diff --git a/autoload/airline/builder.vim b/autoload/airline/builder.vim
index 6e2a0e5c1..217fda99d 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/builder.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/builder.vim
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ function! s:should_change_group(group1, group2)
   endif
   let color1 = airline#highlighter#get_highlight(a:group1)
   let color2 = airline#highlighter#get_highlight(a:group2)
-  if has('gui_running') || has('nvim') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1)
+  if g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
     return color1[1] != color2[1] || color1[0] != color2[0]
   else
     return color1[3] != color2[3] || color1[2] != color2[2]
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
index b0d5eee84..8f2f9591e 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ endif
 
 
 function! airline#extensions#tabline#init(ext)
-  if has('nvim') || has('gui_running')
+  if has('gui_running')
     set guioptions-=e
   endif
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
index c586978f7..d9ade3e77 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
@@ -17,14 +17,15 @@ function! s:gui2cui(rgb, fallback)
 endfunction
 
 function! s:get_syn(group, what)
-  " need to pass in mode, known to break on 7.3.547
-  let mode = has('nvim') || has('gui_running') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1) ? 'gui' : 'cterm'
-  let color = synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), a:what, mode)
+  if !exists("g:airline_gui_mode")
+    let g:airline_gui_mode = airline#init#gui_mode()
+  endif
+  let color = synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), a:what, g:airline_gui_mode)
   if empty(color) || color == -1
-    let color = synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID('Normal')), a:what, mode)
+    let color = synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID('Normal')), a:what, g:airline_gui_mode)
   endif
   if empty(color) || color == -1
-    if has('nvim') || has('gui_running') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1)
+    if g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
       let color = a:what ==# 'fg' ? '#000000' : '#FFFFFF'
     else
       let color = a:what ==# 'fg' ? 0 : 1
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ endfunction
 function! s:get_array(fg, bg, opts)
   let fg = a:fg
   let bg = a:bg
-  return has('nvim') || has('gui_running') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1)
+  return g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
         \ ? [ fg, bg, '', '', join(a:opts, ',') ]
         \ : [ '', '', fg, bg, join(a:opts, ',') ]
 endfunction
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ endfunction
 function! airline#highlighter#get_highlight(group, ...)
   let fg = s:get_syn(a:group, 'fg')
   let bg = s:get_syn(a:group, 'bg')
-  let reverse = has('nvim') || has('gui_running') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1)
+  let reverse = g:airline_gui_mode ==# 'gui'
         \ ? synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'gui')
         \ : synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'cterm')
         \|| synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID(a:group)), 'reverse', 'term')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/init.vim b/autoload/airline/init.vim
index 40244dd63..470c2c9a4 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/init.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/init.vim
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
   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_gui_mode', airline#init#gui_mode())
 
   call s:check_defined('g:airline_mode_map', {})
   call extend(g:airline_mode_map, {
@@ -92,6 +93,12 @@ function! airline#init#bootstrap()
   unlet g:airline#init#bootstrapping
 endfunction
 
+function! airline#init#gui_mode()
+  return ((has('nvim') && exists('$NVIM_TUI_ENABLE_TRUE_COLOR'))
+        \ || has('gui_running') || (has("termtruecolor") && &guicolors == 1)) ?
+        \ 'gui' : 'cterm'
+endfunction
+
 function! airline#init#sections()
   let spc = g:airline_symbols.space
   if !exists('g:airline_section_a')
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index d4385c44f..32ddcbf99 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ endfunction
 
 function! s:on_colorscheme_changed()
   call s:init()
+  let g:airline_gui_mode = airline#init#gui_mode()
   if !s:theme_in_vimrc
     call airline#switch_matching_theme()
   endif
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ function! s:airline_toggle()
             \ | call <sid>on_window_changed()
       autocmd CmdwinLeave * call airline#remove_statusline_func('airline#cmdwinenter')
 
-      autocmd ColorScheme * call <sid>on_colorscheme_changed()
+      autocmd GUIEnter,ColorScheme * call <sid>on_colorscheme_changed()
       autocmd VimEnter,WinEnter,BufWinEnter,FileType,BufUnload,VimResized *
             \ call <sid>on_window_changed()