diff --git a/components/FileExplorer/FileExplorerIcon.tsx b/components/FileExplorer/FileExplorerIcon.tsx
index c888467..d8908a7 100644
--- a/components/FileExplorer/FileExplorerIcon.tsx
+++ b/components/FileExplorer/FileExplorerIcon.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ import { StatusIconPreview } from "@/components/atoms/StatusIconPreview";
 import { GroupedStatuses } from "@/types/noteStatus";
 import React, { FC, memo } from "react";
 import { StatusIcon } from "@/components/atoms/StatusIcon";
+import {
+	getPrimaryStatus,
+	getUnknownStatusColor,
+	resolveStatusColor,
+} from "@/utils/statusColor";
 
 type Props = {
 	statuses: GroupedStatuses;
@@ -35,15 +40,12 @@ export const FileExplorerIcon: FC<Props> = memo(
 
 		const useStatusColors = iconColorMode === "status";
 
-		const getStatusColor = (color?: string) =>
-			(color && color.trim()) || "var(--text-accent)";
-
 		if (totalStatuses === 0) {
 			if (hideUnknownStatus) return null;
 
 			const icon = unknownStatusConfig?.icon || "❓";
 			const color = useStatusColors
-				? unknownStatusConfig?.color?.trim() || "#8b949e"
+				? unknownStatusConfig?.color?.trim() || getUnknownStatusColor()
 				: undefined;
 
 			return (
@@ -64,10 +66,10 @@ export const FileExplorerIcon: FC<Props> = memo(
 			);
 		}
 
-		const primaryStatus = statusEntries[0]?.[1]?.[0];
+		const primaryStatus = getPrimaryStatus(statuses);
 		if (!primaryStatus) return null;
 		const iconColor = useStatusColors
-			? getStatusColor(primaryStatus.color)
+			? resolveStatusColor(primaryStatus)
 			: undefined;
 
 		return (
diff --git a/integrations/file-explorer/file-explorer-integration.tsx b/integrations/file-explorer/file-explorer-integration.tsx
index cca44cc..f1a80cf 100644
--- a/integrations/file-explorer/file-explorer-integration.tsx
+++ b/integrations/file-explorer/file-explorer-integration.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@ import {
 } from "@/core/lazyElementObserver";
 import { NoteStatusService } from "@/core/noteStatusService";
 import settingsService from "@/core/settingsService";
-import { GroupedStatuses, NoteStatus } from "@/types/noteStatus";
+import { GroupedStatuses } from "@/types/noteStatus";
+import {
+	getPrimaryStatus,
+	getUnknownStatusColor,
+	resolveStatusColor,
+} from "@/utils/statusColor";
 import { Plugin, TFile, View } from "obsidian";
 import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
 import { StatusesInfoPopup } from "../popups/statusesInfoPopupIntegration";
@@ -119,11 +124,10 @@ export class FileExplorerIntegration implements IElementProcessor {
 	}
 
 	private getUnknownStatusConfig() {
-		const settings = settingsService.settings;
 		return {
-			icon: settings.unknownStatusIcon || "❓",
-			lucideIcon: settings.unknownStatusLucideIcon || "",
-			color: settings.unknownStatusColor || "#8b949e",
+			icon: settingsService.settings.unknownStatusIcon || "❓",
+			lucideIcon: settingsService.settings.unknownStatusLucideIcon || "",
+			color: getUnknownStatusColor(),
 		};
 	}
 
@@ -293,13 +297,16 @@ export class FileExplorerIntegration implements IElementProcessor {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		const primaryStatus = this.getPrimaryStatus(statuses);
+		const primaryStatus = getPrimaryStatus(statuses);
 		if (!primaryStatus) {
 			this.clearFileNameColor(element);
 			return;
 		}
 
-		const color = primaryStatus.color?.trim() || this.getFallbackColor();
+		const color = resolveStatusColor(
+			primaryStatus,
+			getUnknownStatusColor(),
+		);
 		if (!color) {
 			this.clearFileNameColor(element);
 			return;
@@ -314,27 +321,6 @@ export class FileExplorerIntegration implements IElementProcessor {
 		element.style.color = color;
 	}
 
-	private getPrimaryStatus(
-		statuses?: GroupedStatuses | null,
-	): NoteStatus | null {
-		if (!statuses) {
-			return null;
-		}
-		for (const list of Object.values(statuses)) {
-			if (list.length) {
-				return list[0];
-			}
-		}
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	private getFallbackColor(): string {
-		return (
-			settingsService.settings.unknownStatusColor?.trim() ||
-			"var(--text-accent)"
-		);
-	}
-
 	private clearFileNameColor(element: HTMLElement): void {
 		if (!element.dataset[this.FILE_NAME_COLORIZED_ATTR]) {
 			return;
diff --git a/utils/statusColor.ts b/utils/statusColor.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d21a676
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/statusColor.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import settingsService from "@/core/settingsService";
+import { GroupedStatuses, NoteStatus } from "@/types/noteStatus";
+
+export const DEFAULT_STATUS_ACCENT_COLOR = "var(--text-accent)";
+const DEFAULT_UNKNOWN_STATUS_COLOR = "#8b949e";
+
+export function getPrimaryStatus(
+	statuses?: GroupedStatuses | null,
+): NoteStatus | null {
+	if (!statuses) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	for (const list of Object.values(statuses)) {
+		if (list.length) {
+			return list[0];
+		}
+	}
+
+	return null;
+}
+
+export function getUnknownStatusColor(): string {
+	return (
+		settingsService.settings.unknownStatusColor?.trim() ||
+		DEFAULT_UNKNOWN_STATUS_COLOR
+	);
+}
+
+export function resolveStatusColor(
+	status?: NoteStatus | null,
+	fallbackColor?: string,
+	defaultColor: string | null = DEFAULT_STATUS_ACCENT_COLOR,
+): string | undefined {
+	const statusColor = status?.color?.trim();
+	if (statusColor) {
+		return statusColor;
+	}
+
+	const fallback = fallbackColor?.trim();
+	if (fallback) {
+		return fallback;
+	}
+
+	if (defaultColor === null) {
+		return undefined;
+	}
+
+	return defaultColor || undefined;
+}