diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index 06a7163ffe..6d798f9939 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -850,6 +850,8 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		case PARSE_OPT_HELP:
 		case PARSE_OPT_ERROR:
 			exit(129);
+		case PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE:
+			exit(0);
 		case PARSE_OPT_DONE:
 			if (ctx.argv[0])
 				dashdash_pos = ctx.cpidx;
diff --git a/builtin/shortlog.c b/builtin/shortlog.c
index 88f88e97b2..65cd41392c 100644
--- a/builtin/shortlog.c
+++ b/builtin/shortlog.c
@@ -287,6 +287,8 @@ int cmd_shortlog(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		case PARSE_OPT_HELP:
 		case PARSE_OPT_ERROR:
 			exit(129);
+		case PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE:
+			exit(0);
 		case PARSE_OPT_DONE:
 			goto parse_done;
 		}
diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index 31e7cce301..e19da77edc 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -1086,6 +1086,8 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		case PARSE_OPT_HELP:
 		case PARSE_OPT_ERROR:
 			exit(129);
+		case PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE:
+			exit(0);
 		case PARSE_OPT_NON_OPTION:
 		case PARSE_OPT_DONE:
 		{
diff --git a/parse-options.c b/parse-options.c
index 3b874a83a0..6932eaff61 100644
--- a/parse-options.c
+++ b/parse-options.c
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ static int show_gitcomp(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *ctx,
 	show_negated_gitcomp(original_opts, -1);
 	show_negated_gitcomp(original_opts, nr_noopts);
 	fputc('\n', stdout);
-	exit(0);
+	return PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE;
 }
 
 static int usage_with_options_internal(struct parse_opt_ctx_t *,
@@ -638,6 +638,8 @@ int parse_options(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	case PARSE_OPT_HELP:
 	case PARSE_OPT_ERROR:
 		exit(129);
+	case PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE:
+		exit(0);
 	case PARSE_OPT_NON_OPTION:
 	case PARSE_OPT_DONE:
 		break;
diff --git a/parse-options.h b/parse-options.h
index 6c4fe2016d..a650a7d220 100644
--- a/parse-options.h
+++ b/parse-options.h
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ extern int opterror(const struct option *opt, const char *reason, int flags);
 /*----- incremental advanced APIs -----*/
 
 enum {
+	PARSE_OPT_COMPLETE = -2,
 	PARSE_OPT_HELP = -1,
 	PARSE_OPT_DONE,
 	PARSE_OPT_NON_OPTION,