diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
index 3ea022113cc..33ecf4eb85d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ fi
 __kubectl_convert_bash_to_zsh() {
 	sed \
 	-e 's/declare -F/whence -w/' \
+	-e 's/_get_comp_words_by_ref "\$@"/_get_comp_words_by_ref "\$*"/' \
 	-e 's/local \([a-zA-Z0-9_]*\)=/local \1; \1=/' \
 	-e 's/flags+=("\(--.*\)=")/flags+=("\1"); two_word_flags+=("\1")/' \
 	-e 's/must_have_one_flag+=("\(--.*\)=")/must_have_one_flag+=("\1")/' \