diff --git a/plugins/github/README.md b/plugins/github/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21b7367f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/github/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#  github
+
+This plugin supports working with GitHub the command line. It provides a few things:
+
+* Sets up the `hub` wrapper and completions for the `git` command if you have `hub` installed.
+* Completion for the `github` Ruby gem.
+* Convenience functions for working with repos and URLs.
+
+###  Functions
+
+* `empty_gh` - Creates a new empty repo (with a `README.md`) and pushes it to GitHub
+* `new_gh` - Initializes an existing directory as a repo and pushes it to GitHub
+* `exist_gh` - Takes an existing repo and pushes it to GitHub
+* `git.io` - Shortens a URL using [git.io](http://git.io)
+
+
+##  Installation
+
+[Hub](http://github.com/github/hub) needs to be installed if you want to use it. On OS X with Homebrew, this can be done with `brew install hub`. The `hub` completion definition needs to be added to your `$FPATH` before initializing OMZ.
+
+The [`github` Ruby gem](http://github.com/defunkt/github-gem) needs to be installed if you want to use it.
+
+###  Configuration
+
+These settings affect `github`'s behavior.
+
+#### Environment variables
+
+* `$GITHUB_USER`
+* `$GITHUB_PASSWORD`
+
+#### Git configuration options
+
+* `github.user` - GitHub username for repo operations
+
+See `man hub` for more details.
+
+###  Homebrew installation note
+
+If you have installed `hub` using Homebrew, its completions may not be on your `$FPATH` if you are using the system `zsh`. Homebrew installs `zsh` completion definitions to `/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions`, which on `$FPATH` for the Homebrew-installed `zsh`, but not for the system `zsh`. If you want it to work with the system `zsh`, add this to your `~/.zshrc` before it sources `oh-my-zsh.sh`.
+
+```zsh
+if (( ! ${fpath[(I)/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions]} )); then
+  FPATH=/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions:$FPATH
+fi
+```
diff --git a/plugins/github/_github b/plugins/github/_github
deleted file mode 100644
index 83e1713c7..000000000
--- a/plugins/github/_github
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#compdef github
-#autoload
-
-# in order to make this work, you will need to have the github gem installed
-# http://github.com/defunkt/github-gem
-
-# github zsh completion, based on homebrew completion
-
-local -a _1st_arguments
-_1st_arguments=(
-  'browse:Open this repo in a web browser'
-  'clone:Clone a repo'
-  'config:Automatically set configuration info, or pass args to specify'
-  'create-from-local:Create a new GitHub repository from the current local repository'
-  'create:Create a new empty GitHub repository'
-  'fetch:Fetch from a remote to a local branch'
-  'fetch_all:Fetch all refs from a user'
-  'fork:Forks a GitHub repository'
-  'home:Open this repos master branch in a web browser'
-  'ignore:Ignore a SHA from github network commits'
-  'info:Info about this project'
-  'issues:Project issues tools'
-  'network:Project network tools - sub-commands : web [user], list, fetch, commits'
-  'open:Open the given user/project in a web browser'
-  'pull-request:Generate the text for a pull request'
-  'pull:Pull from a remote'
-  'search:Search GitHub for the given repository name'
-  'track:Track another users repository'
-)
-
-local expl
-local -a pkgs installed_pkgs
-
-_arguments \
-  '*:: :->subcmds' && return 0
-
-if (( CURRENT == 1 )); then
-  _describe -t commands "github subcommand" _1st_arguments
-  return
-fi
diff --git a/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh b/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
index bd69b1bd5..ca19901fd 100644
--- a/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/github/github.plugin.zsh
@@ -1,56 +1,25 @@
-# Setup hub function for git, if it is available; http://github.com/defunkt/hub
-if [ "$commands[(I)hub]" ] && [ "$commands[(I)ruby]" ]; then
-    # Autoload _git completion functions
-    if declare -f _git > /dev/null; then
-      _git
-    fi
-    
-    if declare -f _git_commands > /dev/null; then
-        _hub_commands=(
-            'alias:show shell instructions for wrapping git'
-            'pull-request:open a pull request on GitHub'
-            'fork:fork origin repo on GitHub'
-            'create:create new repo on GitHub for the current project'
-            'browse:browse the project on GitHub'
-            'compare:open GitHub compare view'
-        )
-        # Extend the '_git_commands' function with hub commands
-        eval "$(declare -f _git_commands | sed -e 's/base_commands=(/base_commands=(${_hub_commands} /')"
-    fi
-    # eval `hub alias -s zsh`
-    function git(){
-        if ! (( $+_has_working_hub  )); then
-            hub --version &> /dev/null
-            _has_working_hub=$(($? == 0))
-        fi
-        if (( $_has_working_hub )) ; then
-            hub "$@"
-        else
-            command git "$@"
-        fi
-    }
+# Set up hub wrapper for git, if it is available; http://github.com/github/hub
+if [ "$commands[(I)hub]" ]; then
+  if hub --version &>/dev/null; then
+    eval $(hub alias -s zsh)
+  fi
 fi
 
 # Functions #################################################################
 
-# https://github.com/dbb 
+# Based on https://github.com/dbb/githome/blob/master/.config/zsh/functions
 
-
-# empty_gh [NAME_OF_REPO]
+# empty_gh <NAME_OF_REPO>
 #
 # Use this when creating a new repo from scratch.
+# Creates a new repo with a blank README.md in it and pushes it up to GitHub.
 empty_gh() { # [NAME_OF_REPO]
-    repo=$1
-    ghuser=$(  git config github.user )
+  emulate -L zsh
+  local repo=$1
 
-    mkdir "$repo"
-    cd "$repo"
-    git init
-    touch README
-    git add README
-    git commit -m 'Initial commit.'
-    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
-    git push -u origin master
+  mkdir "$repo"
+  touch "$repo/README.md"
+  new_gh "$repo"
 }
 
 # new_gh [DIRECTORY]
@@ -58,16 +27,25 @@ empty_gh() { # [NAME_OF_REPO]
 # Use this when you have a directory that is not yet set up for git.
 # This function will add all non-hidden files to git.
 new_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
-    cd "$1"
-    ghuser=$( git config github.user )
+  emulate -L zsh
+  local repo="$1"
+  cd "$repo" \
+    || return
 
-    git init
-    # add all non-dot files
-    print '.*'"\n"'*~' >> .gitignore
-    git add ^.*
-    git commit -m 'Initial commit.'
-    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
-    git push -u origin master
+  git init \
+    || return
+  # add all non-dot files
+  print '.*'"\n"'*~' >> .gitignore
+  git add [^.]* \
+    || return
+  git add .gitignore \
+    || return
+  git commit -m 'Initial commit.' \
+    || return
+  hub create \
+    || return
+  git push -u origin master \
+    || return
 }
 
 # exist_gh [DIRECTORY]
@@ -75,13 +53,13 @@ new_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
 # Use this when you have a git repo that's ready to go and you want to add it
 # to your GitHub.
 exist_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
-    cd "$1"
-    name=$( git config user.name )
-    ghuser=$( git config github.user )
-    repo=$1
+  emulate -L zsh
+  local repo=$1
+  cd "$repo"
 
-    git remote add origin git@github.com:${ghuser}/${repo}.git
-    git push -u origin master
+  hub create \
+    || return
+  git push -u origin master
 }
 
 # git.io "GitHub URL"
@@ -91,7 +69,10 @@ exist_gh() { # [DIRECTORY]
 # source: https://github.com/nvogel/dotzsh
 # documentation: https://github.com/blog/985-git-io-github-url-shortener
 #
-git.io() {curl -i -s http://git.io -F "url=$1" | grep "Location" | cut -f 2 -d " "}
+git.io() {
+  emulate -L zsh
+  curl -i -s http://git.io -F "url=$1" | grep "Location" | cut -f 2 -d " "
+}
 
 # End Functions #############################################################