diff --git a/src/completion.cc b/src/completion.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b2579ff3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/completion.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include "completion.hh"
+#include "file.hh"
+#include "context.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+Completions shell_complete(const Context& context, CompletionFlags flags,
+                           const String& prefix, ByteCount cursor_pos)
+{
+    ByteCount word_start = 0;
+    ByteCount word_end = 0;
+
+    bool first = true;
+    const ByteCount len = prefix.length();
+    for (ByteCount pos = 0; pos < cursor_pos;)
+    {
+        if (pos != 0)
+            first = false;
+        while (pos != len and is_blank(prefix[pos]))
+            ++pos;
+        word_start = pos;
+        while (pos != len and not is_blank(prefix[pos]))
+            ++pos;
+        word_end = pos;
+    }
+    Completions completions{word_start, word_end};
+    if (first)
+        completions.candidates = complete_command(prefix.substr(word_start, word_end),
+                                                  cursor_pos - word_start);
+    else
+        completions.candidates = complete_filename(prefix.substr(word_start, word_end),
+                                                   context.options()["ignored_files"].get<Regex>(), 
+                                                   cursor_pos - word_start);
+    return completions;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/completion.hh b/src/completion.hh
index 44726dd39..84e08dcba 100644
--- a/src/completion.hh
+++ b/src/completion.hh
@@ -40,5 +40,8 @@ inline Completions complete_nothing(const Context& context, CompletionFlags,
     return Completions(cursor_pos, cursor_pos);
 }
 
+Completions shell_complete(const Context& context, CompletionFlags,
+                           const String&, ByteCount cursor_pos);
+
 }
 #endif // completion_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index 14ff7b40d..b89dc3954 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -421,38 +421,8 @@ void command(Context& context, int)
 template<InsertMode mode>
 void pipe(Context& context, int)
 {
-    auto completer = [](const Context& context, CompletionFlags flags,
-                        const String& prefix, ByteCount cursor_pos)
-    {
-        ByteCount word_start = 0;
-        ByteCount word_end = 0;
-
-        bool first = true;
-        const ByteCount len = prefix.length();
-        for (ByteCount pos = 0; pos < cursor_pos;)
-        {
-            if (pos != 0)
-                first = false;
-            while (pos != len and is_blank(prefix[pos]))
-                ++pos;
-            word_start = pos;
-            while (pos != len and not is_blank(prefix[pos]))
-                ++pos;
-            word_end = pos;
-        }
-        Completions completions{word_start, word_end};
-        if (first)
-            completions.candidates = complete_command(prefix.substr(word_start, word_end),
-                                                      cursor_pos - word_start);
-        else
-            completions.candidates = complete_filename(prefix.substr(word_start, word_end),
-                                                       context.options()["ignored_files"].get<Regex>(), 
-                                                       cursor_pos - word_start);
-        return completions;
-    };
-
     const char* prompt = mode == InsertMode::Replace ? "pipe:" : "pipe (ins):";
-    context.input_handler().prompt(prompt, get_color("Prompt"), completer,
+    context.input_handler().prompt(prompt, get_color("Prompt"), shell_complete,
         [](const String& cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context)
         {
             if (event != PromptEvent::Validate)