diff --git a/plugins/shell/shell.plugin.zsh b/plugins/shell/shell.plugin.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6342a044ec39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/shell/shell.plugin.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+# =====[ NAME ]=================================================================
+#
+# Shell Plugin
+
+# =====[ DESCRIPTION ]==========================================================
+#
+# Functions for providing cleanly themeable values for basic prompt information.
+#
+# Each essentially exposes a simple shell parameter from `man zshparam` and
+# wraps it in a prefix and suffix, so you can more cleanly apply style
+# directives (i.e. color and spacing) rather than including them directly
+# inline in your PROMPT.
+#
+# required plugins: none
+
+# =====[ FUNCTIONS ]============================================================
+#
+# $(exit_status)           : %? exit status of the previous command
+#
+# $(prompt_displayed_time) : %* time prompt was rendered
+#                          : useful for seeing the approximate time of execution
+#                          : for each command
+#
+# $(command_number)        : %! command number associated with command
+#                          : useful for using the shell's history functionality
+#
+# $(shell_depth)           : $SHLVL derived current shell depth; by default
+#                          : ignores the shell underlying a terminal multiplexer
+#                          : (i.e. tmux, screen)
+#
+# $(jobs_info)             : %j number of background jobs
+#
+# $(user_info)             : %n the current user
+#
+# $(host_info)             : %m the current host
+#
+# $(user_host_info)        : %n@%m current user and current host
+#                          : with themeable separator (default is "@")
+#
+# $(path_info)             : %~ cwd
+#
+# $(prompt_character)      : %# prompt indicator
+
+# =====[ CONFIGURABLE SETTINGS (and default values) ]===========================
+# Associative array for plugin settings
+typeset -gA SHELL_PLUGIN
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_failure_prefix]="%{$reset_color%}%{$fg[white]%}%{$bg[red]%} "
+SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_failure_suffix]=" %{$reset_color%}"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_prefix]="%{$reset_color%}%{$fg[white]%}%{$bg[green]%} "
+SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_suffix]=" %{$reset_color%}"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_hidden]=true
+#SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_hidden]=
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_prefix]="%{$fg[red]%}%{$bg[white]%}"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_prefix]+="⇣"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_suffix]="%{$reset_color%}"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_includes_multiplexer]=
+#SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_includes_multiplexer]=true
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_displayed_time_prefix]="%{$fg_bold[green]%}["
+SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_displayed_time_suffix]="]%{$reset_color%}"
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[command_number_prefix]="%{$bg[white]%}%{$fg_bold[grey]%} "
+SHELL_PLUGIN[command_number_suffix]=" %{$reset_color%}"
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_info_prefix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_info_suffix]=
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[host_info_prefix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[host_info_suffix]=
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_prefix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_suffix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol_prefix]="%{$fg[white]%}"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol]="@"
+SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol_suffix]="%{$reset_color%}"
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[jobs_info_prefix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[jobs_info_suffix]=
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[path_info_prefix]=
+SHELL_PLUGIN[path_info_suffix]=
+
+SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_character_prefix]=" "
+SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_character_suffix]="%{$reset_color%} "
+
+# =====[ IMPLEMENTATION ]=======================================================
+
+# TODO: DRY up these implementations
+
+function exit_status() {
+  local exit_status=$? 
+  local result=''
+  if [[ $exit_status == 0 ]]; then
+    [[ -n "$SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_hidden]" ]] && return
+    result+=$SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_prefix]
+    result+="%?"
+    result+=$SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_success_suffix]
+  else
+    result+=$SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_failure_prefix]
+    result+="%?"
+    result+=$SHELL_PLUGIN[exit_status_failure_suffix]
+  fi
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function shell_depth() {
+  local level=$SHLVL
+  ((level--))
+  if [[ -z $SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_includes_multiplexer] ]]; then
+      if [[ $STY != "" || $TMUX != "" ]]; then # ignore screen and tmux
+        ((level--))
+      fi
+  fi
+  if [[ $level -gt 0 ]]; then
+    local result=''
+    result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_prefix]"
+    result+="$level"
+    result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[shell_level_suffix]"
+    echo $result
+  fi
+}
+
+function prompt_displayed_time() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_displayed_time_prefix]"
+  result+="%*"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_displayed_time_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function command_number() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[command_number_prefix]"
+  result+="%!"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[command_number_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function user_info() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_info_prefix]"
+  result+="%n"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_info_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function host_info() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[host_info_prefix]"
+  result+="%m"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[host_info_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function user_host_info() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_prefix]"
+  result+="$(user_info)"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol_prefix]"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol]"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_divider_symbol_suffix]"
+  result+="$(host_info)"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[user_host_info_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function jobs_info() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[jobs_info_prefix]"
+  result+="%j"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[jobs_info_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function path_info() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[path_info_prefix]"
+  result+="%~"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[path_info_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}
+
+function prompt_character() {
+  local result=''
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_character_prefix]"
+  result+="%#"
+  result+="$SHELL_PLUGIN[prompt_character_suffix]"
+  echo $result
+}