diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 1feb2ee108..c72b5465f9 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -2652,7 +2652,7 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
 		__gitcomp_direct "$(__git_heads "$pfx" "$cur_" ".")"
-		__gitcomp_nl_append $'autoSetupMerge\nautoSetupRebase\n' "$pfx" "$cur_" "$sfx"
+		__gitcomp_nl_append $'autoSetupMerge\nautoSetupRebase\n' "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	guitool.*.*)
@@ -2686,7 +2686,7 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
 		__git_compute_all_commands
-		__gitcomp_nl "$__git_all_commands" "$pfx" "$cur_" "$sfx"
+		__gitcomp_nl "$__git_all_commands" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	remote.*.*)
@@ -2702,7 +2702,7 @@ __git_complete_config_variable_name ()
 		local pfx="${cur_%.*}."
 		cur_="${cur_#*.}"
 		__gitcomp_nl "$(__git_remotes)" "$pfx" "$cur_" "."
-		__gitcomp_nl_append "pushDefault" "$pfx" "$cur_" "$sfx"
+		__gitcomp_nl_append "pushDefault" "$pfx" "$cur_" "${sfx- }"
 		return
 		;;
 	url.*.*)