diff --git a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
index 3e14b677c..d1c39123f 100644
--- a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
+++ b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash
@@ -234,7 +234,8 @@ _hledger_compreply_optarg() {
             _hledger_compreply "$(_hledger_compgen "$(_hledger accounts --flat)" "" "$match")"
             ;;
         --debug)
-            _hledger_compreply "$(compgen -W "{1..9}" -- "$match")"
+            wordlist="{1..9}"
+            _hledger_compreply "$(compgen -W "$wordlist" -- "$match")"
             ;;
         # Argument required, but no handler (yet)
         -b|--begin|-e|--end|-p|--period|--depth|--drop)
diff --git a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4 b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
index d9bfe960d..2dbcd8558 100644
--- a/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
+++ b/shell-completion/hledger-completion.bash.m4
@@ -234,7 +234,8 @@ _hledger_compreply_optarg() {
             _hledger_compreply "$(_hledger_compgen "$(_hledger accounts --flat)" "" "$match")"
             ;;
         --debug)
-            _hledger_compreply "$(compgen -W "{1..9}" -- "$match")"
+            wordlist="{1..9}"
+            _hledger_compreply "$(compgen -W "$wordlist" -- "$match")"
             ;;
         # Argument required, but no handler (yet)
         -b|--begin|-e|--end|-p|--period|--depth|--drop)