diff --git a/completions/abook b/completions/abook
index 37663b72..a7ba6f1e 100644
--- a/completions/abook
+++ b/completions/abook
@@ -4,14 +4,12 @@ have abook || return
 
 _abook()
 {
-    local cur prev
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     # abook only takes options, tabbing after command name adds a single
     # dash (bash4)
-    [[ ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -ge 4 && $COMP_CWORD -eq 1 && -z "$cur" ]] &&
+    [[ ${BASH_VERSINFO[0]} -ge 4 && $cword -eq 1 && -z "$cur" ]] &&
     {
         compopt -o nospace
         COMPREPLY=( "-" )
diff --git a/completions/ant b/completions/ant
index 7102aceb..f4124293 100644
--- a/completions/ant
+++ b/completions/ant
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ have ant || return
 
 _ant()
 {
-    local cur prev buildfile i
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     case $prev in
         -buildfile|-file|-f)
@@ -40,10 +38,10 @@ _ant()
     else
         # available targets completion
         # find which buildfile to use
-        buildfile=build.xml
-        for (( i=1; i < COMP_CWORD; i++ )); do
-            if [[ "${COMP_WORDS[i]}" == -@(?(build)file|f) ]]; then
-                buildfile=${COMP_WORDS[i+1]}
+        local buildfile=build.xml i
+        for (( i=1; i < cword; i++ )); do
+            if [[ "${words[i]}" == -@(?(build)file|f) ]]; then
+                buildfile=${words[i+1]}
                 break
             fi
         done
diff --git a/completions/apache2ctl b/completions/apache2ctl
index 1a473f8b..7facbd2b 100644
--- a/completions/apache2ctl
+++ b/completions/apache2ctl
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@ have apache2ctl || return
 
 _apache2ctl()
 {
-    local APWORDS cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local APWORDS
     APWORDS=$(apache2ctl 2>&1 >/dev/null | awk 'NR<2 { print $3; exit }' | \
         tr "|" " ")
 
diff --git a/completions/apt b/completions/apt
index 84811ae8..337de31b 100644
--- a/completions/apt
+++ b/completions/apt
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@
 have apt-get &&
 _apt_get()
 {
-    local cur prev special i
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-
-    for (( i=0; i < ${#COMP_WORDS[@]}-1; i++ )); do
-        if [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == @(install|remove|autoremove|purge|source|build-dep) ]]; then
-            special=${COMP_WORDS[i]}
+    local special i
+    for (( i=0; i < ${#words[@]}-1; i++ )); do
+        if [[ ${words[i]} == @(install|remove|autoremove|purge|source|build-dep) ]]; then
+            special=${words[i]}
         fi
     done
 
@@ -78,16 +77,15 @@ complete -F _apt_get apt-get
 have apt-cache &&
 _apt_cache()
 {
-    local cur prev special i
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local special i
     if [ "$cur" != show ]; then
-        for (( i=0; i < ${#COMP_WORDS[@]}-1; i++ )); do
-        if [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == @(add|depends|dotty|madison|policy|rdepends|show?(pkg|src|)) ]]; then
-            special=${COMP_WORDS[i]}
-        fi
+        for (( i=0; i < ${#words[@]}-1; i++ )); do
+            if [[ ${words[i]} == @(add|depends|dotty|madison|policy|rdepends|show?(pkg|src|)) ]]; then
+                special=${words[i]}
+            fi
         done
     fi
 
diff --git a/completions/apt-build b/completions/apt-build
index 0f611e5c..5400dbb9 100644
--- a/completions/apt-build
+++ b/completions/apt-build
@@ -4,14 +4,13 @@ have apt-build || return
 
 _apt_build()
 {
-    local cur prev special i
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
-
-    for (( i=0; i < ${#COMP_WORDS[@]}-1; i++ )); do
-        if [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == @(install|remove|source|info|clean) ]]; then
-            special=${COMP_WORDS[i]}
+    local special i
+    for (( i=0; i < ${#words[@]}-1; i++ )); do
+        if [[ ${words[i]} == @(install|remove|source|info|clean) ]]; then
+            special=${words[i]}
         fi
     done
 
diff --git a/completions/aptitude b/completions/aptitude
index d66ed6eb..5ec8c618 100644
--- a/completions/aptitude
+++ b/completions/aptitude
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@ _comp_dpkg_hold_packages()
 
 _aptitude()
 {
-    local cur dashoptions prev special i
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur prev
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
+    local dashoptions
     dashoptions='-S -u -i -h --help --version -s --simulate -d \
         --download-only -P --prompt -y --assume-yes -F \
         --display-format -O --sort -w --width -f -r -g \
@@ -29,13 +28,14 @@ _aptitude()
         --target-release -V --show-versions -D --show-deps\
         -Z -v --verbose --purge-unused --schedule-only'
 
-    for (( i=0; i < ${#COMP_WORDS[@]}-1; i++ )); do
-        if [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == @(@(|re)install|@(|un)hold|@(|un)markauto|@(dist|full)-upgrade|download|show|forbid-version|purge|remove|changelog|why@(|-not)|keep@(|-all)|build-dep|@(add|remove)-user-tag) ]]; then
-        special=${COMP_WORDS[i]}
+    local special i
+    for (( i=0; i < ${#words[@]}-1; i++ )); do
+        if [[ ${words[i]} == @(@(|re)install|@(|un)hold|@(|un)markauto|@(dist|full)-upgrade|download|show|forbid-version|purge|remove|changelog|why@(|-not)|keep@(|-all)|build-dep|@(add|remove)-user-tag) ]]; then
+            special=${words[i]}
         fi
         #exclude some mutually exclusive options
-        [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == '-u' ]] && dashoptions=${dashoptions/-i}
-        [[ ${COMP_WORDS[i]} == '-i' ]] && dashoptions=${dashoptions/-u}
+        [[ ${words[i]} == '-u' ]] && dashoptions=${dashoptions/-i}
+        [[ ${words[i]} == '-i' ]] && dashoptions=${dashoptions/-u}
     done
 
     if [[ -n "$special" ]]; then
diff --git a/completions/aspell b/completions/aspell
index 62c16d0c..17fadf32 100644
--- a/completions/aspell
+++ b/completions/aspell
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@ _aspell_dictionary()
 
 _aspell()
 {
-    local cur prev split=false
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _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/autoconf b/completions/autoconf
index c8f1b195..0eb2ca66 100644
--- a/completions/autoconf
+++ b/completions/autoconf
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 have autoconf &&
 _autoconf()
 {
-    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 7ed87453..1671d117 100644
--- a/completions/automake
+++ b/completions/automake
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 have automake &&
 _automake()
 {
-    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/autorpm b/completions/autorpm
index 7f192210..dea2d484 100644
--- a/completions/autorpm
+++ b/completions/autorpm
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ have autorpm || return
 
 _autorpm()
 {
-    local cur
-
-    COMPREPLY=()
-    _get_comp_words_by_ref cur
+    local cur prev words cword
+    _init_completion || return
 
     COMPREPLY=( $( compgen -W '--notty --debug --help --version auto add \
         fullinfo info help install list remove set' -- "$cur" ) )