diff --git a/clap_complete/src/shells/fish.rs b/clap_complete/src/shells/fish.rs
index 1c070b2fb98..a6177ae7df9 100644
--- a/clap_complete/src/shells/fish.rs
+++ b/clap_complete/src/shells/fish.rs
@@ -136,11 +136,14 @@ fn gen_fish_inner(
         buffer.push('\n');
     }
 
+    let has_positionals = cmd.get_positionals().next().is_some();
+    if !has_positionals {
+        basic_template.push_str(" -f");
+    }
     for subcommand in cmd.get_subcommands() {
         for subcommand_name in subcommand.get_name_and_visible_aliases() {
             let mut template = basic_template.clone();
 
-            template.push_str(" -f");
             template.push_str(format!(" -a \"{}\"", subcommand_name).as_str());
 
             if let Some(data) = subcommand.get_about() {
diff --git a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/feature_sample.fish b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/feature_sample.fish
index 60a0716b3c1..da54b624d0b 100644
--- a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/feature_sample.fish
+++ b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/feature_sample.fish
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s c -s C -l config -l conf -d 'some config file'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "test" -d 'tests things'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "test" -d 'tests things'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -l case -d 'the case to test' -r
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
diff --git a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/special_commands.fish b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/special_commands.fish
index dd7d0b54eeb..c7eb3e7b19f 100644
--- a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/special_commands.fish
+++ b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/special_commands.fish
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s c -s C -l config -l conf -d 'some config file'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "test" -d 'tests things'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "some_cmd" -d 'tests other things'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "some-cmd-with-hyphens"
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "some-hidden-cmd"
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "test" -d 'tests things'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "some_cmd" -d 'tests other things'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "some-cmd-with-hyphens"
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "some-hidden-cmd"
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -l case -d 'the case to test' -r
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
diff --git a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/sub_subcommands.fish b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/sub_subcommands.fish
index 7188ca31164..3b2b0ea3a91 100644
--- a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/sub_subcommands.fish
+++ b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/sub_subcommands.fish
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s c -s C -l config -l conf -d 'some config file'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "test" -d 'tests things'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "some_cmd" -d 'top level subcommand'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "some_cmd_alias" -d 'top level subcommand'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "test" -d 'tests things'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "some_cmd" -d 'top level subcommand'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "some_cmd_alias" -d 'top level subcommand'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -l case -d 'the case to test' -r
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from test" -s V -l version -d 'Print version'
diff --git a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/subcommand_last.fish b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/subcommand_last.fish
index 16d7fdb0203..c4cdd44065d 100644
--- a/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/subcommand_last.fish
+++ b/clap_complete/tests/snapshots/subcommand_last.fish
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "foo"
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "bar"
-complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -f -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "foo"
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "bar"
+complete -c my-app -n "__fish_use_subcommand" -a "help" -d 'Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from foo" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from bar" -s h -l help -d 'Print help'
 complete -c my-app -n "__fish_seen_subcommand_from help; and not __fish_seen_subcommand_from foo bar help" -f -a "foo"