diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4700eba..9e3c2be 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -296,7 +296,9 @@ This is the list of additional configuration `options`:
 | `hide_clean`         | Hides the clean flag entirely                                                   |      `false`       |
 | `swap_divergence`    | Swaps order of behind & ahead upstream counts                                   |      `false`       |
 | `divergence_space`   | Add a space between behind & ahead upstream counts                              |      `false`       |
-| `flags_without_count`| Show flags symbols without counts (empty symbols show nothing instead of counts)|      `false`       |
+| `flags_without_count`| Show flags symbols without counts*                                              |      `false`       |
+
+*When `flags_without_count` is true, shows only symbols (empty symbols show nothing). When false (default), shows symbols with counts (empty symbols show counts only).
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
diff --git a/tmux/formater.go b/tmux/formater.go
index 53062dd..adfd40e 100644
--- a/tmux/formater.go
+++ b/tmux/formater.go
@@ -295,34 +295,29 @@ func (f *Formater) currentRef() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%s", f.Styles.Clear, f.Styles.Branch, branch)
 }
 
-// formatFlag formats a flag with or without count based on the flags_without_count option
-func (f *Formater) formatFlag(style, symbol string, count int) string {
+// appendFlag appends a flag to the flags slice based on configuration options
+func (f *Formater) appendFlag(flags []string, style, symbol string, count int) []string {
 	if count == 0 {
-		return ""
+		return flags
 	}
 	
 	if f.Options.FlagsWithoutCount {
 		// When flags_without_count is true, show symbol only (empty string if symbol is empty)
 		if symbol == "" {
-			return ""
+			return flags
 		}
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", style, symbol)
+		return append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", style, symbol))
 	}
 	
 	// When flags_without_count is false, show symbol + count, or just count if symbol is empty
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%d", style, symbol, count)
+	return append(flags, fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%d", style, symbol, count))
 }
 
 func (f *Formater) flags() string {
 	var flags []string
 	if f.st.IsClean {
 		// For stashed in clean state, handle empty symbols properly
-		if f.st.NumStashed != 0 {
-			flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Stashed, f.Symbols.Stashed, f.st.NumStashed)
-			if flag != "" {
-				flags = append(flags, flag)
-			}
-		}
+		flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Stashed, f.Symbols.Stashed, f.st.NumStashed)
 
 		// Clean flag only shows if symbol is not empty and hide_clean is false
 		if !f.Options.HideClean && f.Symbols.Clean != "" {
@@ -335,40 +330,11 @@ func (f *Formater) flags() string {
 	}
 
 	// For all other flags, handle empty symbols properly
-	if f.st.NumStaged != 0 {
-		flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Staged, f.Symbols.Staged, f.st.NumStaged)
-		if flag != "" {
-			flags = append(flags, flag)
-		}
-	}
-
-	if f.st.NumConflicts != 0 {
-		flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Conflict, f.Symbols.Conflict, f.st.NumConflicts)
-		if flag != "" {
-			flags = append(flags, flag)
-		}
-	}
-
-	if f.st.NumModified != 0 {
-		flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Modified, f.Symbols.Modified, f.st.NumModified)
-		if flag != "" {
-			flags = append(flags, flag)
-		}
-	}
-
-	if f.st.NumStashed != 0 {
-		flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Stashed, f.Symbols.Stashed, f.st.NumStashed)
-		if flag != "" {
-			flags = append(flags, flag)
-		}
-	}
-
-	if f.st.NumUntracked != 0 {
-		flag := f.formatFlag(f.Styles.Untracked, f.Symbols.Untracked, f.st.NumUntracked)
-		if flag != "" {
-			flags = append(flags, flag)
-		}
-	}
+	flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Staged, f.Symbols.Staged, f.st.NumStaged)
+	flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Conflict, f.Symbols.Conflict, f.st.NumConflicts)
+	flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Modified, f.Symbols.Modified, f.st.NumModified)
+	flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Stashed, f.Symbols.Stashed, f.st.NumStashed)
+	flags = f.appendFlag(flags, f.Styles.Untracked, f.Symbols.Untracked, f.st.NumUntracked)
 
 	if len(flags) > 0 {
 		return f.Styles.Clear + strings.Join(flags, " ")
diff --git a/tmux/formater_test.go b/tmux/formater_test.go
index a6967b0..0d4488a 100644
--- a/tmux/formater_test.go
+++ b/tmux/formater_test.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 				Staged:  "StyleStaged",
 			},
 			symbols: symbols{
-				Staged: "S",
+				Staged: "SymbolStaged",
 			},
 			options: options{
 				FlagsWithoutCount: false,
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 					NumStaged: 1,
 				},
 			},
-			want: "StyleClearStyleStagedS1",
+			want: "StyleClearStyleStagedSymbolStaged1",
 		},
 		// Case 1: non-empty symbol, count=1, flags_without_count=true
 		{
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 				Staged:  "StyleStaged",
 			},
 			symbols: symbols{
-				Staged: "S",
+				Staged: "SymbolStaged",
 			},
 			options: options{
 				FlagsWithoutCount: true,
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 					NumStaged: 1,
 				},
 			},
-			want: "StyleClearStyleStagedS",
+			want: "StyleClearStyleStagedSymbolStaged",
 		},
 		// Case 2: empty symbol, count=1, flags_without_count=false
 		{
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 				Staged:  "StyleStaged",
 			},
 			symbols: symbols{
-				Staged: "S",
+				Staged: "SymbolStaged",
 			},
 			options: options{
 				FlagsWithoutCount: false,
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func TestFlagsWithoutCountBehavior(t *testing.T) {
 				Staged:  "StyleStaged",
 			},
 			symbols: symbols{
-				Staged: "S",
+				Staged: "SymbolStaged",
 			},
 			options: options{
 				FlagsWithoutCount: true,