diff --git a/notmuch-completion.bash b/notmuch-completion.bash
index ff0a24d6..fc2d13c1 100644
--- a/notmuch-completion.bash
+++ b/notmuch-completion.bash
@@ -43,20 +43,21 @@
 
 _notmuch()
 {
-    current="$2"
+    local current previous commands help_options
+
+    previous=${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}
+    current="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
 
     commands="setup new search show reply tag dump restore help"
-
     help_options="setup new search show reply tag dump restore search-terms"
 
     COMPREPLY=()
-    prev=${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}
 
     if [[ "$COMP_CWORD" == "1" ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "${commands}" -- ${current}) )
     fi
 
-    if [[ $prev = "help" && "$COMP_CWORD" == "2" ]]; then
+    if [[ $previous = "help" && "$COMP_CWORD" == "2" ]]; then
         COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "${help_options}" -- ${current}) )
     fi
 }