diff --git a/lib/async_prompt.zsh b/lib/async_prompt.zsh
index c6d03328b16f..384e49d33e9c 100644
--- a/lib/async_prompt.zsh
+++ b/lib/async_prompt.zsh
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 zmodload zsh/system
 
 # For now, async prompt function handlers are set up like so:
-# First, define the async function handler and add the function name
-# to the _omz_async_functions array:
+# First, define the async function handler and register the handler
+# with _omz_register_handler:
 #
 #  function _git_prompt_status_async {
 #    # Do some expensive operation that outputs to stdout
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ zmodload zsh/system
 # which will show the output of "$_OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT[handler_name]":
 #
 #  function git_prompt_status {
-#    echo -n $_OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT[_git_prompt_status]
+#    echo -n $_OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT[_git_prompt_status_async]
 #  }
 #
 #  RPROMPT='$(git_prompt_status)'
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ function _omz_register_handler {
 
 # Set up async handlers and callbacks
 function _omz_async_request {
+  local -i ret=$?
   typeset -gA _OMZ_ASYNC_FDS _OMZ_ASYNC_PIDS _OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT
 
   # executor runs a subshell for all async requests based on key
@@ -83,6 +84,8 @@ function _omz_async_request {
       builtin echo ${sysparams[pid]}
       # Store handler name for callback
       builtin echo $handler
+      # Set exit code for the handler if used
+      (exit $ret)
       # Run the async function handler
       $handler
     )
@@ -138,3 +141,6 @@ function _omz_async_callback() {
   _OMZ_ASYNC_FDS[$handler]=-1
   _OMZ_ASYNC_PIDS[$handler]=-1
 }
+
+autoload -Uz add-zsh-hook
+add-zsh-hook precmd _omz_async_request
diff --git a/lib/git.zsh b/lib/git.zsh
index 8fe9990955f9..96df5589dfb9 100644
--- a/lib/git.zsh
+++ b/lib/git.zsh
@@ -40,11 +40,29 @@ function _omz_git_prompt_status() {
 # Enable async prompt by default unless the setting is at false / no
 if zstyle -t ':omz:alpha:lib:git' async-prompt; then
   function git_prompt_info() {
-    _omz_register_handler _omz_git_prompt_status
     if [[ -n "$_OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT[_omz_git_prompt_status]" ]]; then
       echo -n "$_OMZ_ASYNC_OUTPUT[_omz_git_prompt_status]"
     fi
   }
+
+  # Conditionally register the async handler, only if it's needed in $PROMPT
+  # or any of the other prompt variables
+  function _defer_async_git_register() {
+    # Check if git_prompt_info is used in a prompt variable
+    case "${PS1}:${PS2}:${PS3}:${PS4}:${RPS1}:${RPS2}:${RPS3}:${RPS4}" in
+    *(\$\(git_prompt_info\)|\`git_prompt_info\`)*)
+      _omz_register_handler _omz_git_prompt_status
+      return
+      ;;
+    esac
+
+    add-zsh-hook -d precmd _defer_async_git_register
+    unset -f _defer_async_git_register
+  }
+
+  # Register the async handler first. This needs to be done before
+  # the async request prompt is run
+  precmd_functions=(_defer_async_git_register $precmd_functions)
 else
   function git_prompt_info() {
     _omz_git_prompt_status