diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el b/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
index c16fb63b2ff..6e4be6414d2 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
@@ -152,8 +152,15 @@ vc-follow-symlinks
 
 (defcustom vc-display-status t
   "If non-nil, display revision number and lock status in mode line.
-Otherwise, not displayed."
-  :type 'boolean
+If nil, it's not displayed.
+When the value is `with-project' then instead of the backend name
+a project name can be displayed before the revision number and lock
+status.  This works only in case when you enable `project-mode-line'
+and don't change the default order of `project-mode-line' and
+`vc-mode' in `mode-line-format'."
+  :type '(choice (const :tag "Show project name and status" with-project)
+                 (const :tag "Show backend and status" t)
+                 (const :tag "Show only backend name" nil))
   :group 'vc)
 
 
@@ -683,7 +690,9 @@ vc-mode-line
 	   (ml-echo (get-text-property 0 'help-echo ml-string)))
       (setq vc-mode
 	    (concat
-	     " "
+	     (unless (and (eq vc-display-status 'with-project)
+			  (bound-and-true-p project-mode-line))
+	       " ")
 	     (propertize
 	      ml-string
 	      'mouse-face 'mode-line-highlight
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-git.el b/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
index 707fc7cfc07..0313f6ec827 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
@@ -423,7 +423,10 @@ vc-git-mode-line-string
                (rev (vc-working-revision file 'Git))
                (disp-rev (or (vc-git--symbolic-ref file)
                              (and rev (substring rev 0 7))))
-               (state-string (concat backend-name indicator disp-rev)))
+               (state-string (concat (unless (and (eq vc-display-status 'with-project)
+                                                  (bound-and-true-p project-mode-line))
+                                       backend-name)
+                                     indicator disp-rev)))
     (propertize state-string 'face face 'help-echo
                 (concat state-echo " under the " backend-name
                         " version control system"