diff --git a/tools/completion/bash.go b/tools/completion/bash.go
index f85ef1bb3..92e940490 100644
--- a/tools/completion/bash.go
+++ b/tools/completion/bash.go
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ func bash_output_serializer(completions []*Completions, shell_state map[string]s
 	return []byte(output.String()), nil
 }
 
+func bash_init_completions(completions *Completions) {
+	completions.split_on_equals = true
+}
+
 func init() {
 	input_parsers["bash"] = shell_input_parser
 	output_serializers["bash"] = bash_output_serializer
+	init_completions["bash"] = bash_init_completions
 }
diff --git a/tools/completion/main.go b/tools/completion/main.go
index fea56a658..fdfc2b322 100644
--- a/tools/completion/main.go
+++ b/tools/completion/main.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ type serializer_func func(completions []*Completions, shell_state map[string]str
 
 var input_parsers = make(map[string]parser_func, 4)
 var output_serializers = make(map[string]serializer_func, 4)
+var init_completions = make(map[string]func(*Completions), 4)
 
 func init() {
 	input_parsers["json"] = json_input_parser
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ func main(args []string) error {
 
 	all_completions := make([]*Completions, 0, 1)
 	for _, argv := range all_argv {
-		all_completions = append(all_completions, root.GetCompletions(argv))
+		all_completions = append(all_completions, root.GetCompletions(argv, init_completions[output_type]))
 	}
 	output, err := output_serializer(all_completions, shell_state)
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/tools/completion/parse-args.go b/tools/completion/parse-args.go
index eafe0ebb1..6020d9a2b 100644
--- a/tools/completion/parse-args.go
+++ b/tools/completion/parse-args.go
@@ -153,9 +153,15 @@ func default_parse_args(cmd *Command, words []string, completions *Completions)
 			}
 		}
 		if is_last_word {
+			if completions.split_on_equals && word == "=" {
+				word = ""
+			}
 			complete_word(word, completions, only_args_allowed, expecting_arg_for, arg_num)
 		} else {
 			if expecting_arg_for != nil {
+				if completions.split_on_equals && word == "=" {
+					continue
+				}
 				expecting_arg_for = nil
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/tools/completion/types.go b/tools/completion/types.go
index 86d95cdb5..a97981f4c 100644
--- a/tools/completion/types.go
+++ b/tools/completion/types.go
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ type Completions struct {
 	all_words                  []string // all words passed to parse_args()
 	current_word_idx           int      // index of current word in all_words
 	current_word_idx_in_parent int      // index of current word in parents command line 1 for first word after parent
+
+	split_on_equals bool // true if the cmdline is split on = (BASH does this because readline does this)
 }
 
 func (self *Completions) add_prefix_to_all_matches(prefix string) {
@@ -229,8 +231,11 @@ func (self *Command) add_option(opt *Option) {
 	self.Options = append(self.Options, opt)
 }
 
-func (self *Command) GetCompletions(argv []string) *Completions {
+func (self *Command) GetCompletions(argv []string, init_completions func(*Completions)) *Completions {
 	ans := Completions{Groups: make([]*MatchGroup, 0, 4)}
+	if init_completions != nil {
+		init_completions(&ans)
+	}
 	if len(argv) > 0 {
 		exe := argv[0]
 		cmd := self.find_subcommand_with_name(exe)