diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index 01a595984d6cfe..18c81c438dee91 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -721,11 +721,11 @@ REPLServer.prototype.complete = function(line, callback) {
 
   // REPL commands (e.g. ".break").
   var match = null;
-  match = line.match(/^\s*(\.\w*)$/);
+  match = line.match(/^\s*\.(\w*)$/);
   if (match) {
     completionGroups.push(Object.keys(this.commands));
     completeOn = match[1];
-    if (match[1].length > 1) {
+    if (match[1].length) {
       filter = match[1];
     }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-tab-complete.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-tab-complete.js
index eb4e68ad18d772..d92377efebf791 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl-tab-complete.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-tab-complete.js
@@ -260,3 +260,10 @@ putIn.run(['.clear']);
 testMe.complete('var log = console.lo', common.mustCall((error, data) => {
   assert.deepStrictEqual(data, [['console.log'], 'console.lo']);
 }));
+
+// tab completion for defined commands
+putIn.run(['.clear']);
+
+testMe.complete('.b', common.mustCall((error, data) => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(data, [['break'], 'b']);
+}));