diff --git a/app_test.go b/app_test.go
index 651f0f4f5d..6eba310ec4 100644
--- a/app_test.go
+++ b/app_test.go
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ func ExampleApp_Run_bashComplete() {
 func ExampleApp_Run_zshComplete() {
 	// set args for examples sake
 	os.Args = []string{"greet", "--generate-bash-completion"}
-	_ = os.Setenv("_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK", "1")
+	_ = os.Setenv("SHELL", "/usr/bin/zsh")
 
 	app := NewApp()
 	app.Name = "greet"
diff --git a/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete b/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete
index cf39c888af..ee1b562743 100644
--- a/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete
+++ b/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete
@@ -1,23 +1,16 @@
 #compdef $PROG
 
-_cli_zsh_autocomplete() {
+local -a opts
+local cur
+cur=${words[-1]}
+if [[ "$cur" == "-"* ]]; then
+  opts=("${(@f)$(${words[@]:0:#words[@]-1} ${cur} --generate-bash-completion)}")
+else
+  opts=("${(@f)$(${words[@]:0:#words[@]-1} --generate-bash-completion)}")
+fi
 
-  local -a opts
-  local cur
-  cur=${words[-1]}
-  if [[ "$cur" == "-"* ]]; then
-    opts=("${(@f)$(_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK=1 ${words[@]:0:#words[@]-1} ${cur} --generate-bash-completion)}")
-  else
-    opts=("${(@f)$(_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK=1 ${words[@]:0:#words[@]-1} --generate-bash-completion)}")
-  fi
-
-  if [[ "${opts[1]}" != "" ]]; then
-    _describe 'values' opts
-  else
-    _files
-  fi
-
-  return
-}
-
-compdef _cli_zsh_autocomplete $PROG
+if [[ "${opts[1]}" != "" ]]; then
+  _describe 'values' opts
+else
+  _files
+fi
diff --git a/docs/v2/manual.md b/docs/v2/manual.md
index af09010b9a..b8b44033a2 100644
--- a/docs/v2/manual.md
+++ b/docs/v2/manual.md
@@ -1211,14 +1211,13 @@ func main() {
 
 #### ZSH Support
 Auto-completion for ZSH is also supported using the `autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete` 
-file included in this repo. Two environment variables are used, `PROG` and `_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK`. 
-Set `PROG` to the program name as before, set `_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK` to `1`, and 
-then `source path/to/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete`. Adding the following lines to your ZSH 
-configuration file (usually `.zshrc`) will allow the auto-completion to persist across new shells:
+file included in this repo. One environment variable is used, `PROG`.  Set 
+`PROG` to the program name as before, and then `source path/to/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete`. 
+Adding the following lines to your ZSH configuration file (usually `.zshrc`) 
+will allow the auto-completion to persist across new shells:
 
 ```
 PROG=<myprogram>
-_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK=1
 source  path/to/autocomplete/zsh_autocomplete
 ```
 #### ZSH default auto-complete example
diff --git a/help.go b/help.go
index 0a421ee99a..a7b3a944a2 100644
--- a/help.go
+++ b/help.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func printCommandSuggestions(commands []*Command, writer io.Writer) {
 		if command.Hidden {
 			continue
 		}
-		if os.Getenv("_CLI_ZSH_AUTOCOMPLETE_HACK") == "1" {
+		if strings.Contains(os.Getenv("SHELL"), "zsh") {
 			for _, name := range command.Names() {
 				_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(writer, "%s:%s\n", name, command.Usage)
 			}