diff --git a/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusController.php b/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusController.php
index 9cb3764a..7d097cdb 100644
--- a/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusController.php
+++ b/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusController.php
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class BuildStatusController extends \PHPCI\Controller
         $branch = $this->getParam('branch', 'master');
         try {
             $project = $this->projectStore->getById($projectId);
-            $status = 'unknown';
+            $status  = Build::STATUS_NEW;
 
             if (!$project->getAllowPublicStatus()) {
                 return null;
@@ -60,24 +60,11 @@ class BuildStatusController extends \PHPCI\Controller
                 $build = $project->getLatestBuild($branch);
 
                 if (isset($build) && $build instanceof Build) {
-                    switch ($build->getStatus()) {
-                        case Build::STATUS_NEW:
-                            $status = 'unknown';
-                            break;
-                        case Build::STATUS_RUNNING:
-                            $status = 'running';
-                            break;
-                        case Build::STATUS_FAILED:
-                            $status = 'failed';
-                            break;
-                        case Build::STATUS_SUCCESS:
-                            $status = 'passing';
-                            break;
-                    }
+                    return $build->getStatus();
                 }
             }
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
-            $status = 'error';
+            $status = Build::STATUS_FAILED;
         }
 
         return $status;
@@ -155,11 +142,13 @@ class BuildStatusController extends \PHPCI\Controller
             return $response;
         }
 
+        list($text, $color) = $this->getImageTextAndColorFromStatus($status);
+
         $image = file_get_contents(sprintf(
             'http://img.shields.io/badge/%s-%s-%s.svg?style=%s',
             $label,
-            $status,
-            $this->getImageColorFromStatus($status),
+            $text,
+            $color,
             $style
         ));
 
@@ -216,25 +205,23 @@ class BuildStatusController extends \PHPCI\Controller
     }
 
     /**
-     * Return the color of the right side of the status badge, as a string,
-     * based on the status type.
+     * Return the image text and color based on the build
+     * status.
      *
-     * @param string $status
-     * @return string
+     * @param $status
+     * @return array
      */
-    protected function getImageColorFromStatus($status)
+    protected function getImageTextAndColorFromStatus($status)
     {
         switch ($status) {
-            case 'passing':
-                return 'green';
-            case 'running':
-                return 'orange';
-            case 'failed':
-            case 'error':
-                return 'red';
-            case 'unknown':
-            default:
-                return 'lightgrey';
+            case Build::STATUS_NEW:
+                return array('pending', 'blue');
+            case Build::STATUS_RUNNING:
+                return array('running', 'yellow');
+            case Build::STATUS_SUCCESS:
+                return array('success', 'green');
+            case Build::STATUS_FAILED:
+                return array('failed', 'red');
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusControllerTest.php b/Tests/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusControllerTest.php
index 45c526d7..b1d2d25c 100644
--- a/Tests/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusControllerTest.php
+++ b/Tests/PHPCI/Controller/BuildStatusControllerTest.php
@@ -10,16 +10,20 @@
 
 namespace Tests\PHPCI\Controller;
 
+use PHPCI\Model\Build;
+
 class BuildStatusControllerTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 {
     /**
-     * @dataProvider getImageColorFromStatusDataProvider
+     * @dataProvider getImageTextAndColorFromStatusDataProvider
      *
      * @param string $status
+     * @param string $expectedText
      * @param string $expectedColor
      */
-    public function testGetImageColorFromStatusReturnsTheCorrectColorForEachStatus(
+    public function testGetImageTextAndColorFromStatusReturnsTheCorrectTextAndColorForEachStatus(
         $status,
+        $expectedText,
         $expectedColor
     ) {
         $buildStatusControllerMock =
@@ -32,24 +36,25 @@ class BuildStatusControllerTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
             new \ReflectionClass('PHPCI\Controller\BuildStatusController');
 
         $getImageColorFromStatusReflection =
-            $buildStatusControllerReflection->getMethod('getImageColorFromStatus');
+            $buildStatusControllerReflection->getMethod('getImageTextAndColorFromStatus');
         $getImageColorFromStatusReflection->setAccessible(true);
 
-        $this->assertEquals(
-            $expectedColor,
-            $getImageColorFromStatusReflection->invoke($buildStatusControllerMock, $status)
-        );
+        list($text, $color) = $getImageColorFromStatusReflection->invoke($buildStatusControllerMock, $status);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedText, $text);
+        $this->assertEquals($expectedColor, $color);
     }
 
-    public function getImageColorFromStatusDataProvider()
+    /**
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getImageTextAndColorFromStatusDataProvider()
     {
         return array(
-            array('passing', 'green'),
-            array('running', 'orange'),
-            array('failed', 'red'),
-            array('error', 'red'),
-            array('unknown', 'lightgrey'),
-            array('test the default case', 'lightgrey'),
+            array(Build::STATUS_NEW, 'pending', 'blue'),
+            array(Build::STATUS_RUNNING, 'running', 'yellow'),
+            array(Build::STATUS_SUCCESS, 'success', 'green'),
+            array(Build::STATUS_FAILED, 'failed', 'red'),
         );
     }
 }