diff --git a/spec/app/git-spec.coffee b/spec/app/git-spec.coffee
index de5287204..37b725dd4 100644
--- a/spec/app/git-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/git-spec.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ describe "Git", ->
   beforeEach ->
     fs.remove('/tmp/.git') if fs.isDirectory('/tmp/.git')
 
-  describe "getPath()", ->
+  describe ".getPath()", ->
     it "returns the repository path for a .git directory path", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git/HEAD'))
       expect(repo.getPath()).toBe require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git') + '/'
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe "Git", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git'))
       expect(repo.getPath()).toBe require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git') + '/'
 
-  describe "getHead()", ->
+  describe ".getHead()", ->
     it "returns null for a non-repository", ->
       repo = new Git('/tmp/nogit.txt')
       expect(repo.getHead()).toBeNull
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ describe "Git", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git'))
       expect(repo.getHead()).toBe 'refs/heads/master'
 
-  describe "getShortHead()", ->
+  describe ".getShortHead()", ->
     it "returns null for a non-repository", ->
       repo = new Git('/tmp/nogit.txt')
       expect(repo.getShortHead()).toBeNull
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe "Git", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/master.git'))
       expect(repo.getShortHead()).toBe 'master'
 
-  describe "isIgnored()", ->
+  describe ".isIgnored(path)", ->
     it "returns true for an ignored path", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/ignore.git'))
       expect(repo.isIgnored('a.txt')).toBeTruthy()
@@ -41,3 +41,32 @@ describe "Git", ->
     it "returns false for a non-ignored path", ->
       repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/ignore.git'))
       expect(repo.isIgnored('b.txt')).toBeFalsy()
+
+  describe ".isModified(path)", ->
+    [repo, path, originalPathText, newPath] = []
+
+    beforeEach ->
+      repo = new Git(require.resolve('fixtures/git/working-dir'))
+      path = require.resolve('fixtures/git/working-dir/file.txt')
+      originalPathText = fs.read(path)
+      newPath = fs.join(require.resolve('fixtures/git/working-dir'), 'new-path.txt')
+      fs.write(newPath, "i'm new here")
+
+    afterEach ->
+      fs.write(path, originalPathText)
+      fs.remove(newPath) if fs.exists(newPath)
+
+    describe "when the path is unstaged", ->
+      it "returns false if the path has not been modified", ->
+        expect(repo.isModified(path)).toBeFalsy()
+
+      it "returns true if the path is new", ->
+        expect(repo.isModified(newPath)).toBeTruthy()
+
+      it "returns true if the path is modified", ->
+        fs.write(path, "change")
+        expect(repo.isModified(path)).toBeTruthy()
+
+      it "returns true if the path is deleted", ->
+        fs.remove(path)
+        expect(repo.isModified(path)).toBeTruthy()
diff --git a/src/app/git.coffee b/src/app/git.coffee
index 239971171..209c7051a 100644
--- a/src/app/git.coffee
+++ b/src/app/git.coffee
@@ -6,6 +6,18 @@ class Git
     repo = new Git(path)
     repo.isIgnored(repo.relativize(path))
 
+  statusFlags:
+    index_new: 1 << 0
+    index_modified: 1 << 1
+    index_deleted: 1 << 2
+    index_renamed: 1 << 3
+    index_typechange: 1 << 4
+    working_dir_new: 1 << 7
+    working_dir_modified: 1 << 8
+    working_dir_delete: 1 << 9
+    working_dir_typechange: 1 << 10
+    ignore: 1 << 14
+
   constructor: (path) ->
     @repo = new GitRepository(path)
 
@@ -22,6 +34,15 @@ class Git
   isIgnored: (path) ->
     path and @repo.isIgnored(path)
 
+  isModified: (path) ->
+    statusFlags = @repo.getStatus(@relativize(path))
+    modifiedFlags = @statusFlags.working_dir_new |
+                    @statusFlags.working_dir_modified |
+                    @statusFlags.working_dir_delete |
+                    @statusFlags.working_dir_typechange
+
+    (statusFlags & modifiedFlags) > 0
+
   relativize: (path) ->
     return path unless path
     workingDirectory = @getWorkingDirectory()