diff --git a/completions.go b/completions.go
index b8322703e4..69750d8cce 100644
--- a/completions.go
+++ b/completions.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func (c *Command) initCompleteCmd(args []string) {
 				// 2- Even without completions, we need to print the directive
 			}
 
-			noDescriptions := (cmd.CalledAs() == ShellCompNoDescRequestCmd)
+			noDescriptions := cmd.CalledAs() == ShellCompNoDescRequestCmd || GetEnvConfig(cmd, configEnvVarSuffixDescriptions) == configEnvVarDescriptionsOff
 			for _, comp := range completions {
 				if GetActiveHelpConfig(finalCmd) == activeHelpGlobalDisable {
 					// Remove all activeHelp entries in this case
@@ -906,8 +906,12 @@ func CompErrorln(msg string) {
 	CompError(fmt.Sprintf("%s\n", msg))
 }
 
-// configEnvVarGlobalPrefix should not be changed: users will be using it explicitly.
-const configEnvVarGlobalPrefix = "COBRA"
+// These values should not be changed: users will be using them explicitly.
+const (
+	configEnvVarGlobalPrefix       = "COBRA"
+	configEnvVarSuffixDescriptions = "COMPLETION_DESCRIPTIONS"
+	configEnvVarDescriptionsOff    = "off"
+)
 
 var configEnvVarPrefixSubstRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`[^A-Z0-9_]`)
 
diff --git a/site/content/completions/_index.md b/site/content/completions/_index.md
index 4efad2907b..b2b8017c68 100644
--- a/site/content/completions/_index.md
+++ b/site/content/completions/_index.md
@@ -393,6 +393,9 @@ $ source <(helm completion bash --no-descriptions)
 $ helm completion [tab][tab]
 bash        fish        powershell  zsh
 ```
+
+Setting the `<PROGRAM>_COMPLETION_DESCRIPTIONS` environment variable (falling back to `COBRA_COMPLETION_DESCRIPTIONS` if empty or not set) to `off` achieves the same. `<PROGRAM>` is the name of your program with all non-ASCII-alphanumeric characters replaced by `_`.
+
 ## Bash completions
 
 ### Dependencies