diff --git a/share/completions/su.fish b/share/completions/su.fish
index 226e76d34..ec2a3cd62 100644
--- a/share/completions/su.fish
+++ b/share/completions/su.fish
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ end
 complete -c su -x -a "(__fish_complete_users)"
 
 complete -c su -s l -l login -d "Make login shell"
-complete -c su -s c -l command -d "Pass command to shell" -xa "(__fish_complete_external_command)"
+complete -c su -s c -l command -d "Pass command to shell" -xa "(complete -C '')"
 complete -c su -s f -l fast -d "Pass -f to the shell"
 complete -c su -s g -l group -x -a "(__fish_complete_groups)" -d "Specify the primary group"
 complete -c su -s G -l supp-group -x -a "(__fish_complete_groups)" -d "Specify a supplemental group"
diff --git a/share/completions/svn.fish b/share/completions/svn.fish
index 4d16ffc98..0da403c25 100644
--- a/share/completions/svn.fish
+++ b/share/completions/svn.fish
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ for cmd in $blame $diff $log $merge
 end
 
 for cmd in $cleanup $merge $switch $update
-    _svn_cmpl_ $cmd -l diff3-cmd -d 'Use as merge command' -xa "(__fish_complete_external_command)"
+    _svn_cmpl_ $cmd -l diff3-cmd -d 'Use as merge command' -xa "(complete -C '')"
 end
 
 for cmd in $blame $info $list $log $stat
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ end
 
 for cmd in $diff $log
     _svn_cmpl_ $cmd -l internal-diff -d 'Override diff-cmd specified in config file'
-    _svn_cmpl_ $cmd -l diff-cmd -d 'Use external diff command' -xa "(__fish_complete_external_command)"
+    _svn_cmpl_ $cmd -l diff-cmd -d 'Use external diff command' -xa "(complete -C '')"
 end
 
 for cmd in $add $import
diff --git a/share/completions/which.fish b/share/completions/which.fish
index 1b54defc9..d4fb5ff8f 100644
--- a/share/completions/which.fish
+++ b/share/completions/which.fish
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ else # OSX
     complete -c which -s s -d "Print no output, only return 0 if found"
 end
 
-complete -c which -a "(__fish_complete_external_command)" -x
+complete -c which -a "(complete -C (printf %s\n (commandline -ot)))" -x
diff --git a/share/completions/xterm.fish b/share/completions/xterm.fish
index d30f2c9cd..fe9d5041e 100644
--- a/share/completions/xterm.fish
+++ b/share/completions/xterm.fish
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ complete -c xterm -o wc -d 'Use wide characters'
 complete -c xterm -o wf -d 'Wait the first time for the window to be mapped'
 complete -c xterm -o Sccn -d 'Use as input/output channel for an existing program'
 
-complete -c xterm -s e -a "(__fish_complete_external_command)" -x -d 'Run program in xterm'
+complete -c xterm -s e -a "(complete -C (printf %s\n (commandline -ot)))" -x -d 'Run program in xterm'
 
 complete -r -c xterm -o bcf -d 'Blinking cursor will be off for that many milliseconds'
 complete -r -c xterm -o bcn -d 'Blinking cursor will be on for that many milliseconds'
diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_complete_external_command.fish b/share/functions/__fish_complete_external_command.fish
deleted file mode 100644
index 87f34d0bf..000000000
--- a/share/functions/__fish_complete_external_command.fish
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# TODO: This function is deprecated, figure out a way to tell users.
-function __fish_complete_external_command
-    complete -C "$argv[1]"
-end