diff --git a/functions/utilities.zsh b/functions/utilities.zsh
index df022f2c..079e675a 100644
--- a/functions/utilities.zsh
+++ b/functions/utilities.zsh
@@ -134,3 +134,52 @@ print_deprecation_warning() {
     fi
   done
 }
+
+# A helper function to determine if a segment should be
+# joined or promoted to a full one.
+# Takes three arguments:
+#   * $1: The array index of the current segment
+#   * $2: The array index of the last printed segment
+#   * $3: The array of segments of the left or right prompt
+function segmentShouldBeJoined() {
+  local current_index=$1
+  local last_segment_index=$2
+  # Explicitly split the elements by whitespace.
+  local -a elements
+  elements=${=3}
+
+  local current_segment=${elements[$current_index]}
+  local joined=false
+  if [[ ${current_segment[-7,-1]} == '_joined' ]]; then
+    joined=true
+    # promote segment to a full one, if the predecessing full segment
+    # was conditional. So this can only be the case for segments that
+    # are not our direct predecessor.
+    if (( $(($current_index - $last_segment_index)) > 1)); then
+      # Now we have to examine every previous segment, until we reach
+      # the last printed one (found by its index). This is relevant if
+      # all previous segments are joined. Then we want to join our
+      # segment as well.
+      local examined_index=$((current_index - 1))
+      while (( $examined_index > $last_segment_index )); do
+        local previous_segment=${elements[$examined_index]}
+        # If one of the examined segments is not joined, then we know
+        # that the current segment should not be joined, as the target
+        # segment is the wrong one.
+        if [[ ${previous_segment[-7,-1]} != '_joined' ]]; then
+          joined=false
+          break
+        fi
+        examined_index=$((examined_index - 1))
+      done
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  # Return 1 means error; return 0 means no error. So we have
+  # to invert $joined
+  if [[ "$joined" == "true" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
index 7e9783d7..4207629a 100755
--- a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
+++ b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
@@ -123,14 +123,20 @@ CURRENT_BG='NONE'
 # Takes four arguments:
 #   * $1: Name of the function that was orginally invoked (mandatory).
 #         Necessary, to make the dynamic color-overwrite mechanism work.
-#   * $2: A flag if the segment should be joined with the previous one.
+#   * $2: The array index of the current segment
 #   * $3: Background color
 #   * $4: Foreground color
 #   * $5: The segment content
 #   * $6: An identifying icon (must be a key of the icons array)
 # The latter three can be omitted,
+set_default last_left_element_index 1
 set_default POWERLEVEL9K_WHITESPACE_BETWEEN_LEFT_SEGMENTS " "
 left_prompt_segment() {
+  local current_index=$2
+  # Check if the segment should be joined with the previous one
+  local joined
+  segmentShouldBeJoined $current_index $last_left_element_index "$POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS" && joined=true || joined=false
+
   # Overwrite given background-color by user defined variable for this segment.
   local BACKGROUND_USER_VARIABLE=POWERLEVEL9K_${(U)1#prompt_}_BACKGROUND
   local BG_COLOR_MODIFIER=${(P)BACKGROUND_USER_VARIABLE}
@@ -145,7 +151,6 @@ left_prompt_segment() {
   [[ -n "$3" ]] && bg="%K{$3}" || bg="%k"
   [[ -n "$4" ]] && fg="%F{$4}" || fg="%f"
 
-  local joined=$2
   if [[ $CURRENT_BG != 'NONE' ]] && ! isSameColor "$3" "$CURRENT_BG"; then
     echo -n "$bg%F{$CURRENT_BG}"
     if [[ $joined == false ]]; then
@@ -188,6 +193,7 @@ left_prompt_segment() {
   echo -n "${POWERLEVEL9K_WHITESPACE_BETWEEN_LEFT_SEGMENTS}"
 
   CURRENT_BG=$3
+  last_left_element_index=$current_index
 }
 
 # End the left prompt, closes the final segment.
@@ -207,14 +213,21 @@ CURRENT_RIGHT_BG='NONE'
 # Takes four arguments:
 #   * $1: Name of the function that was orginally invoked (mandatory).
 #         Necessary, to make the dynamic color-overwrite mechanism work.
-#   * $2: A flag if the segment should be joined with the previous one.
+#   * $2: The array index of the current segment
 #   * $3: Background color
 #   * $4: Foreground color
 #   * $5: The segment content
 #   * $6: An identifying icon (must be a key of the icons array)
 # No ending for the right prompt segment is needed (unlike the left prompt, above).
+set_default last_right_element_index 1
 set_default POWERLEVEL9K_WHITESPACE_BETWEEN_RIGHT_SEGMENTS " "
 right_prompt_segment() {
+  local current_index=$2
+
+  # Check if the segment should be joined with the previous one
+  local joined
+  segmentShouldBeJoined $current_index $last_right_element_index "$POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS" && joined=true || joined=false
+
   # Overwrite given background-color by user defined variable for this segment.
   local BACKGROUND_USER_VARIABLE=POWERLEVEL9K_${(U)1#prompt_}_BACKGROUND
   local BG_COLOR_MODIFIER=${(P)BACKGROUND_USER_VARIABLE}
@@ -229,7 +242,6 @@ right_prompt_segment() {
   [[ -n "$3" ]] && bg="%K{$3}" || bg="%k"
   [[ -n "$4" ]] && fg="%F{$4}" || fg="%f"
 
-  local joined=$2
   # If CURRENT_RIGHT_BG is "NONE", we are the first right segment.
   if [[ $joined == false ]] || [[ "$CURRENT_RIGHT_BG" == "NONE" ]]; then
     if isSameColor "$CURRENT_RIGHT_BG" "$3"; then
@@ -269,6 +281,7 @@ right_prompt_segment() {
   echo -n "${visual_identifier}${POWERLEVEL9K_WHITESPACE_BETWEEN_RIGHT_SEGMENTS}%f"
 
   CURRENT_RIGHT_BG=$3
+  last_right_element_index=$current_index
 }
 
 ################################################################
@@ -286,8 +299,6 @@ prompt_aws() {
 
   if [[ -n "$aws_profile" ]]; then
     "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" red white "$aws_profile" 'AWS_ICON'
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 
@@ -393,8 +404,6 @@ prompt_battery() {
   # Draw the prompt_segment
   if [[ -n $bat_percent ]]; then
     "$1_prompt_segment" "${0}_${current_state}" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "${battery_states[$current_state]}" "$message" 'BATTERY_ICON'
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 
@@ -408,8 +417,6 @@ prompt_context() {
     else
       "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_DEFAULT" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "011" "$USER@%m"
     fi
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 
@@ -459,8 +466,6 @@ prompt_go_version() {
 
   if [[ -n "$go_version" ]]; then
     "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "green" "255" "$go_version"
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 
@@ -628,8 +633,6 @@ prompt_rbenv() {
 prompt_root_indicator() {
   if [[ "$UID" -eq 0 ]]; then
     "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "yellow" "" 'ROOT_ICON'
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 
@@ -640,8 +643,6 @@ prompt_rust_version() {
 
   if [[ -n "$rust_version" ]]; then
     "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "208" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "Rust $rust_version"
-  else
-    last_had_output=false
   fi
 }
 # RSpec test ratio
@@ -679,8 +680,6 @@ prompt_status() {
   else
     if [[ "$RETVAL" -ne 0 ]]; then
       "$1_prompt_segment" "$0_ERROR" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "red" "" 'FAIL_ICON'
-    else
-      last_had_ouput=false
     fi
   fi
 }
@@ -829,30 +828,20 @@ prompt_virtualenv() {
 build_left_prompt() {
   defined POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS || POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(context dir rbenv vcs)
 
-  # Global variable to check if the last segment had output.
-  typeset -g last_had_output=true
-
+  local index=1
   for element in "${POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS[@]}"; do
-    # Check if the segment should be joined with the previous one
-    local joined=false
-    if [[ ${element[-7,-1]} == '_joined' ]]; then
-      element="${element[0,-8]}"
-      if [[ "$last_had_output" == false ]]; then
-        joined=false
+    # Remove joined information in direct calls
+    element=${element%_joined}
 
-        # Reset variable
-        last_had_ouput=true
-      else
-        joined=true
-      fi
-    fi
     # Check if it is a custom command, otherwise interpet it as
     # a prompt.
     if [[ $element[0,7] =~ "custom_" ]]; then
-      "prompt_custom" "left" "$joined" $element[8,-1]
+      "prompt_custom" "left" "$index" $element[8,-1]
     else
-      "prompt_$element" "left" "$joined"
+      "prompt_$element" "left" "$index"
     fi
+
+    index=$((index + 1))
   done
 
   left_prompt_end
@@ -862,20 +851,20 @@ build_left_prompt() {
 build_right_prompt() {
   defined POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS || POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(status root_indicator background_jobs history time)
 
+  local index=1
   for element in "${POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS[@]}"; do
-    # Check if the segment should be joined with the previous one
-    local joined=false
-    if [[ ${element[-7,-1]} == '_joined' ]]; then
-      element="${element[0,-8]}"
-      joined=true
-    fi
+    # Remove joined information in direct calls
+    element=${element%_joined}
+
     # Check if it is a custom command, otherwise interpet it as
     # a prompt.
     if [[ $element[0,7] =~ "custom_" ]]; then
-      "prompt_custom" "right" "$joined" $element[8,-1]
+      "prompt_custom" "right" "$index" $element[8,-1]
     else
-      "prompt_$element" "right" "$joined"
+      "prompt_$element" "right" "$index"
     fi
+
+    index=$((index + 1))
   done
 }