diff --git a/src/pager.cpp b/src/pager.cpp
index 02f121aad..a5795a1f6 100644
--- a/src/pager.cpp
+++ b/src/pager.cpp
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ void pager_t::set_completions(const completion_list_t &raw_completions) {
 
     // Refilter them.
     this->refilter_completions();
+    have_unrendered_completions = true;
 }
 
 void pager_t::set_prefix(const wcstring &pref) { prefix = pref; }
@@ -575,6 +576,7 @@ page_rendering_t pager_t::render() const {
 }
 
 bool pager_t::rendering_needs_update(const page_rendering_t &rendering) const {
+    if (have_unrendered_completions) return true;
     // Common case is no pager.
     if (this->empty() && rendering.screen_data.empty()) return false;
 
@@ -589,9 +591,10 @@ bool pager_t::rendering_needs_update(const page_rendering_t &rendering) const {
            (rendering.remaining_to_disclose > 0 && this->fully_disclosed);
 }
 
-void pager_t::update_rendering(page_rendering_t *rendering) const {
+void pager_t::update_rendering(page_rendering_t *rendering) {
     if (rendering_needs_update(*rendering)) {
         *rendering = this->render();
+        have_unrendered_completions = false;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pager.h b/src/pager.h
index a7b629d46..9b65cc031 100644
--- a/src/pager.h
+++ b/src/pager.h
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ class pager_t {
     // The unfiltered list. Note there's a lot of duplication here.
     comp_info_list_t unfiltered_completion_infos;
 
+    // This tracks if the completion list has been changed since we last rendered. If yes,
+    // then we definitely need to re-render.
+    bool have_unrendered_completions = false;
+
     wcstring prefix;
 
     bool completion_try_print(size_t cols, const wcstring &prefix, const comp_info_list_t &lst,
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ class pager_t {
     bool rendering_needs_update(const page_rendering_t &rendering) const;
 
     // Updates the rendering.
-    void update_rendering(page_rendering_t *rendering) const;
+    void update_rendering(page_rendering_t *rendering);
 
     // Indicates if there are no completions, and therefore nothing to render.
     bool empty() const;
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 9c271deb6..46ba148ad 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -2180,8 +2180,6 @@ bool reader_data_t::handle_completions(const completion_list_t &comp, size_t tok
     // Update the pager data.
     pager.set_prefix(prefix);
     pager.set_completions(surviving_completions);
-    // Invalidate our rendering.
-    current_page_rendering = page_rendering_t();
     // Modify the command line to reflect the new pager.
     pager_selection_changed();
     return false;