diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
index eb61a332db0..f7017daf667 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/completion.go
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ if sed --help 2>&1 | grep -q GNU; then
 	RWORD='\>'
 fi
 
-__kubectl_bash_source <(sed \
+__kubectl_convert_bash_to_zsh() {
+	sed \
 	-e 's/declare -F/whence -w/' \
 	-e 's/local \([a-zA-Z0-9_]*\)=/local \1; \1=/' \
 	-e 's/flags+=("\(--.*\)=")/flags+=("\1"); two_word_flags+=("\1")/' \
@@ -267,7 +268,9 @@ __kubectl_bash_source <(sed \
 
 	zsh_tail := `
 BASH_COMPLETION_EOF
-)
+}
+
+__kubectl_bash_source <(__kubectl_convert_bash_to_zsh)
 `
 	out.Write([]byte(zsh_tail))
 	return nil