diff --git a/functions/utilities.zsh b/functions/utilities.zsh
index 56fcdc59..969caeba 100755
--- a/functions/utilities.zsh
+++ b/functions/utilities.zsh
@@ -72,54 +72,41 @@ segment_in_use() {
      -n "${POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS[(r)${key}_joined]}" ]]
 }
 
-# Parse IP address from ifconfig on OSX and from IP on Linux
-# Parameters:
-#  $1 - string The desired Interface
-#  $2 - string A root prefix for testing purposes
-function p9k::parseIp() {
-  local desiredInterface="${1}"
+function _p9k_parse_ip() {
+  local desiredInterface=${1:-'^[^ ]+'}
 
-  if [[ -z "${desiredInterface}" ]]; then
-    desiredInterface="^[^ ]+"
-  fi
-
-  local ROOT_PREFIX="${2}"
-  if [[ "$OS" == "OSX" ]]; then
-    # Get a plain list of all interfaces
-    local rawInterfaces="$(${ROOT_PREFIX}/sbin/ifconfig -l 2>/dev/null)"
-    # Parse into array (split by whitespace)
-    local -a interfaces
-    interfaces=(${=rawInterfaces})
-    # Parse only relevant interface names
+  if [[ $OS == OSX ]]; then
+    [[ -x /sbin/ifconfig ]] || return
+    local rawInterfaces && rawInterfaces="$(/sbin/ifconfig -l 2>/dev/null)" || return
+    local -a interfaces=(${(A)=rawInterfaces})
     local pattern="${desiredInterface}[^ ]?"
     local -a relevantInterfaces
     for rawInterface in $interfaces; do
-      [[ "$rawInterface" =~ $pattern ]] && relevantInterfaces+=( $MATCH )
+      [[ "$rawInterface" =~ $pattern ]] && relevantInterfaces+=$MATCH
     done
     local newline=$'\n'
+    local interfaceName interface
     for interfaceName in $relevantInterfaces; do
-      local interface="$(${ROOT_PREFIX}/sbin/ifconfig $interfaceName 2>/dev/null)"
-      if [[ "${interface}" =~ "lo[0-9]*" ]]; then
-        continue
-      fi
-      # Check if interface is UP.
+      interface="$(/sbin/ifconfig $interfaceName 2>/dev/null)" || continue
+      [[ "${interface}" =~ "lo[0-9]*" ]] && continue
       if [[ "${interface//${newline}/}" =~ "<([^>]*)>(.*)inet[ ]+([^ ]*)" ]]; then
         local ipFound="${match[3]}"
         local -a interfaceStates=(${(s:,:)match[1]})
-        if [[ "${interfaceStates[(r)UP]}" == "UP" ]]; then
-          echo "${ipFound}"
-          return 0
+        if (( "${interfaceStates[(I)UP]}" )); then
+          _P9K_RETVAL=$ipFound
+          return
         fi
       fi
     done
   else
-    local -a interfaces
-    interfaces=( "${(f)$(${ROOT_PREFIX}/sbin/ip -brief -4 a show 2>/dev/null)}" )
-    local pattern="^${desiredInterface}[ ]+UP[ ]+([^/ ]+)"
+    [[ -x /sbin/ip ]] || return
+    local -a interfaces=( "${(f)$(/sbin/ip -brief -4 a show 2>/dev/null)}" )
+    local pattern="^${desiredInterface}[[:space:]]+UP[[:space:]]+([^/ ]+)"
+    local interface
     for interface in "${(@)interfaces}"; do
       if [[ "$interface" =~ $pattern ]]; then
-        echo "${match[1]}"
-        return 0
+        _P9K_RETVAL=$match[1]
+        return
       fi
     done
   fi
diff --git a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
index 1525054d..5e160233 100755
--- a/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
+++ b/powerlevel9k.zsh-theme
@@ -561,86 +561,56 @@ prompt_battery() {
   $1_prompt_segment $0_$state $2 "$bg" "$_P9K_BATTERY_STATES[$state]" $icon 0 '' $msg
 }
 
+typeset -gF _P9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMESTAMP
+typeset -g  _P9K_PUBLIC_IP
+
 ################################################################
 # Public IP segment
-# Parameters:
-#   * $1 Alignment: string - left|right
-#   * $2 Index: integer
-#   * $3 Joined: bool - If the segment should be joined
-#   * $4 Root Prefix: string - Root prefix for testing purposes
 set_default -i POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMEOUT 300
 set_default -a POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_METHODS dig curl wget
 set_default    POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_NONE ""
-set_default    POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE "/tmp/p9k_public_ip"
 set_default    POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_HOST "http://ident.me"
 set_default    POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_VPN_INTERFACE ""
 
 prompt_public_ip() {
-  local ROOT_PREFIX="${4}"
-
-  # Do we need a fresh IP?
-  local refresh_ip=false
-  if [[ -f $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE ]]; then
-    typeset -i timediff
-    # if saved IP is more than
-    if [[ "$OS" == "OSX" ]]; then
-      timediff=$(($(date +%s) - $(stat -f "%m" $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE)))
-    else
-      timediff=$(($(date +%s) - $(date -r $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE +%s)))
-    fi
-    (( timediff > POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMEOUT )) && refresh_ip=true
-    # If tmp file is empty get a fresh IP
-    [[ -z $(cat $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE) ]] && refresh_ip=true
-    [[ -n $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_NONE ]] && [[ $(cat $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE) =~ "$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_NONE" ]] && refresh_ip=true
-  else
-    touch $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE && refresh_ip=true
-  fi
-
-  # grab a fresh IP if needed
-  local fresh_ip
-  if [[ $refresh_ip == true && -w $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE ]]; then
-    for method in "${POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_METHODS[@]}"; do
+  if (( ! $#_P9K_PUBLIC_IP || EPOCHREALTIME >= _P9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMESTAMP + POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMEOUT )); then
+    _P9K_PUBLIC_IP=''
+    local method
+    for method in $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_METHODS; do
       case $method in
         'dig')
-            fresh_ip="$(dig +time=1 +tries=1 +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com 2> /dev/null)"
-            [[ "$fresh_ip" =~ ^\; ]] && unset fresh_ip
-          ;;
+          if (( $+commands[dig] )); then
+            _P9K_PUBLIC_IP="$(command dig +time=1 +tries=1 +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com 2> /dev/null)"
+            [[ $_P9K_PUBLIC_IP == ';'* ]] && _P9K_PUBLIC_IP=''
+          fi
+        ;;
         'curl')
-            fresh_ip="$(curl --max-time 10 -w '\n' "$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_HOST" 2> /dev/null)"
-          ;;
+          if (( $+commands[curl] )); then
+            _P9K_PUBLIC_IP="$(command curl --max-time 10 -w '\n' "$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_HOST" 2> /dev/null)"
+          fi
+        ;;
         'wget')
-            fresh_ip="$(wget -T 10 -qO- "$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_HOST" 2> /dev/null)"
-          ;;
+          if (( $+commands[wget] )); then
+            _P9K_PUBLIC_IP="$(wget -T 10 -qO- "$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_HOST" 2> /dev/null)"
+          fi
+        ;;
       esac
-      # If we found a fresh IP, break loop.
-      if [[ -n "${fresh_ip}" ]]; then
-        break;
+      if [[ -n $_P9K_PUBLIC_IP ]]; then
+        _P9K_PUBLIC_IP_TIMESTAMP=$EPOCHREALTIME
+        break
       fi
     done
+  fi
 
-    # write IP to tmp file or clear tmp file if an IP was not retrieved
-    # Redirection with `>!`. From the manpage: Same as >, except that the file
-    #   is truncated to zero length if it exists, even if CLOBBER is unset.
-    # If the file already exists, and a simple `>` redirection and CLOBBER
-    # unset, ZSH will produce an error.
-    [[ -n "${fresh_ip}" ]] && echo $fresh_ip >! $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE || echo $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_NONE >! $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE
-  fi
-
-  # read public IP saved to tmp file
-  local public_ip="$(cat $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_FILE)"
-
-  # Draw the prompt segment
-  if [[ -n $public_ip ]]; then
-    icon='PUBLIC_IP_ICON'
-    # Check VPN is on if VPN interface is set
-    if [[ -n $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_VPN_INTERFACE ]]; then
-      local vpnIp="$(p9k::parseIp "${POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_VPN_INTERFACE}" "${ROOT_PREFIX}")"
-      if [[ -n "$vpnIp" ]]; then
-        icon='VPN_ICON'
-      fi
-    fi
-    $1_prompt_segment "$0" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "$DEFAULT_COLOR_INVERTED" "$icon" 0 '' "${public_ip}"
+  local ip=${_P9K_PUBLIC_IP:-$POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_NONE}
+  [[ -n $ip ]] || return
+
+  local icon='PUBLIC_IP_ICON'
+  if [[ -n $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_VPN_INTERFACE ]]; then
+    _p9k_parse_ip $POWERLEVEL9K_PUBLIC_IP_VPN_INTERFACE && icon='VPN_ICON'
   fi
+
+  $1_prompt_segment "$0" "$2" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" "$DEFAULT_COLOR_INVERTED" "$icon" 0 '' "${ip//\%/%%}"
 }
 
 ################################################################
@@ -1014,12 +984,8 @@ prompt_icons_test() {
 # Segment to display the current IP address
 set_default POWERLEVEL9K_IP_INTERFACE "^[^ ]+"
 prompt_ip() {
-  local ROOT_PREFIX="${4}"
-  local ip=$(p9k::parseIp "${POWERLEVEL9K_IP_INTERFACE}" "${ROOT_PREFIX}")
-
-  if [[ -n "$ip" ]]; then
-    "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "cyan" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" 'NETWORK_ICON' 0 '' "${ip//\%/%%}"
-  fi
+  _p9k_parse_ip $POWERLEVEL9K_IP_INTERFACE || return
+  "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "cyan" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" 'NETWORK_ICON' 0 '' "${_P9K_RETVAL//\%/%%}"
 }
 
 ################################################################
@@ -1027,12 +993,8 @@ prompt_ip() {
 set_default POWERLEVEL9K_VPN_IP_INTERFACE "tun"
 # prompt if vpn active
 prompt_vpn_ip() {
-  local ROOT_PREFIX="${4}"
-  local ip=$(p9k::parseIp "${POWERLEVEL9K_VPN_IP_INTERFACE}" "${ROOT_PREFIX}")
-
-  if [[ -n "${ip}" ]]; then
-    "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "cyan" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" 'VPN_ICON' 0 '' "${ip//\%/%%}"
-  fi
+  _p9k_parse_ip $POWERLEVEL9K_VPN_IP_INTERFACE || return
+  "$1_prompt_segment" "$0" "$2" "cyan" "$DEFAULT_COLOR" 'VPN_ICON' 0 '' "${_P9K_RETVAL//\%/%%}"
 }
 
 ################################################################