diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
index 6be565747..3d3de08e4 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
@@ -633,9 +633,8 @@ impl EditorView {
         let current_doc = view!(editor).doc;
 
         for doc in editor.documents() {
-            let fname = doc
-                .path()
-                .unwrap_or(&scratch)
+            let path = doc.path().unwrap_or(&scratch);
+            let fname = path
                 .file_name()
                 .unwrap_or_default()
                 .to_str()
@@ -647,7 +646,20 @@ impl EditorView {
                 bufferline_inactive
             };
 
-            let text = format!(" {}{} ", fname, if doc.is_modified() { "[+]" } else { "" });
+            let text = if editor.config().bufferline_show_parent {
+                let parent_dir = path
+                    .parent()
+                    .and_then(|p| p.file_name().unwrap_or_default().to_str())
+                    .unwrap_or_default();
+                format!(
+                    " {}/{}{} ",
+                    parent_dir,
+                    fname,
+                    if doc.is_modified() { "[+]" } else { "" }
+                )
+            } else {
+                format!(" {}{} ", fname, if doc.is_modified() { "[+]" } else { "" })
+            };
             let used_width = viewport.x.saturating_sub(x);
             let rem_width = surface.area.width.saturating_sub(used_width);
 
diff --git a/helix-view/src/editor.rs b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
index eab291e44..9e6de7b85 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub whitespace: WhitespaceConfig,
     /// Persistently display open buffers along the top
     pub bufferline: BufferLine,
+    /// Show the parent directory of files in the bufferline.
+    pub bufferline_show_parent: bool,
     /// Vertical indent width guides.
     pub indent_guides: IndentGuidesConfig,
     /// Whether to color modes with different colors. Defaults to `false`.
@@ -999,6 +1001,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             rulers: Vec::new(),
             whitespace: WhitespaceConfig::default(),
             bufferline: BufferLine::default(),
+            bufferline_show_parent: false,
             indent_guides: IndentGuidesConfig::default(),
             color_modes: false,
             soft_wrap: SoftWrap {