diff --git a/git-now b/git-now
index 398d18f..540d536 100755
--- a/git-now
+++ b/git-now
@@ -9,7 +9,20 @@ GITNOW_DIR=$0
 GITNOW_DIR=${GITNOW_DIR%\\*} # for msysGit
 GITNOW_DIR=${GITNOW_DIR%/*}  # for others
 export GITNOW_DIR
-PREFIX="from now"
+
+prefix_config=`git config now.prefix`
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+  PREFIX=$prefix_config
+else
+  PREFIX="from now"
+fi
+
+bracket_config=`git config now.bracket`
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+  BRACKET=$bracket_config
+else
+  BRACKET=true
+fi
 
 usage() {
   echo "usage: git now [-n] [-v] [--force | -f] [--interactive | -i] [--patch | -p]"
diff --git a/git-now-add b/git-now-add
index 1f1d3df..f0fc63b 100644
--- a/git-now-add
+++ b/git-now-add
@@ -6,7 +6,13 @@ usage() {
 }
 
 cmd_default() {
-  MESSAGE="[${PREFIX}] `date +\"%Y/%m/%d %T\"`"
+  if [ $BRACKET = "true" ]; then
+    prefix_str="[${PREFIX}]"
+  else
+    prefix_str=$PREFIX
+  fi
+  MESSAGE="${prefix_str} `date +\"%Y/%m/%d %T\"`"
+
   if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
     git add -u
     printf "${MESSAGE}\n\n%s" "`git diff --cached --no-ext-diff`" | git commit -F -