diff --git a/src/app/project.coffee b/src/app/project.coffee
index 6ca62ab5e..cce48d8e3 100644
--- a/src/app/project.coffee
+++ b/src/app/project.coffee
@@ -118,13 +118,24 @@ class Project
 
   # Given a path, this makes it relative to the project directory.
   #
-  # filePath - The {String} name of the path to convert
+  # fullPath - The {String} path to convert.
   #
   # Returns a {String}.
   relativize: (fullPath) ->
     return fullPath unless fullPath.lastIndexOf(@getPath()) is 0
     fullPath.replace(@getPath(), "").replace(/^\//, '')
 
+  # Is the given path inside this project?
+  #
+  # pathToCheck - the {String} path to check.
+  #
+  # Returns a {Boolean}.
+  contains: (pathToCheck) ->
+    if pathToCheck
+      if projectPath = @getPath()
+        return pathToCheck.indexOf(path.join(projectPath, path.sep)) is 0
+    false
+
   # Identifies if the project is using soft tabs.
   #
   # Returns a {Boolean}.
diff --git a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
index fc4907782..d9b38da02 100644
--- a/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/status-bar/lib/status-bar-view.coffee
@@ -84,18 +84,17 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
       @isModified = false
 
   updateBranchText: ->
-    path = @getActiveItemPath()
     @branchArea.hide()
-    return unless path
+    return unless project.contains(@getActiveItemPath())
 
     head = git?.getShortHead() or ''
     @branchLabel.text(head)
     @branchArea.show() if head
 
   updateStatusText: ->
-    path = @getActiveItemPath()
+    itemPath = @getActiveItemPath()
     @gitStatusIcon.removeClass()
-    return unless path
+    return unless project.contains(itemPath)
 
     @gitStatusIcon.addClass('git-status octicons')
     return unless git?
@@ -110,10 +109,10 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
     else
       @commitsBehind.hide()
 
-    status = git.statuses[path]
+    status = git.statuses[itemPath]
     if git.isStatusModified(status)
       @gitStatusIcon.addClass('modified-status-icon')
-      stats = git.getDiffStats(path)
+      stats = git.getDiffStats(itemPath)
       if stats.added and stats.deleted
         @gitStatusIcon.text("+#{stats.added},-#{stats.deleted}")
       else if stats.added
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ class StatusBarView extends View
         @gitStatusIcon.text("+#{@buffer.getLineCount()}")
       else
         @gitStatusIcon.text('')
-    else if git.isPathIgnored(path)
+    else if git.isPathIgnored(itemPath)
       @gitStatusIcon.addClass('ignored-status-icon')
       @gitStatusIcon.text('')
 
diff --git a/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee b/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
index aa9bb7de1..0cf8ec25a 100644
--- a/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/status-bar/spec/status-bar-spec.coffee
@@ -124,7 +124,10 @@ describe "StatusBar", ->
       project.setPath('/tmp')
       rootView.open('/tmp/temp.txt')
       expect(statusBar.branchArea).toBeHidden()
-      expect(statusBar.branchLabel.text()).toBe ''
+
+    it "doesn't display the current branch for a file outside the current project", ->
+      rootView.open('/tmp/atom-specs/not-in-project.txt')
+      expect(statusBar.branchArea).toBeHidden()
 
   describe "git status label", ->
     [repo, filePath, originalPathText, newPath, ignoredPath] = []
@@ -182,6 +185,10 @@ describe "StatusBar", ->
       rootView.open(newPath)
       expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).toHaveText('+1')
 
+    it "does not display for files not in the current project", ->
+      rootView.open('/tmp/atom-specs/not-in-project.txt')
+      expect(statusBar.gitStatusIcon).toBeHidden()
+
   describe "grammar label", ->
     beforeEach ->
       atom.activatePackage('text-tmbundle', sync: true)