diff --git a/spec/completion_spec.lua b/spec/completion_spec.lua
index 5b7bf27..2def596 100644
--- a/spec/completion_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/completion_spec.lua
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ describe("tests related to generation of shell completion scripts", function()
          local parser = Parser "foo"
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ complete -F _foo -o bashdefault -o default foo
          parser:option "--bar"
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ complete -F _foo -o bashdefault -o default foo
             :choices {"short", "medium", "full"}
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ complete -F _foo -o bashdefault -o default foo
             :add_help(false)
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
@@ -124,6 +128,7 @@ complete -F _foo -o bashdefault -o default foo
          install:flag "-v --verbose"
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
@@ -165,6 +170,7 @@ complete -F _foo -o bashdefault -o default foo
             :add_help(false)
          assert.equal([=[
 _foo() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
diff --git a/src/argparse.lua b/src/argparse.lua
index 5f58b34..db1a62d 100644
--- a/src/argparse.lua
+++ b/src/argparse.lua
@@ -1205,6 +1205,7 @@ end
 function Parser:get_bash_complete()
    local buf = {([[
 _%s() {
+    local IFS=$' \t\n'
     local cur prev cmd opts arg
     cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
     prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"