diff --git a/img/nyan-pale.xpm b/img/nyan-pale.xpm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d16b16a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/img/nyan-pale.xpm
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+/* XPM */
+static char *nyan[] = {
+  /* columns rows colors chars-per-pixel */
+  "25 15 136 2 ",
+  "   c black",
+  ".  c #020F06",
+  "X  c #070B0F",
+  "o  c #08090C",
+  "O  c #0C0C0C",
+  "+  c #1D1F00",
+  "@  c #020912",
+  "#  c #000A14",
+  "$  c #131313",
+  "%  c #161616",
+  "&  c #191919",
+  "*  c #251E17",
+  "=  c #083417",
+  "-  c #292B00",
+  ";  c #3F1E31",
+  ":  c #04323D",
+  ">  c #232323",
+  ",  c #222126",
+  "<  c gray14",
+  "1  c gray15",
+  "2  c #2B2525",
+  "3  c #20262C",
+  "4  c #2A2A2A",
+  "5  c #3E2525",
+  "6  c #2C2F32",
+  "7  c gray20",
+  "8  c gray22",
+  "9  c #3A3C3E",
+  "0  c #54423f",
+  "q  c #7C0B10",
+  "w  c #453c34",
+  "e  c #4C3100",
+  "r  c #483F00",
+  "t  c #504c49",
+  "y  c #4B3C2D",
+  "u  c #8c9c84",
+  "i  c #6a6280",
+  "p  c #241856",
+  "a  c #1F265A",
+  "s  c #584343",
+  "d  c #414141",
+  "f  c #464646",
+  "g  c #4C4646",
+  "h  c #494949",
+  "j  c gray31",
+  "k  c #514C51",
+  "l  c gray34",
+  "z  c #54575A",
+  "x  c #5D5D5D",
+  "c  c #5F5F5F",
+  "v  c #6b645d",
+  "b  c #614C61",
+  "n  c #6D4C6D",
+  "m  c gray38",
+  "M  c #646464",
+  "N  c gray40",
+  "B  c #686868",
+  "V  c #7B6C6C",
+  "C  c #727272",
+  "Z  c gray45",
+  "A  c #7B7B7B",
+  "S  c gray50",
+  "D  c #a4896c",
+  "F  c #e6d295",
+  "G  c #8c9c84",
+  "H  c #947256",
+  "J  c #20980E",
+  "K  c #1AAF4D",
+  "L  c #20D15C",
+  "P  c #868F00",
+  "I  c #47597b",
+  "U  c #597184",
+  "Y  c #BF9973",
+  "T  c #23308F",
+  "R  c #263498",
+  "E  c #39329C",
+  "W  c #1354A2",
+  "Q  c #5536D9",
+  "!  c #5247F7",
+  "~  c #885788",
+  "^  c #A261A2",
+  "/  c #AA66AA",
+  "(  c #AE68AE",
+  ")  c #836176",
+  "_  c #8c798c",
+  "`  c #D17DD1",
+  "'  c #836176",
+  "]  c #897483",
+  "[  c #897483",
+  "{  c #7c6b79",
+  "}  c #9c7891",
+  "|  c #9c7891",
+  " . c #9c7891",
+  ".. c #9c7891",
+  "X. c #4f7f8b",
+  "o. c #536b89",
+  "O. c gray59",
+  "+. c gray60",
+  "@. c #A68F8F",
+  "#. c #A89999",
+  "$. c #B09999",
+  "%. c #B59999",
+  "&. c #A0A0A0",
+  "*. c gray65",
+  "=. c #a68b8b",
+  "-. c #ba9797",
+  ";. c #ba9797",
+  ":. c #decdbd",
+  ">. c #dec4b3",
+  ",. c #c6b4ae",
+  "<. c #b4a1a1",
+  "1. c #dec7c6",
+  "2. c #d7d2cd",
+  "3. c #d1bca6",
+  "4. c #d1bca6",
+  "5. c #998599",
+  "6. c #a18295",
+  "7. c #c2aab2",
+  "8. c #b6a0b6",
+  "9. c #896d84",
+  "0. c #896d84",
+  "q. c #896d84",
+  "w. c #896d84",
+  "e. c #a98aa6",
+  "r. c #a98aa6",
+  "t. c #a98aa6",
+  "y. c #b195af",
+  "u. c #9c829a",
+  "i. c #b195af",
+  "p. c #b195af",
+  "a. c #b195af",
+  "s. c #b6a2b6",
+  "d. c #9e909e",
+  "f. c #b390a6",
+  "g. c gray81",
+  "h. c None",
+  /* pixels */
+  "s s s s s s s t t t t t t t t t t t t t h.h.h.h.h.",
+  "s s s s s s t 7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.9 h.h.h.h.",
+  "D D D D D 0 2.1.s.s.s.s.) s.' i.s.s.d.3.v h.h.h.h.",
+  "D D D D D w ,.s.' i.s.s.s.s.5._ u.e.p.f.v h.h.h.h.",
+  "F F F F F e ,.s.s.s.s.s.s.` b j /  .i.f.v h.j h.h.",
+  "F F F F F r ,.s.s.s.s.' i.^ x O.x / u.f.v x O.d h.",
+  "F 1 1 + P - ,.s.s.0.s.s.s.^ x +.+.x 2 2 m +.+.j h.",
+  "G C +.j 4   ,.s.s.| s.s.] n A +.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.C h.",
+  "G u 1 1 h 1 ,. .9.s.s.s.{ 8 +.&.&.B +.+.+.g.g +.1 ",
+  "I I I I = . ,.s.s.s.e.i.8.8 #.@., m +.A N 9 g $.2 ",
+  "I I I I I : >.f. .i.0.0.8.8 =.-.H O.+.m +.c $.;.5 ",
+  "U U U U W # 2.4.6.s.s.s.t.~ V $.m $ 1 O 3 # +.V h.",
+  "U U U E 4 1 * Y Y Y Y Y Y Y y m C C C C C C z h.h.",
+  "i i i 1 +.m p & j X h.h.h.h.# d 7 h.h.j 1 h.h.h.h.",
+  "i i i o 1 a T a 1 h.h.h.h.h.h.3 & h.h.1 $ h.h.h.h."
+};
diff --git a/img/rainbow-pale.xpm b/img/rainbow-pale.xpm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85b062a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/img/rainbow-pale.xpm
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/* XPM */
+static char *rainbow[] = {
+/* columns rows colors chars-per-pixel */
+  "8 15 7 1",
+  "1 c #584343",
+  "2 c #a4896c",
+  "3 c #e6d295",
+  "4 c #8c9c84",
+  "5 c #47597b",
+  "6 c #597184",
+  "7 c #6a6280",
+  /* pixels */
+  "11111111",
+  "11111111",
+  "22222222",
+  "22222222",
+  "33333333",
+  "33333333",
+  "33333333",
+  "44444444",
+  "44444444",
+  "55555555",
+  "55555555",
+  "66666666",
+  "66666666",
+  "77777777",
+  "77777777"
+};
diff --git a/nyan-mode.el b/nyan-mode.el
index a8a521f..3c9661d 100644
--- a/nyan-mode.el
+++ b/nyan-mode.el
@@ -60,7 +60,11 @@
 (defconst +nyan-cat-size+ 3)
 
 (defconst +nyan-cat-image+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "img/nyan.xpm"))
+(defconst +nyan-cat-pale-image+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "img/nyan-pale.xpm"))
+
 (defconst +nyan-rainbow-image+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "img/rainbow.xpm"))
+(defconst +nyan-rainbow-pale-image+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "img/rainbow-pale.xpm"))
+
 (defconst +nyan-outerspace-image+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "img/outerspace.xpm"))
 
 (defconst +nyan-music+ (concat +nyan-directory+ "mus/nyanlooped.mp3"))
@@ -82,6 +86,15 @@ Intended to be called when customizations were changed, to reapply them immediat
       (nyan-mode -1)
       (nyan-mode 1))))
 
+(defcustom nyan-mark-modified-buffers nil
+  "If enabled, modified buffers show a pale nyan cat."
+  :type '(choice (const :tag "Enabled" t)
+                 (const :tag "Disabled" nil))
+  :set (lambda (sym val)
+         (set-default sym val)
+         (nyan-refresh))
+  :group 'nyan)
+
 (defcustom nyan-animation-frame-interval 0.2
   "Number of seconds between animation frames."
   :type 'float
@@ -163,6 +176,19 @@ This can be t or nil."
 (defvar nyan-cat-image (if (image-type-available-p 'xpm)
                            (create-image +nyan-cat-image+ 'xpm nil :ascent 'center)))
 
+(defvar nyan-cat-pale-image (if (image-type-available-p 'xpm)
+                                (create-image +nyan-cat-pale-image+ 'xpm nil :ascent 'center)))
+
+(defun nyan-rainbow-image (number)
+  (create-image +nyan-rainbow-image+ 'xpm nil :ascent (or (and nyan-wavy-trail
+                                                               (nyan-wavy-rainbow-ascent number))
+                                                          (if (nyan--is-animating-p) 95 'center))))
+
+(defun nyan-rainbow-pale-image (number)
+  (create-image +nyan-rainbow-pale-image+ 'xpm nil :ascent (or (and nyan-wavy-trail
+                                                                    (nyan-wavy-rainbow-ascent number))
+                                                               (if (nyan--is-animating-p) 95 'center))))
+
 (defvar nyan-animation-frames (if (image-type-available-p 'xpm)
                                   (mapcar (lambda (id)
                                             (create-image (concat +nyan-directory+ (format "img/nyan-frame-%d.xpm" id))
@@ -194,7 +220,10 @@ This can be t or nil."
 (defun nyan-get-anim-frame ()
   (if (nyan--is-animating-p)
       (nth nyan-current-frame nyan-animation-frames)
-    nyan-cat-image))
+    ;; TODO Support animating pale nyan cat
+    (if (and nyan-mark-modified-buffers (buffer-modified-p))
+        nyan-cat-pale-image
+      nyan-cat-image)))
 
 (defun nyan-wavy-rainbow-ascent (number)
   (if (nyan--is-animating-p)
@@ -253,9 +282,9 @@ This can be t or nil."
                                      (nyan-add-scroll-handler
                                       (if xpm-support
                                           (propertize "|"
-                                                      'display (create-image +nyan-rainbow-image+ 'xpm nil :ascent (or (and nyan-wavy-trail
-                                                                                                                            (nyan-wavy-rainbow-ascent number))
-                                                                                                                       (if (nyan--is-animating-p) 95 'center))))
+                                                      'display (if (and nyan-mark-modified-buffers (buffer-modified-p))
+                                                                   (nyan-rainbow-pale-image number)
+                                                                 (nyan-rainbow-image number)))
                                         "|")
                                       (/ (float number) nyan-bar-length) buffer))))
       (dotimes (number outerspaces)