diff --git a/completions/autoconf b/completions/autoconf
index 0eb2ca66..10d80cff 100644
--- a/completions/autoconf
+++ b/completions/autoconf
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ complete -F _autoconf autoconf
 have autoreconf || have autoheader &&
 _autoreconf()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev split=false
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local split=false
     _split_longopt && split=true
 
     case "$prev" in
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ complete -F _autoreconf autoreconf autoheader
 have autoscan || have autoupdate &&
 _autoscan()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev split=false
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local split=false
     _split_longopt && split=true
 
     case "$prev" in
diff --git a/completions/automake b/completions/automake
index 1671d117..19a49f3a 100644
--- a/completions/automake
+++ b/completions/automake
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ complete -F _automake automake automake-1.11
 have aclocal &&
 _aclocal()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev split=false
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local split=false
     _split_longopt && split=true
 
     case "$prev" in
diff --git a/completions/ifupdown b/completions/ifupdown
index 372fe7b9..776279c4 100644
--- a/completions/ifupdown
+++ b/completions/ifupdown
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ _ifupdown()
     local cur prev words cword
     _init_completion || return
 
-    if [ $COMP_CWORD -eq 1 ]; then
+    if [ $cword -eq 1 ]; then
         _configured_interfaces
         COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W '${COMPREPLY[@]}' -- "$cur") )
     fi
diff --git a/completions/mailman b/completions/mailman
index 62f5cb42..457ac336 100644
--- a/completions/mailman
+++ b/completions/mailman
@@ -8,10 +8,8 @@ _mailman_lists()
 
 _list_lists()
 {
-    local cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--advertised --virtual-host-overview \
@@ -359,8 +357,6 @@ _arch()
     _init_completion || return
 
     local split=false
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-
     _split_longopt && split=true
 
     case $prev in
diff --git a/completions/portupgrade b/completions/portupgrade
index be3be916..834b02ba 100644
--- a/completions/portupgrade
+++ b/completions/portupgrade
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ _portinstall()
     local -a COMPREPLY2
 
     portsdir=${PORTSDIR:-/usr/ports}/
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+
     # First try INDEX-5
     indexfile=$portsdir/INDEX-5
     # Then INDEX if INDEX-5 does not exist or system is not FreeBSD 5.x