diff --git a/kitty/complete.py b/kitty/complete.py
index db3d9c634..a4cd2b908 100644
--- a/kitty/complete.py
+++ b/kitty/complete.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from .cli import (
     OptionDict, OptionSpecSeq, options_for_completion, parse_option_spec,
     prettify
 )
+from .constants import shell_integration_dir
 from .fast_data_types import truncate_point_for_length, wcswidth
 from .rc.base import all_command_names, command_for_name
 from .shell import options_for_cmd
@@ -128,6 +129,11 @@ def remote_control_command_names() -> Tuple[str, ...]:
 # Shell specific code {{{
 
 
+def load_fish2_completion() -> str:
+    with open(os.path.join(shell_integration_dir, 'fish', 'vendor_completions.d', 'kitty.fish')) as f:
+        return f.read()
+
+
 completion_scripts = {
     'zsh': '''#compdef kitty
 
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ _kitty() {
     fi
 }
 compdef _kitty kitty
-''',
+'''.__str__,
     'bash': '''
 _kitty_completions() {
     local src
@@ -154,7 +160,7 @@ _kitty_completions() {
 }
 
 complete -o nospace -F _kitty_completions kitty
-''',
+'''.__str__,
     'fish': '''
 function __kitty_completions
     # Send all words up to the one before the cursor
@@ -162,15 +168,8 @@ function __kitty_completions
 end
 
 complete -f -c kitty -a "(__kitty_completions)"
-''',
-    'fish2': '''
-if functions -q _ksi_completions
-    complete -f -c kitty -a "(_ksi_completions)"
-else
-    complete -f -c kitty -a "(commandline -cop | kitty +complete fish)"
-end
-''',
-
+'''.__str__,
+    'fish2': load_fish2_completion,
 }
 
 ParseResult = Tuple[List[str], bool]
@@ -670,7 +669,7 @@ def find_completions(words: Sequence[str], new_word: bool, entry_points: Iterabl
 
 
 def setup(cstyle: str) -> None:
-    print(completion_scripts[cstyle])
+    print(completion_scripts[cstyle]())
 
 
 def main(args: Sequence[str], entry_points: Iterable[str], namespaced_entry_points: Iterable[str]) -> None:
diff --git a/kitty/main.py b/kitty/main.py
index 978f1e802..c95710b3d 100644
--- a/kitty/main.py
+++ b/kitty/main.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from .fonts.render import set_font_family
 from .options.types import Options
 from .os_window_size import initial_window_size_func
 from .session import get_os_window_sizing_data
+from .shell_integration import setup_shell_integration
 from .types import SingleKey
 from .utils import (
     detach, expandvars, log_error, single_instance,
@@ -150,9 +151,6 @@ def _run_app(opts: Options, args: CLIOptions, bad_lines: Sequence[BadLine] = ())
     if not is_wayland() and not is_macos:  # no window icons on wayland
         set_x11_window_icon()
     load_shader_programs.use_selection_fg = opts.selection_foreground is not None
-    if opts.shell_integration != 'disabled':
-        from .shell_integration import setup_shell_integration
-        setup_shell_integration()
     with cached_values_for(run_app.cached_values_name) as cached_values:
         with startup_notification_handler(extra_callback=run_app.first_window_callback) as pre_show_callback:
             window_id = create_os_window(
@@ -274,7 +272,9 @@ def setup_environment(opts: Options, cli_opts: CLIOptions) -> None:
     if cli_opts.listen_on and opts.allow_remote_control != 'n':
         cli_opts.listen_on = expand_listen_on(cli_opts.listen_on, from_config_file)
         os.environ['KITTY_LISTEN_ON'] = cli_opts.listen_on
-    set_default_env(opts.env.copy())
+    env = opts.env.copy()
+    setup_shell_integration(opts, env)
+    set_default_env(env)
 
 
 def set_locale() -> None:
diff --git a/kitty/shell_integration.py b/kitty/shell_integration.py
index 5f271af24..387889f34 100644
--- a/kitty/shell_integration.py
+++ b/kitty/shell_integration.py
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@
 import os
 import time
 from contextlib import suppress
-from typing import Optional, Union
+from typing import Optional, Union, Dict
 
+from .options.types import Options
 from .config import atomic_save
 from .constants import shell_integration_dir
-from .fast_data_types import get_options
-from .types import run_once
 from .utils import log_error, resolved_shell
 
 posix_template = '''
@@ -50,14 +49,14 @@ def setup_integration(shell_name: str, rc_path: str, template: str = posix_templ
         atomic_write(rc_path, newrc)
 
 
-def setup_zsh_integration() -> None:
+def setup_zsh_integration(env: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
     base = os.environ.get('ZDOTDIR', os.path.expanduser('~'))
     rc = os.path.join(base, '.zshrc')
     if os.path.exists(rc):  # dont prevent zsh-newuser-install from running
         setup_integration('zsh', rc)
 
 
-def setup_bash_integration() -> None:
+def setup_bash_integration(env: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
     setup_integration('bash', os.path.expanduser('~/.bashrc'))
 
 
@@ -73,17 +72,16 @@ def atomic_symlink(destination: str, in_directory: str) -> None:
         raise
 
 
-def setup_fish_integration() -> None:
-    base = os.environ.get('XDG_CONFIG_HOME', os.path.expanduser('~/.config'))
-    base = os.path.join(base, 'fish')
-    os.makedirs(os.path.join(base, 'completions'), exist_ok=True)
-    path = os.path.join(shell_integration_dir, 'kitty.fish')
-    atomic_symlink(path, os.path.join(base, 'conf.d'))
-    from .complete import completion_scripts
-    path = os.path.join(base, 'completions', 'kitty.fish')
-    rc = safe_read(path)
-    if rc != completion_scripts['fish2']:
-        atomic_write(path, completion_scripts['fish2'])
+def setup_fish_integration(env: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
+    if 'XDG_DATA_DIRS' in env:
+        val = env.get('XDG_DATA_DIRS', '')
+        dirs = list(filter(None, val.split(os.pathsep)))
+    else:
+        val = os.environ.get('XDG_DATA_DIRS', '')
+        dirs = list(filter(None, val.split(os.pathsep)))
+    if shell_integration_dir not in dirs:
+        dirs.insert(0, shell_integration_dir)
+    env['XDG_DATA_DIRS'] = os.pathsep.join(dirs)
 
 
 SUPPORTED_SHELLS = {
@@ -100,19 +98,19 @@ def get_supported_shell_name(path: str) -> Optional[str]:
     return None
 
 
-@run_once
-def setup_shell_integration() -> None:
-    opts = get_options()
-    q = opts.shell_integration.split()
-    if opts.shell_integration == 'disabled' or 'no-rc' in q:
-        return
+def setup_shell_integration(opts: Options, env: Dict[str, str]) -> bool:
+    q = set(opts.shell_integration.split())
+    if q & {'disabled', 'no-rc'}:
+        return False
     shell = get_supported_shell_name(resolved_shell(opts)[0])
     if shell is None:
-        return
+        return False
     func = SUPPORTED_SHELLS[shell]
     try:
-        func()
+        func(env)
     except Exception:
         import traceback
         traceback.print_exc()
         log_error(f'Failed to setup shell integration for: {shell}')
+        return False
+    return True
diff --git a/shell-integration/fish/vendor_completions.d/kitty.fish b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_completions.d/kitty.fish
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..804160a9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_completions.d/kitty.fish
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+if functions -q _ksi_completions
+    complete -f -c kitty -a "(_ksi_completions)"
+else
+    complete -f -c kitty -a "(commandline -cop | kitty +complete fish)"
+end
diff --git a/shell-integration/kitty.fish b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
similarity index 100%
rename from shell-integration/kitty.fish
rename to shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish