diff --git a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
index d10e717b2..201c03354 100644
--- a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
+++ b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
@@ -143,13 +143,6 @@ _hledger_quote_by_ref()
     [[ ${!2} == \$* ]] && eval "$2=${!2}"
 }
 
-_hledger_quote()
-{
-    local quoted
-    _hledger_quote_by_ref "$1" quoted
-    printf %s "$quoted"
-}
-
 # Set the value of COMPREPLY from newline delimited completion candidates
 _hledger_compreply() {
     local IFS=$'\n'
diff --git a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4 b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
index a36119a59..7bce3c816 100644
--- a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
+++ b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
@@ -143,13 +143,6 @@ _hledger_quote_by_ref()
     [[ ${!2} == \$* ]] && eval "$2=${!2}"
 }
 
-_hledger_quote()
-{
-    local quoted
-    _hledger_quote_by_ref "$1" quoted
-    printf %s "$quoted"
-}
-
 # Set the value of COMPREPLY from newline delimited completion candidates
 _hledger_compreply() {
     local IFS=$'\n'