diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index cd92322161..1689f99539 100755
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -2597,7 +2597,7 @@ _git_whatchanged ()
 	_git_log
 }
 
-_git ()
+_main_git ()
 {
 	local i c=1 command __git_dir
 
@@ -2648,7 +2648,7 @@ _git ()
 	fi
 }
 
-_gitk ()
+_main_gitk ()
 {
 	__git_has_doubledash && return
 
@@ -2700,13 +2700,25 @@ __git_complete ()
 		|| complete -o default -o nospace -F $wrapper $1
 }
 
-__git_complete git _git
-__git_complete gitk _gitk
+# wrapper for backwards compatibility
+_git ()
+{
+	__git_wrap_main_git
+}
+
+# wrapper for backwards compatibility
+_gitk ()
+{
+	__git_wrap_main_gitk
+}
+
+__git_complete git _main_git
+__git_complete gitk _main_gitk
 
 # The following are necessary only for Cygwin, and only are needed
 # when the user has tab-completed the executable name and consequently
 # included the '.exe' suffix.
 #
 if [ Cygwin = "$(uname -o 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
-__git_complete git.exe _git
+__git_complete git.exe _main_git
 fi
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 0f09fd6109..9a80c60945 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ run_completion ()
 	local _cword
 	_words=( $1 )
 	(( _cword = ${#_words[@]} - 1 ))
-	__git_wrap_git && print_comp
+	__git_wrap_main_git && print_comp
 }
 
 test_completion ()