diff --git a/tools/completion/files.go b/tools/completion/files.go
index be444a22f..3072eb3d4 100644
--- a/tools/completion/files.go
+++ b/tools/completion/files.go
@@ -28,10 +28,13 @@ func absolutize_path(path string) string {
 type CompleteFilesCallback func(completion_candidate, abspath string, d fs.DirEntry) error
 
 func complete_files(prefix string, callback CompleteFilesCallback) error {
-	abspath := absolutize_path(prefix)
 	base := prefix
-	if s, err := os.Stat(abspath); err != nil || !s.IsDir() {
-		base = filepath.Dir(prefix)
+	if base != "~" && base != "./" {
+		if strings.Contains(base, string(os.PathSeparator)) {
+			base = filepath.Dir(base)
+		} else {
+			base = ""
+		}
 	}
 	num := 0
 	utils.WalkWithSymlink(base, func(path, abspath string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
@@ -43,9 +46,12 @@ func complete_files(prefix string, callback CompleteFilesCallback) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 		completion_candidate := path
-		if strings.HasPrefix(completion_candidate, prefix) && completion_candidate != prefix {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(completion_candidate, prefix) {
 			return callback(completion_candidate, abspath, d)
 		}
+		if d.IsDir() {
+			return fs.SkipDir
+		}
 		return nil
 	}, absolutize_path)
 
diff --git a/tools/completion/files_test.go b/tools/completion/files_test.go
index 99b68cd94..f8c9f7357 100644
--- a/tools/completion/files_test.go
+++ b/tools/completion/files_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,11 @@ func TestCompleteFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	test_abs_candidates := func(prefix string, expected ...string) {
 		e := make([]string, len(expected))
 		for i, x := range expected {
-			e[i] = filepath.Join(tdir, x)
+			if filepath.IsAbs(x) {
+				e[i] = x
+			} else {
+				e[i] = filepath.Join(tdir, x)
+			}
 		}
 		test_candidates(prefix, e...)
 	}
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ func TestCompleteFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	test_cwd_prefix("t", "two.txt")
 	test_cwd_prefix("x")
 
-	test_abs_candidates(tdir, "one.txt", "two.txt", "odir", "odir/three.txt", "odir/four.txt")
+	test_abs_candidates(tdir, tdir, "one.txt", "two.txt", "odir", "odir/three.txt", "odir/four.txt")
 	test_abs_candidates(filepath.Join(tdir, "o"), "one.txt", "odir", "odir/three.txt", "odir/four.txt")
 
 	test_candidates("", "one.txt", "two.txt", "odir", "odir/three.txt", "odir/four.txt")
diff --git a/tools/utils/paths.go b/tools/utils/paths.go
index d54dfc1bf..a6c10559d 100644
--- a/tools/utils/paths.go
+++ b/tools/utils/paths.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func (self *transformed_walker) walk(dirpath string) error {
 		}
 		// we cant use filepath.Join here as it calls Clean() which can alter dirpath if it contains .. or . etc.
 		path_based_on_original_dir := dirpath
-		if !strings.HasSuffix(dirpath, sep) {
+		if !strings.HasSuffix(dirpath, sep) && dirpath != "" {
 			path_based_on_original_dir += sep
 		}
 		path_based_on_original_dir += rpath