diff --git a/src/frontend/parser/complete.c b/src/frontend/parser/complete.c
index c87026446..5bf730739 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parser/complete.c
+++ b/src/frontend/parser/complete.c
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ cp_ccom(wordlist *wlist, char *buf, bool esc)
 
     buf = cp_unquote(copy(buf));
     cp_wstrip(buf);
-    if (wlist->wl_next) {   /* Not the first word. */
+    if (wlist) {   /* Not the first word. */
         cc = getccom(wlist->wl_word);
         if (cc && cc->cc_invalid)
             cc = NULL;
-        arg = wl_length(wlist) - 2;
+        arg = wl_length(wlist) - 1;
         if (arg > 3)
             arg = 3;
         /* First filenames. */
diff --git a/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c b/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
index 8d7d8aeba..3b93c6c1b 100644
--- a/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
+++ b/src/frontend/parser/lexical.c
@@ -256,7 +256,6 @@ gotchar:
                     goto done;
                 }
                 // cp_ccom doesn't mess wlist, read only access to wlist->wl_word
-                append(NULL);
                 cp_ccom(wlist, buf, FALSE);
                 wl_free(wlist);
                 (void) fputc('\r', cp_out);
@@ -291,7 +290,6 @@ gotchar:
 #else
 		    fputc(linebuf[j], cp_out);	/* But you can't edit */
 #endif
-                append(NULL);
                 // cp_ccom doesn't mess wlist, read only access to wlist->wl_word
                 cp_ccom(wlist, buf, TRUE);
                 wl_free(wlist);