diff --git a/powerline_shell/segments/vcs_newline.py b/powerline_shell/segments/vcs_newline.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1767783
--- /dev/null
+++ b/powerline_shell/segments/vcs_newline.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import subprocess
+from ..utils import RepoStats, ThreadedSegment, get_git_subprocess_env, warn
+
+
+def get_vcs_dir():
+    git_return_code = subprocess.Popen("git status", shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, close_fds=True)
+    git_return_code.communicate()[0].strip()   # Blocks until 'git status' completes execution
+    hg_return_code = subprocess.Popen("hg status", shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, close_fds=True)
+    hg_return_code.communicate()[0].strip()   # Blocks until 'git status' completes execution
+    svn_return_code = subprocess.Popen("svn info", shell=True, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, close_fds=True)
+    svn_return_code.communicate()[0].strip()   # Blocks until 'git status' completes execution
+    if git_return_code.returncode==0 or hg_return_code.returncode==0 or svn_return_code.returncode==0:
+        return True
+    else:
+        return False
+
+
+class Segment(ThreadedSegment):
+    def run(self):
+        self.in_vcs_dir = get_vcs_dir()
+
+    def add_to_powerline(self):
+        self.join()
+        if not self.in_vcs_dir:
+            return
+        if self.powerline.args.shell == "tcsh":
+            warn("newline segment not supported for tcsh (yet?)")
+            return
+        self.powerline.append("\n",
+                                self.powerline.theme.RESET,
+                                self.powerline.theme.RESET,
+                                separator="")
+