diff --git a/completions/dd b/completions/dd
index ed9c5d1c..cf11a1f9 100644
--- a/completions/dd
+++ b/completions/dd
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ have dd || return
 
 _dd()
 {
-    local cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref -n = cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion -n = || return
 
     case $cur in
         if=*|of=*)
diff --git a/completions/dhclient b/completions/dhclient
index 4645a13c..add77e87 100644
--- a/completions/dhclient
+++ b/completions/dhclient
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ have dhclient || return
 
 _dhclient()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -cf|-lf|-pf|-sf)
diff --git a/completions/dict b/completions/dict
index 26e2ecf3..bbce1ec2 100644
--- a/completions/dict
+++ b/completions/dict
@@ -10,26 +10,25 @@ _dictdata()
 
 _dict()
 {
-    local cur prev host port db dictfile
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-    dictfile=/usr/share/dict/words
+    local host port db i
 
-    for (( i=1; i < COMP_CWORD; i++ )); do
-        case ${COMP_WORDS[i]} in
+    for (( i=1; i < cword; i++ )); do
+        case ${words[i]} in
             -h|--host)
-                host=${COMP_WORDS[i+1]}
+                host=${words[i+1]}
                 [ -n "$host" ] && host="-h $host"
                 i=$((++i))
                 ;;
             -p|--port)
-                port=${COMP_WORDS[i+1]}
+                port=${words[i+1]}
                 [ -n "$port" ] && port="-p $port"
                 i=$((++i))
                 ;;
             -d|--database)
-                db=${COMP_WORDS[i+1]}
+                db=${words[i+1]}
                 [ -n "$db" ] && host="-d $db"
                 i=$((++i))
                 ;;
@@ -63,6 +62,7 @@ _dict()
             ;;
     esac
 
+    local dictfile=/usr/share/dict/words
     [ -r $dictfile ] && \
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '$( cat $dictfile )' -- "$cur" ) )
 } &&
diff --git a/completions/dpkg b/completions/dpkg
index 8bb862ab..7dd8b0bf 100644
--- a/completions/dpkg
+++ b/completions/dpkg
@@ -20,21 +20,20 @@ _comp_dpkg_installed_packages()
 #
 _dpkg()
 {
-    local cur prev i
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-    i=$COMP_CWORD
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     _expand || return 0
 
     _split_longopt
 
+    local i=$cword
+
     # find the last option flag
     if [[ $cur != -* ]]; then
         while [[ $prev != -* && $i -ne 1 ]]; do
             i=$((i-1))
-            prev=${COMP_WORDS[i-1]}
+            prev=${words[i-1]}
         done
     fi
 
@@ -100,10 +99,10 @@ complete -F _dpkg dpkg dpkg-deb
 have dpkg-reconfigure &&
 _dpkg_reconfigure()
 {
-    local cur prev opt
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local opt
 
     case $prev in
         -f|--frontend)
@@ -133,7 +132,10 @@ complete -F _dpkg_reconfigure -o default dpkg-reconfigure
 have dpkg-source &&
 _dpkg_source()
 {
-    local cur prev options work i action packopts unpackopts fields
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
+
+    local options work i action packopts unpackopts fields
 
     packopts="-c -l -F -V -T -D -U -W -E -sa -i -I -sk -sr -ss -sA -sK -sP \
               -sU -sR"
@@ -142,16 +144,13 @@ _dpkg_source()
     fields="Format Source Version Binary Maintainer Uploader Architecture \
             Standards-Version Build-Depends Files"
 
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-
     action="options"
-    for (( i=0; i < ${#COMP_WORDS[@]}-1; i++ )); do
-        if [[ ${COMP_WORDS[$i]} == "-x" ]]; then
+    for (( i=0; i < ${#words[@]}-1; i++ )); do
+        if [[ ${words[$i]} == "-x" ]]; then
             action=unpack
-        elif [[ ${COMP_WORDS[$i]} == "-b" ]]; then
+        elif [[ ${words[$i]} == "-b" ]]; then
             action=pack
-        elif [[ ${COMP_WORDS[$i]} == "-h" ]]; then
+        elif [[ ${words[$i]} == "-h" ]]; then
             action=help
         fi
     done
diff --git a/completions/dselect b/completions/dselect
index 9e0c1ff3..2923414c 100644
--- a/completions/dselect
+++ b/completions/dselect
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ have dselect || return
 
 _dselect()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         --admindir)
diff --git a/completions/dsniff b/completions/dsniff
index 1d3b303b..6eb5801a 100644
--- a/completions/dsniff
+++ b/completions/dsniff
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 have arpspoof &&
 _arpspoof()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -31,10 +29,8 @@ complete -F _arpspoof arpspoof
 have dnsspoof &&
 _dnsspoof()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -57,10 +53,8 @@ complete -F _dnsspoof dnsspoof
 have dsniff &&
 _dsniff()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -r|-w|-f)
@@ -83,10 +77,8 @@ complete -F _dsniff dsniff
 have filesnarf || have mailsnarf || have msgsnarf &&
 _snarf()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -105,10 +97,8 @@ complete -F _snarf filesnarf mailsnarf msgsnarf
 have macof &&
 _macof()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -128,10 +118,8 @@ complete -F _macof macof
 have sshmitm &&
 _sshmitm()
 {
-    local cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-d -I -p' -- "$cur" ) )
@@ -145,10 +133,8 @@ complete -F _sshmitm sshmitm
 have sshow &&
 _sshow()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -167,10 +153,8 @@ complete -F _sshow sshow
 have tcpkill &&
 _tcpkill()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -189,10 +173,8 @@ complete -F _tcpkill tcpkill
 have tcpnice &&
 _tcpnice()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -211,10 +193,8 @@ complete -F _tcpnice tcpnice
 have urlsnarf &&
 _urlsnarf()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -i)
@@ -233,10 +213,8 @@ complete -F _urlsnarf urlsnarf
 have webmitm &&
 _webmitm()
 {
-    local cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-d' -- "$cur" ) )
diff --git a/completions/dvd+rw-tools b/completions/dvd+rw-tools
index 66aa18d5..1a0aec3e 100644
--- a/completions/dvd+rw-tools
+++ b/completions/dvd+rw-tools
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ have growisofs || return
 
 _growisofs()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -version|-speed)