diff --git a/completions/pkgtools b/completions/pkgtools
index b2386ba1..eadc5517 100644
--- a/completions/pkgtools
+++ b/completions/pkgtools
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 have pkgtool &&
 _pkgtool()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--sets --ignore-tagfiles --tagfile \
             --source-mounted --source_dir --target_dir --source_device' \
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@ _pkgtool()
         return 0
     fi
 
-    local prev=${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}
-
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         --source_dir|--target_dir)
             _filedir -d
             return 0
@@ -41,8 +39,8 @@ complete -F _pkgtool pkgtool
 have removepkg &&
 _removepkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur=`_get_cword`
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-copy -keep -preserve -warn' \
             -- "$cur" ) )
@@ -56,8 +54,8 @@ complete -F _removepkg removepkg
 have upgradepkg &&
 _upgradepkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur=`_get_cword`
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--dry-run --install-new --reinstall \
             --verbose' -- "$cur") )
@@ -70,17 +68,15 @@ _upgradepkg()
 have installpkg &&
 _installpkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur=`_get_cword`
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--warn --md5sum --root --infobox --terse \
             --menu --ask --priority --tagfile' -- "$cur") )
         return 0
     fi
 
-    local prev=`_get_pword`
-
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         --root)
             _filedir -d
             return 0
@@ -101,17 +97,15 @@ _installpkg()
 have makepkg &&
 _makepkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur=`_get_cword`
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-l --linkadd -p --prepend \
             -c --chown' -- "$cur") )
         return 0
     fi
 
-    local prev=`_get_pword`
-
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         -l|--linkadd|-c|--chown)
             COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W 'y n' -- "$cur" ) )
             return 0
diff --git a/completions/rpm2tgz b/completions/rpm2tgz
index dca03f22..574505ec 100644
--- a/completions/rpm2tgz
+++ b/completions/rpm2tgz
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ have rpm2tgz || return
 
 _rpm2tgz()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
+
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-s -S -n -r -d -c' -- "$cur" ) )
         return 0
diff --git a/completions/sbopkg b/completions/sbopkg
index c551e57f..9891f510 100644
--- a/completions/sbopkg
+++ b/completions/sbopkg
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ have sbopkg || return
 
 _sbopkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '-b -c -d -e -f -g -h -i -k -l \
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ _sbopkg()
         return 0
     fi
 
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         -e)
             COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W 'ask continue stop' -- "$cur" ) )
             return 0
@@ -40,8 +39,6 @@ _sbopkg()
     esac
 
     local config="/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf"
-    local words
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref words
 
     for (( i=${#words[@]}-1; i>0; i-- )); do
         if [[ "${words[i]}" == -f ]]; then
diff --git a/completions/slackpkg b/completions/slackpkg
index 7fe7cd08..13d85ed4 100644
--- a/completions/slackpkg
+++ b/completions/slackpkg
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ have slackpkg || return
 
 _slackpkg()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion -n = || return
 
     # based on `grep '\-.*\=.*)' /usr/sbin/slackpkg | cut -f1 -d\)`
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
@@ -36,9 +35,7 @@ _slackpkg()
     fi
     . "$config"
 
-    local action words
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref -n "=" words
-
+    local action
     for (( i=1; i<${#words[@]}; i++ )); do
         if [[ "${words[i]}" != -* ]]; then
             action="${words[i]}"
@@ -46,7 +43,7 @@ _slackpkg()
         fi
     done
 
-    case $action in
+    case "$action" in
         generate-template|search|file-search)
             # argument required but no completions available
             return 0
diff --git a/completions/slapt b/completions/slapt
index 77946538..cba7255c 100644
--- a/completions/slapt
+++ b/completions/slapt
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@
 have slapt-get &&
 _slapt_get()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--download-only -d --simulate -s \
@@ -19,7 +18,7 @@ _slapt_get()
         return 0
     fi
 
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         --config|-c)
             _filedir
             return 0
@@ -30,9 +29,7 @@ _slapt_get()
             ;;
     esac
 
-    local words t
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref words
-
+    local t
     # search for last action (--install|--install-set|--remove|--show|--filelist)
     for (( i=${#words[@]}-1; i>0; i-- )); do
         if [[ ${words[i]} == -@(i|-install|-show) ]]; then
@@ -71,9 +68,8 @@ _slapt_get()
 have slapt-src &&
 _slapt_src()
 {
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    local cur prev
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     if [[ "$cur" == -* ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--update -u --list -l --clean -e \
@@ -83,7 +79,7 @@ _slapt_src()
         return 0
     fi
 
-    case $prev in
+    case "$prev" in
         --config|-c)
             _filedir
             return 0
@@ -94,9 +90,6 @@ _slapt_src()
             ;;
     esac
 
-    local words
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref words
-
     local t
     # search for last action (-i|-w|-b|-f)
     for (( i=${#words[@]}-1; i>0; i-- )); do