diff --git a/novaclient/shell.py b/novaclient/shell.py
index 583cddb66..5da855aa7 100644
--- a/novaclient/shell.py
+++ b/novaclient/shell.py
@@ -558,6 +558,10 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
         do_help = ('help' in argv) or (
             '--help' in argv) or ('-h' in argv) or not argv
 
+        # bash-completion should not require authentification
+        skip_auth = do_help or (
+            'bash-completion' in argv)
+
         # Discover available auth plugins
         novaclient.auth_plugin.discover_auth_systems()
 
@@ -629,7 +633,7 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
 
         # FIXME(usrleon): Here should be restrict for project id same as
         # for os_username or os_password but for compatibility it is not.
-        if must_auth and not do_help:
+        if must_auth and not skip_auth:
             if auth_plugin:
                 auth_plugin.parse_opts(args)
 
@@ -686,8 +690,9 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
                 # set password for auth plugins
                 os_password = args.os_password
 
-        if not do_help and not any([args.os_tenant_id, args.os_tenant_name,
-                                    args.os_project_id, args.os_project_name]):
+        if (not skip_auth and
+                not any([args.os_tenant_id, args.os_tenant_name,
+                         args.os_project_id, args.os_project_name])):
             raise exc.CommandError(_("You must provide a project name or"
                                      " project id via --os-project-name,"
                                      " --os-project-id, env[OS_PROJECT_ID]"
@@ -695,7 +700,7 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
                                      " use os-project and os-tenant"
                                      " interchangeably."))
 
-        if not os_auth_url and not do_help:
+        if not os_auth_url and not skip_auth:
             raise exc.CommandError(
                 _("You must provide an auth url "
                   "via either --os-auth-url or env[OS_AUTH_URL]"))
@@ -717,7 +722,7 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
             cacert=cacert, timeout=timeout,
             session=keystone_session, auth=keystone_auth)
 
-        if not do_help:
+        if not skip_auth:
             if not api_version.is_latest():
                 if api_version > api_versions.APIVersion("2.0"):
                     if not api_version.matches(novaclient.API_MIN_VERSION,
diff --git a/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py b/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
index 350b2b979..37a1ab69d 100644
--- a/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
+++ b/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ class ShellTest(utils.TestCase):
         self._test_help('help set-password', required=required)
 
     def test_bash_completion(self):
-        self.make_env()
         stdout, stderr = self.shell('bash-completion')
         # just check we have some output
         required = [