diff --git a/tools/completion/bash.go b/tools/completion/bash.go
index d80976202..f85ef1bb3 100644
--- a/tools/completion/bash.go
+++ b/tools/completion/bash.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ var _ = fmt.Print
 func bash_output_serializer(completions []*Completions, shell_state map[string]string) ([]byte, error) {
 	output := strings.Builder{}
 	for _, mg := range completions[0].Groups {
+		mg.remove_common_prefix()
 		for _, m := range mg.Matches {
 			fmt.Fprintln(&output, "COMPREPLY+=("+utils.QuoteStringForSH(m.Word)+")")
 		}
diff --git a/tools/completion/types.go b/tools/completion/types.go
index 16d9d0afe..86d95cdb5 100644
--- a/tools/completion/types.go
+++ b/tools/completion/types.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package completion
 import (
 	"kitty/tools/utils"
 	"kitty/tools/wcswidth"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -20,6 +21,27 @@ type MatchGroup struct {
 	Matches         []*Match `json:"matches,omitempty"`
 }
 
+func (self *MatchGroup) remove_common_prefix() string {
+	if self.IsFiles {
+		if len(self.Matches) > 1 {
+			lcp := self.longest_common_prefix()
+			if strings.Contains(lcp, utils.Sep) {
+				lcp = strings.TrimRight(filepath.Dir(lcp), utils.Sep) + utils.Sep
+				self.remove_prefix_from_all_matches(lcp)
+				return lcp
+			}
+		}
+	} else if len(self.Matches) > 1 && strings.HasPrefix(self.Matches[0].Word, "--") && strings.Contains(self.Matches[0].Word, "=") {
+		lcp, _, _ := utils.Cut(self.longest_common_prefix(), "=")
+		lcp += "="
+		if len(lcp) > 3 {
+			self.remove_prefix_from_all_matches(lcp)
+			return lcp
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 func (self *MatchGroup) add_match(word string, description ...string) *Match {
 	ans := Match{Word: word, Description: strings.Join(description, " ")}
 	self.Matches = append(self.Matches, &ans)
diff --git a/tools/completion/zsh.go b/tools/completion/zsh.go
index 70da1c0f4..434e708e4 100644
--- a/tools/completion/zsh.go
+++ b/tools/completion/zsh.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"kitty/tools/tty"
 	"kitty/tools/utils"
 	"kitty/tools/wcswidth"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -97,23 +96,11 @@ func serialize(completions *Completions, f *markup.Context, screen_width int) ([
 		}
 		if mg.IsFiles {
 			cmd.WriteString(" -f")
-			if len(mg.Matches) > 1 {
-				lcp := mg.longest_common_prefix()
-				if strings.Contains(lcp, utils.Sep) {
-					lcp = strings.TrimRight(filepath.Dir(lcp), utils.Sep) + utils.Sep
-					cmd.WriteString(" -p ")
-					cmd.WriteString(utils.QuoteStringForSH(lcp))
-					mg.remove_prefix_from_all_matches(lcp)
-				}
-			}
-		} else if len(mg.Matches) > 1 && strings.HasPrefix(mg.Matches[0].Word, "--") && strings.Contains(mg.Matches[0].Word, "=") {
-			lcp, _, _ := utils.Cut(mg.longest_common_prefix(), "=")
-			lcp += "="
-			if len(lcp) > 3 {
-				cmd.WriteString(" -p ")
-				cmd.WriteString(utils.QuoteStringForSH(lcp))
-				mg.remove_prefix_from_all_matches(lcp)
-			}
+		}
+		lcp := mg.remove_common_prefix()
+		if lcp != "" {
+			cmd.WriteString(" -p ")
+			cmd.WriteString(utils.QuoteStringForSH(lcp))
 		}
 		if mg.has_descriptions() {
 			fmt.Fprintln(&output, "compdescriptions=(")