diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-init b/libexec/rbenv-init
index 1a2762c7..22d509bc 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-init
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-init
@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@ if [[ ":${PATH}:" != *:"${RBENV_ROOT}/shims":* ]]; then
 fi
 
 completion="${root}/completions/rbenv.${shell}"
-[ -r "$completion" ] && echo ". '$completion'"
+if [ -r "$completion" ]; then
+  case "$shell" in
+  fish ) echo ". '$completion'" ;;
+  *    ) echo "source '$completion'" ;;
+  esac
+fi
 
 if [ -z "$no_rehash" ]; then
   echo 'rbenv rehash 2>/dev/null'
diff --git a/test/init.bats b/test/init.bats
index d0795eef..38771ef9 100644
--- a/test/init.bats
+++ b/test/init.bats
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ load test_helper
   root="$(cd $BATS_TEST_DIRNAME/.. && pwd)"
   SHELL=/bin/bash run rbenv-init -
   assert_success
-  assert_line ". '${root}/libexec/../completions/rbenv.bash'"
+  assert_line "source '${root}/libexec/../completions/rbenv.bash'"
 }
 
 @test "setup shell completions (fish)" {