses if not zero
+	local exitcode="%(?..[%F{red}%?%f])"
+
+	# prompt symbol, $ in cyan for normal users, # in red for root
+	local symbol="%(!.%F{red}#%f.%F{cyan}>%f)"
+
+	# battery percentage, if acpi is available
+	local battery_pct=
+	if type acpi &> /dev/null ; then
+		battery_pct="$(acpi -b | cut -d, -f2 | sed -e 's/[^0-9]//g')"
+	fi
+
+	# colorize battery percentage or display status
+	if [[ $(acpi -a | cut -d':' -f2) == " on-line" ]]; then
+		battery_pct="charging"
+	elif [[ $battery_pct -le 20 ]]; then
+		battery_pct="%F{red}${battery_pct}%%%f"
+	elif [[ $battery_pct -le 65 ]]; then
+		battery_pct="%F{yellow}${battery_pct}%%%f"
 	else
-		PR_ULCORNER="+"
-		PR_LLCORNER="+"
-		PR_LRCORNER="+"
-		PR_URCORNER="+"
+		battery_pct="%F{green}${battery_pct}%%%f"
 	fi
 
-	PR_RESET="%{$terminfo[sgr0]%}"
+	# prefix characters in first and second line
+	local top_prefix="%F{cyan}${top_left_corner}%f"
+	local bottom_prefix="%F{cyan}${bottom_left_corner}%f"
 
-    ###
-    # Finally, the prompt.
+	# suffix characters in first and second line
+	local top_suffix="%F{cyan}${top_right_corner}%f"
+	local bottom_suffix="%F{cyan}${bottom_right_corner}%f"
 
-    PROMPT='%F{cyan}$PR_ULCORNER%F{blue}$PR_HBAR(\
-%F{magenta}%$PR_PWDLEN<...<%~%<<\
-%F{blue})$PR_HBAR%F{cyan}$PR_HBAR${(e)PR_FILLBAR}%F{blue}$PR_HBAR(\
-%F{green}%n@%m%F{blue}\
-%F{blue})$PR_HBAR%F{cyan}$PR_URCORNER\
+	# combine them to create the prompt
+	local top_left=""
+	local top_right="${bracket_open}${time}${bracket_close}"
+	local bottom_left="${bracket_open}${user}%F{green}@%f${host}${bracket_close}${exitcode}${separator}${symbol}"
+	local bottom_right=
 
-%F{cyan}$PR_LLCORNER%F{blue}$PR_HBAR(\
-%F{yellow}%D{%H:%M}\
-%F{blue})$PR_HBAR%F{cyan}$PR_HBAR\
-%f '
+	# if $battery_pct is empty, just add a vertical line
+	if [[ -n $battery_pct ]]; then
+		bottom_right="${separator}${bracket_open}${battery_pct}${bracket_close}"
+	else
+		bottom_right="%F{blue}${dash}%f"
+	fi
 
-	RPROMPT='%F{cyan}$PR_HBAR%F{blue}$PR_HBAR(\
-%F{yellow}$(show_battery)\
-%F{blue})$PR_HBAR%F{cyan}$PR_LRCORNER\
-%f'
+	# calculate width of prompt components
+	local width_top_prefix=${#${(S%%%)top_prefix//$~zero/}}
+	local width_top_suffix=${#${(S%%%)top_suffix//$~zero/}}
+	local width_top_left=${#${(S%%%)top_left//$~zero/}}
+	local width_top_right=${#${(S%%%)top_right//$~zero/}}
 
-    PS2='%F{cyan}$PR_HBAR%F{blue}$PR_HBAR(\
-%F{green}%_
-%F{blue})$PR_HBAR%F{cyan}$PR_HBAR\
-%f '
+	# calculate the maximum width of ${top_left}:
+	# (-4 for brackets, -1 as spacing between top_left and top_right)
+	local top_left_width_max=$((
+		COLUMNS - $width_top_prefix
+				- $width_top_left - 4
+				- 1
+				- $width_top_right
+				- $width_top_suffix
+	))
+
+	# truncated directory if necessary
+	top_left="${bracket_open}${directory/WIDTH/${top_left_width_max}}${bracket_close}${top_left}"
+	width_top_left=${#${(S%%)top_left//$~zero/}}
+
+	# calculate the width of the top prompt to fill the middle with separators
+	local width=$((
+		COLUMNS - width_top_prefix
+				- width_top_left
+				- width_top_right
+				- width_top_suffix
+	))
+	local top_separator="%F{cyan}${(pl:${width}::$dash:)}%f"
+
+	PROMPT="${top_prefix}${top_left}${top_separator}${top_right}${top_suffix}
+${bottom_prefix}${bottom_left} "
+
+	RPROMPT="${bottom_right}${bottom_suffix}"
 }
 
-setprompt
+precmd_functions+=(zshrc_prompt_precmd)
diff --git a/zsh/setopt.zsh b/zsh/setopt.zsh
index 517e577..f2b4a4c 100644
--- a/zsh/setopt.zsh
+++ b/zsh/setopt.zsh
@@ -34,9 +34,5 @@ unsetopt menu_complete # do not autoselect the first completion entry
 # setopt correct # spelling correction for commands
 # setopt correctall # spelling correction for arguments
 
-# ===== Prompt
-setopt prompt_subst # Enable parameter expansion, command substitution, and arithmetic expansion in the prompt
-setopt transient_rprompt # only show the rprompt on the current prompt
-
 # ===== Scripts and Functions
 setopt multios # perform implicit tees or cats when multiple redirections are attempted