diff --git a/src/builtins/commandline.rs b/src/builtins/commandline.rs
index d4314e34b..98d0aed7b 100644
--- a/src/builtins/commandline.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/commandline.rs
@@ -636,19 +636,16 @@ pub fn commandline(parser: &Parser, streams: &mut IoStreams, args: &mut [&wstr])
         transient = parser.libdata().transient_commandline.clone().unwrap();
         current_buffer = &transient;
         current_cursor_pos = transient.len();
-    } else if rstate.initialized {
+    } else if is_interactive_session() {
         current_buffer = &rstate.text;
         current_cursor_pos = rstate.cursor_pos;
     } else {
-        // There is no command line, either because we are not interactive, or because we are
-        // interactive and are still reading init files (in which case we silently ignore this).
-        if !is_interactive_session() {
-            streams.err.append(cmd);
-            streams
-                .err
-                .append(L!(": Can not set commandline in non-interactive mode\n"));
-            builtin_print_error_trailer(parser, streams.err, cmd);
-        }
+        // There is no command line because we are not interactive.
+        streams.err.append(cmd);
+        streams
+            .err
+            .append(L!(": Can not set commandline in non-interactive mode\n"));
+        builtin_print_error_trailer(parser, streams.err, cmd);
         return Err(STATUS_CMD_ERROR);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/builtins/complete.rs b/src/builtins/complete.rs
index c98365ff3..c42f3aff4 100644
--- a/src/builtins/complete.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/complete.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use crate::parse_constants::ParseErrorList;
 use crate::parse_util::parse_util_detect_errors_in_argument_list;
 use crate::parse_util::{parse_util_detect_errors, parse_util_token_extent};
+use crate::proc::is_interactive_session;
 use crate::reader::{commandline_get_state, completion_apply_to_command_line};
 use crate::wcstringutil::string_suffixes_string;
 use crate::{
@@ -465,11 +466,12 @@ pub fn complete(parser: &Parser, streams: &mut IoStreams, argv: &mut [&wstr]) ->
             None => {
                 // No argument given, try to use the current commandline.
                 let commandline_state = commandline_get_state(true);
-                if !commandline_state.initialized {
-                    // This corresponds to using 'complete -C' in non-interactive mode.
-                    // See #2361    .
-                    builtin_missing_argument(parser, streams, cmd, L!("-C"), true);
-                    return Err(STATUS_INVALID_ARGS);
+                if !is_interactive_session() {
+                    streams.err.append(cmd);
+                    streams
+                        .err
+                        .append(L!(": Can not get commandline in non-interactive mode\n"));
+                    return Err(STATUS_CMD_ERROR);
                 }
                 commandline_state.text
             }
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index f6201fdb9..b9eeaac94 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -400,8 +400,6 @@ pub struct CommandlineState {
     pub search_field: Option<(WString, usize)>,
     /// pager is visible and search is active
     pub search_mode: bool,
-    /// if false, the reader has not yet been entered
-    pub initialized: bool,
 }
 
 impl CommandlineState {
@@ -415,7 +413,6 @@ const fn new() -> Self {
             pager_fully_disclosed: false,
             search_field: None,
             search_mode: false,
-            initialized: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1370,7 +1367,6 @@ fn update_commandline_state(&self) {
             });
         }
         snapshot.search_mode = self.history_search.active();
-        snapshot.initialized = true;
     }
 
     /// Apply any changes from the reader snapshot. This is called after running fish script,
diff --git a/tests/checks/commandline.fish b/tests/checks/commandline.fish
index 7b5d0ade8..bf4843a4f 100644
--- a/tests/checks/commandline.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/commandline.fish
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #RUN: %fish %s
 
+set -g fish (status fish-path)
+
 commandline --input "echo foo | bar" --is-valid
 and echo Valid
 # CHECK: Valid
@@ -50,3 +52,16 @@ commandline --input "echo > {a,b}" --tokens-expanded
 commandline --input "echo {arg1,arg2} <in >out" --tokens-raw
 # CHECK: echo
 # CHECK: {arg1,arg2}
+
+$fish -ic '
+    commandline hello
+    commandline
+    commandline -i world
+    commandline
+    commandline --cursor 5
+    commandline -i " "
+    commandline
+'
+# CHECK: hello
+# CHECK: helloworld
+# CHECK: hello world