diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3ade0996..3c787ea6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ use {
           },
           indent = {
             indent_size = 2,
+            level = 2,
             padding = 1, -- extra padding on left hand side
             -- indent guides
             with_markers = true,
diff --git a/doc/neo-tree.txt b/doc/neo-tree.txt
index e66325ce..fa14d24c 100644
--- a/doc/neo-tree.txt
+++ b/doc/neo-tree.txt
@@ -1035,6 +1035,7 @@ for each source, or just do it once in the default_component_configs section:
           indent_marker = "│",
           last_indent_marker = "└",
           indent_size = 2,
+          level = 2
         },
       },
     })
diff --git a/lua/neo-tree/sources/common/components.lua b/lua/neo-tree/sources/common/components.lua
index da85b02c..1790f9ae 100644
--- a/lua/neo-tree/sources/common/components.lua
+++ b/lua/neo-tree/sources/common/components.lua
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ M.indent = function(config, node, state)
   local skip_marker = state.skip_marker_at_level
   local indent_size = config.indent_size or 2
   local padding = config.padding or 0
+  local start_level = config.level or 2
   local level = node.level
   local with_markers = config.with_markers
   local with_expanders = config.with_expanders == nil and file_nesting.is_enabled()
@@ -403,7 +404,7 @@ M.indent = function(config, node, state)
     end
   end
 
-  if indent_size == 0 or level < 2 or not with_markers then
+  if indent_size == 0 or level < 0 or not with_markers then
     local len = indent_size * level + padding
     local expander = get_expander()
     if level == 0 or not expander then
@@ -426,24 +427,20 @@ M.indent = function(config, node, state)
     table.insert(indent, { text = string.rep(" ", padding) })
   end
 
-  for i = 1, level do
-    local char = ""
-    local spaces_count = indent_size
-    local highlight = nil
-
-    if i > 1 and not skip_marker[i] or i == level then
-      spaces_count = spaces_count - 1
-      char = indent_marker
-      highlight = marker_highlight
-      if i == level then
-        local expander = get_expander()
-        if expander then
-          char = expander
-          highlight = expander_highlight
-        elseif node.is_last_child then
-          char = last_indent_marker
-          spaces_count = spaces_count - (vim.api.nvim_strwidth(last_indent_marker) - 1)
-        end
+  for i = start_level, level do
+    local char = indent_marker
+    local spaces_count = indent_size - 1
+    local highlight = marker_highlight
+
+    -- Handle the last indent marker and expanders
+    if i == level then
+      local expander = get_expander()
+      if expander then
+        char = expander
+        highlight = expander_highlight
+      elseif node.is_last_child then
+        char = last_indent_marker
+        spaces_count = spaces_count - (strlen(last_indent_marker) - 1)
       end
     end