diff --git a/bash_completion b/bash_completion
index ebd8eef26a2..e67cc3d51a4 100644
--- a/bash_completion
+++ b/bash_completion
@@ -2072,12 +2072,12 @@ if [[ $OSTYPE == *@(solaris|aix)* ]]; then
     # This function completes on process IDs.
     _comp_compgen_pids()
     {
-        _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command ps -efo pid | command sed 1d)"
+        _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command ps -efo pid | tail -n +2)"
     }
 
     _comp_compgen_pgids()
     {
-        _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command ps -efo pgid | command sed 1d)"
+        _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command ps -efo pgid | tail -n +2)"
     }
     _comp_compgen_pnames()
     {
@@ -2098,7 +2098,7 @@ else
     {
         local -a procs=()
         if [[ ${1-} == -s ]]; then
-            _comp_split procs "$(command ps ax -o comm | command sed -e 1d)"
+            _comp_split procs "$(command ps ax -o comm | tail -n +2)"
         else
             # Some versions of ps don't support "command", but do "comm", e.g.
             # some busybox ones. Fall back
diff --git a/completions-core/2to3.bash b/completions-core/2to3.bash
index 0a60e1f2551..a75abad575f 100644
--- a/completions-core/2to3.bash
+++ b/completions-core/2to3.bash
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ _comp_cmd_2to3()
             ;;
         -f | --fix | -x | --nofix)
             _comp_compgen_split -- "$(
-                "$1" --list-fixes 2>/dev/null | command sed -e 1d
+                "$1" --list-fixes 2>/dev/null | tail -n +2
             )"
             return
             ;;
diff --git a/completions-core/7z.bash b/completions-core/7z.bash
index 7333ba605e7..bcc6870ee13 100644
--- a/completions-core/7z.bash
+++ b/completions-core/7z.bash
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ _comp_cmd_7z()
         if [[ ${words[1]} == d ]]; then
             _comp_compgen_split -l -- "$(
                 "$1" l "${words[2]}" -slt 2>/dev/null | command sed -n \
-                    '/^Path =/s/^Path = \(.*\)$/\1/p' 2>/dev/null | tail -n+2
+                    's/^Path = \(.*\)$/\1/p' 2>/dev/null | tail -n+2
             )"
             compopt -o filenames
         else
diff --git a/completions-core/cfrun.bash b/completions-core/cfrun.bash
index 445bccd0f26..9b81e83f76a 100644
--- a/completions-core/cfrun.bash
+++ b/completions-core/cfrun.bash
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ _comp_cmd_cfrun()
                 done
                 [[ ! -f $hostfile ]] && return
 
-                _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command grep -v -E '(=|^$|^#)' \
+                _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command grep -v -E '=|^$|^#' \
                     "$hostfile")"
             fi
             ;;
diff --git a/completions-core/curl.bash b/completions-core/curl.bash
index dc61bc4ccf6..489160f8d1e 100644
--- a/completions-core/curl.bash
+++ b/completions-core/curl.bash
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ _comp_cmd_curl()
             return
             ;;
         --proto-default)
-            _comp_compgen_split "$("$1" --version 2>/dev/null | command sed -e '/Protocols/!d' -e 's/Protocols://')"
+            _comp_compgen_split "$("$1" --version 2>/dev/null | command sed -n 's/Protocols://p')"
             ;;
         --pubkey)
             _comp_compgen -x ssh identityfile pub
diff --git a/completions-core/fio.bash b/completions-core/fio.bash
index 51eb74ea600..ed3fd52e2c7 100644
--- a/completions-core/fio.bash
+++ b/completions-core/fio.bash
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 _comp_cmd_fio__compgen_engines()
 {
-    _comp_compgen_split -F $'\t\n' -- "$("$1" --enghelp 2>/dev/null | command sed -ne '/^[[:space:]]/p')"
+    _comp_compgen_split -F $'\t\n' -- "$("$1" --enghelp 2>/dev/null | command grep '^[[:space:]]')"
 }
 
 _comp_cmd_fio()
diff --git a/completions-core/function.bash b/completions-core/function.bash
index 218f0cfe74c..ba8d725109a 100644
--- a/completions-core/function.bash
+++ b/completions-core/function.bash
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ _comp_cmd_function()
     if ((cword == 1)); then
         _comp_compgen -- -A function
     else
-        local funcdef=$(type -- "${words[1]}" 2>/dev/null | command sed -e 1,2d)
+        local funcdef=$(type -- "${words[1]}" 2>/dev/null | tail -n +3)
         COMPREPLY=("()${funcdef:+ $funcdef}")
     fi
 } &&
diff --git a/completions-core/inotifywait.bash b/completions-core/inotifywait.bash
index c971dc05f9e..8b5b10a6bd2 100644
--- a/completions-core/inotifywait.bash
+++ b/completions-core/inotifywait.bash
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ _comp_cmd_inotifywait__events()
     # wrapped explanations.
     _comp_compgen -a split -- "$("$1" --help 2>/dev/null |
         command sed -e '/^Events:/,/^[^'$'\t'']/!d' \
-            -ne 's/^'$'\t''\([^ '$'\t'']\{1,\}\)[ '$'\t''].*/\1/p')"
+            -ne 's/^'$'\t''\([^[:blank:]]\{1,\}\)[[:blank:]].*/\1/p')"
 }
 
 _comp_cmd_inotifywait()
diff --git a/completions-core/mcrypt.bash b/completions-core/mcrypt.bash
index 3135244e496..2c8595eb88f 100644
--- a/completions-core/mcrypt.bash
+++ b/completions-core/mcrypt.bash
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ _comp_cmd_mcrypt()
             ;;
         -h | --hash)
             _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --list-hash 2>/dev/null |
-                command sed -e 1d)"
+                tail -n +2)"
             return
             ;;
         -k | -s | --key | --keysize)
diff --git a/completions-core/mplayer.bash b/completions-core/mplayer.bash
index 55ba54df821..84898965e6c 100644
--- a/completions-core/mplayer.bash
+++ b/completions-core/mplayer.bash
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ _comp_cmd_mplayer()
             ;;
         -subcp | -msgcharset)
             local cp
-            if _comp_split cp "$(iconv --list 2>/dev/null | command sed -e "s@//@@;" 2>/dev/null)"; then
+            if _comp_split cp "$(iconv --list 2>/dev/null | command sed -e "s@//@@" 2>/dev/null)"; then
                 if [[ $cur == "${cur,,}" ]]; then
                     _comp_compgen -- -W '"${cp[@],,}"'
                 else
diff --git a/completions-core/msynctool.bash b/completions-core/msynctool.bash
index 0348170e0c0..e40ba91396f 100644
--- a/completions-core/msynctool.bash
+++ b/completions-core/msynctool.bash
@@ -12,18 +12,18 @@ _comp_cmd_msynctool()
             return
             ;;
         --addmember)
-            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listplugins | command sed -e 1d)"
+            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listplugins | tail -n +2)"
             return
             ;;
     esac
 
     case $prev in
         --configure | --addgroup | --delgroup | --showgroup | --sync | --addmember)
-            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listgroups | command sed -e 1d)"
+            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listgroups | tail -n +2)"
             return
             ;;
         --showformats | --filter-objtype | --slow-sync)
-            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listobjects | command sed -e 1d)"
+            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" --listobjects | tail -n +2)"
             return
             ;;
     esac
diff --git a/completions-core/pdftotext.bash b/completions-core/pdftotext.bash
index a99fd400e4f..5d7acba52a4 100644
--- a/completions-core/pdftotext.bash
+++ b/completions-core/pdftotext.bash
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ _comp_cmd_pdftotext()
             return
             ;;
         -enc)
-            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" -listenc 2>/dev/null |
-                command sed -e 1d)"
+            _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" -listenc 2>/dev/null | tail -n +2)"
             return
             ;;
         -eol)
diff --git a/completions-core/sitecopy.bash b/completions-core/sitecopy.bash
index 87e877556a9..a0319f03198 100644
--- a/completions-core/sitecopy.bash
+++ b/completions-core/sitecopy.bash
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ _comp_cmd_sitecopy()
     esac
 
     if [[ -r ~/.sitecopyrc ]]; then
-        _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" -v |
-            command sed -n '/^Site:/s/Site: //p')"
+        _comp_compgen_split -- "$("$1" -v | command sed -n 's/^Site: //p')"
     fi
 } &&
     complete -F _comp_cmd_sitecopy -o default sitecopy
diff --git a/completions-core/xgamma.bash b/completions-core/xgamma.bash
index 946c126d45f..73210d960aa 100644
--- a/completions-core/xgamma.bash
+++ b/completions-core/xgamma.bash
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ _comp_cmd_xgamma()
     case "$prev" in
         -screen)
             local screens=$(xrandr --query 2>/dev/null | command sed -n \
-                '/^Screen /s|^Screen \{1,\}\(.*\):.*$|\1|p' 2>/dev/null)
+                's|^Screen \{1,\}\(.*\):.*$|\1|p' 2>/dev/null)
             _comp_compgen -- -W "$screens"
             return
             ;;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ _comp_cmd_xgamma()
             elif [[ $cur == :*.* ]]; then
                 # local screen numbers
                 local screens=$(xrandr --query 2>/dev/null | command sed -ne \
-                    '/^Screen /s|^Screen \{1,\}\(.*\):.*$|\1|p' 2>/dev/null)
+                    's|^Screen \{1,\}\(.*\):.*$|\1|p' 2>/dev/null)
                 cur=${cur#:}
                 _comp_compgen -P "${cur%.*}." -- -W '$screens'
             elif [[ $cur != *:* ]]; then