diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e32b145..9856eb6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ project, its git branch and a `*` dirty marker:
 Features: command history (`~/.mgsh_history`), Tab completion (commands, local
 projects for `cd`/`open`, server repos for `clone`/`show`, branches/tags for
 `checkout`/`tag`, mirror targets for `pushremote`/`release`, filesystem paths for
-`dist`, and shell-style completion after `!`), and colored `list`/`log`/error
-output.
+`dist`, and shell-style completion after `!` and for aliases that expand to
+one), and colored `list`/`log`/error output.
 
 The server repository list is fetched once per session on the first Tab that
 needs it; `rescan` refreshes it (and reloads the configuration).
@@ -84,6 +84,18 @@ until the prefix asks for one.
 < src/myproject > !gre<Tab>         ->  grep  gresource
 ```
 
+An alias that expands to a shell escape completes the same way, because its
+arguments end up as shell arguments:
+
+```
+alias ll '!ls -la'
+< src/myproject > ll ma<Tab>        ->  ll main
+```
+
+Only the alias's arguments complete, never its first word — the command is
+fixed by the alias body. An alias to a builtin (`alias co 'checkout $1'`) is not
+a shell line and is left alone.
+
 Word splitting for completion is by whitespace only; quotes and backslash
 escapes are left to the shell that runs the line.
 
diff --git a/completion.go b/completion.go
index 6e854da..55397ac 100644
--- a/completion.go
+++ b/completion.go
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chzyer/readline"
 )
 
-// completer wires up Tab completion. A line starting with '!' is completed the
-// way a shell would — executables for the command, paths for its arguments —
-// and everything else against the builtin command tree.
+// completer wires up Tab completion. A line headed for a shell — a '!' escape,
+// or an alias that expands to one — is completed the way a shell would:
+// executables for the command, paths for its arguments. Everything else goes to
+// the builtin command tree.
 func completer() readline.AutoCompleter {
 	return &mgshCompleter{builtin: builtinCompleter()}
 }
@@ -23,8 +24,7 @@ func (c *mgshCompleter) Do(line []rune, pos int) ([][]rune, int) {
 	if pos > len(line) {
 		pos = len(line)
 	}
-	if strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimLeft(string(line[:pos]), " \t"), "!") {
-		cands, prefix := shellCandidates(string(line[:pos]))
+	if cands, prefix, ok := completeShellLine(string(line[:pos])); ok {
 		return runeSuffixes(cands, prefix)
 	}
 	return c.builtin.Do(line, pos)
diff --git a/shellcomplete.go b/shellcomplete.go
index 19fd282..35fd6b5 100644
--- a/shellcomplete.go
+++ b/shellcomplete.go
@@ -24,17 +24,55 @@ import (
 // installed on the machine running them.
 var shellCommandList = pathExecutables
 
-// shellCandidates returns the completion candidates for the text to the left of
-// the cursor, together with the prefix they replace. text is expected to start
-// (after leading blanks) with the '!' that marks a shell escape.
-func shellCandidates(text string) (cands []string, prefix string) {
-	body, ok := strings.CutPrefix(strings.TrimLeft(text, " \t"), "!")
+// completeShellLine returns the candidates and the prefix they replace for a
+// line that is headed for a shell. ok is false for any other line, which is
+// then left to the builtin command tree.
+func completeShellLine(typed string) (cands []string, prefix string, ok bool) {
+	body, allowCommand, ok := shellLine(typed)
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, ""
+		return nil, "", false
+	}
+	cands, prefix = shellCandidates(body, allowCommand)
+	return cands, prefix, true
+}
+
+// shellLine works out which part of a typed line will reach a shell, and
+// whether its command word is still open for completion. Two things get there:
+// a '!' escape, and an alias that expands to one — `alias ll '!ls -la'` makes
+// everything after `ll` a shell argument just as surely.
+//
+// Only the alias itself is inspected, not what its expansion might expand to
+// again: an alias chain can rewrite its arguments, and guessing at that would
+// offer candidates for a command line that is not the one being built.
+func shellLine(typed string) (body string, allowCommand, ok bool) {
+	trimmed := strings.TrimLeft(typed, " \t")
+	if rest, found := strings.CutPrefix(trimmed, "!"); found {
+		return rest, true, true
 	}
 
+	// the alias name has to be complete — while it is still being typed there
+	// is no way to know what it will turn out to be
+	sep := strings.IndexAny(trimmed, " \t")
+	if sep < 0 {
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	name := trimmed[:sep]
+	if isBuiltin(name) { // a builtin can never be shadowed by an alias
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	expansion, defined := aliases[name]
+	if !defined || !strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(expansion), "!") {
+		return "", false, false
+	}
+	// the command comes from the alias body, so only arguments are left to complete
+	return trimmed[sep:], false, true
+}
+
+// shellCandidates completes the last word of a shell command line. allowCommand
+// says whether its first word may still be completed against PATH.
+func shellCandidates(body string, allowCommand bool) (cands []string, prefix string) {
 	word := body[strings.LastIndexAny(body, " \t")+1:]
-	inCommand := strings.TrimLeft(body[:len(body)-len(word)], " \t") == ""
+	inCommand := allowCommand && strings.TrimLeft(body[:len(body)-len(word)], " \t") == ""
 
 	// a command word without a separator names something on PATH; with one it
 	// is a path like ./script, exactly as a shell reads it
diff --git a/shellcomplete_test.go b/shellcomplete_test.go
index 9c87b31..b71eced 100644
--- a/shellcomplete_test.go
+++ b/shellcomplete_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+// complete runs the real dispatch a Tab press goes through.
+func complete(typed string) ([]string, string) {
+	cands, prefix, _ := completeShellLine(typed)
+	return cands, prefix
+}
+
 // fakeCommands installs a fixed set of PATH executables for the test.
 func fakeCommands(t *testing.T, names ...string) {
 	t.Helper()
@@ -39,7 +45,7 @@ func TestShellCandidatesCommandWord(t *testing.T) {
 	fakeCommands(t, "vi", "vim", "view", "grep", "git")
 	shellTree(t)
 
-	cands, prefix := shellCandidates("!vi")
+	cands, prefix := complete("!vi")
 	if prefix != "vi" {
 		t.Errorf("prefix = %q, want vi", prefix)
 	}
@@ -48,15 +54,15 @@ func TestShellCandidatesCommandWord(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// a bare '!' must not dump every executable on the machine
-	if cands, _ := shellCandidates("!"); len(cands) != 0 {
+	if cands, _ := complete("!"); len(cands) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("bare '!' offered %d candidates", len(cands))
 	}
 	// leading blanks are allowed, as runCommand allows them
-	if cands, _ := shellCandidates("   !gi"); strings.Join(cands, ",") != "git" {
+	if cands, _ := complete("   !gi"); strings.Join(cands, ",") != "git" {
 		t.Errorf("indented escape = %v, want git", cands)
 	}
 	// a command word with a separator is a path, not a PATH lookup
-	if cands, prefix := shellCandidates("!./ma"); prefix != "ma" ||
+	if cands, prefix := complete("!./ma"); prefix != "ma" ||
 		strings.Join(cands, ",") != "main.go,main_test.go" {
 		t.Errorf("./ma = %v (prefix %q), want the local files", cands, prefix)
 	}
@@ -67,13 +73,13 @@ func TestShellCandidatesArguments(t *testing.T) {
 	shellTree(t)
 
 	// paths resolve against the project directory, where `!` commands run
-	cands, prefix := shellCandidates("!vi ma")
+	cands, prefix := complete("!vi ma")
 	if prefix != "ma" || strings.Join(cands, ",") != "main.go,main_test.go" {
 		t.Errorf("candidates = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
 	}
 
 	// an empty argument lists the directory — dot entries stay out of the way
-	cands, prefix = shellCandidates("!vi ")
+	cands, prefix = complete("!vi ")
 	if prefix != "" {
 		t.Errorf("prefix = %q, want empty", prefix)
 	}
@@ -82,25 +88,25 @@ func TestShellCandidatesArguments(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// ... until the prefix asks for them
-	if cands, _ := shellCandidates("!vi ."); strings.Join(cands, ",") != ".env,.hidden/" {
+	if cands, _ := complete("!vi ."); strings.Join(cands, ",") != ".env,.hidden/" {
 		t.Errorf("dot prefix = %v, want the hidden entries", cands)
 	}
 
 	// a directory completes with its slash, so the next Tab walks into it
-	cands, prefix = shellCandidates("!vi sr")
+	cands, prefix = complete("!vi sr")
 	if prefix != "sr" || strings.Join(cands, ",") != "src/" {
 		t.Errorf("directory candidate = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
 	}
 
 	// inside a directory only the basename is completed, which is what keeps
 	// the candidate list readable
-	cands, prefix = shellCandidates("!vi src/ut")
+	cands, prefix = complete("!vi src/ut")
 	if prefix != "ut" || strings.Join(cands, ",") != "util.go" {
 		t.Errorf("nested candidate = %v (prefix %q), want util.go / ut", cands, prefix)
 	}
 
 	// later arguments complete the same way as the first
-	if cands, _ := shellCandidates("!diff main.go ma"); strings.Join(cands, ",") != "main.go,main_test.go" {
+	if cands, _ := complete("!diff main.go ma"); strings.Join(cands, ",") != "main.go,main_test.go" {
 		t.Errorf("second argument = %v", cands)
 	}
 }
@@ -114,13 +120,13 @@ func TestShellCandidatesAbsoluteAndHome(t *testing.T) {
 	shellTree(t)
 	fakeCommands(t, "vi")
 
-	if cands, prefix := shellCandidates("!vi ~/no"); prefix != "no" ||
+	if cands, prefix := complete("!vi ~/no"); prefix != "no" ||
 		strings.Join(cands, ",") != "notes.txt" {
 		t.Errorf("~/ completion = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
 	}
 
 	abs := filepath.Join(home, "no")
-	if cands, prefix := shellCandidates("!vi " + abs); prefix != "no" ||
+	if cands, prefix := complete("!vi " + abs); prefix != "no" ||
 		strings.Join(cands, ",") != "notes.txt" {
 		t.Errorf("absolute completion = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
 	}
@@ -193,3 +199,62 @@ func TestPathExecutablesFindsRealBinaries(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("executable scan = %v, want only runnable", names)
 	}
 }
+
+// withAliases installs a fixed alias set for the test.
+func withAliases(t *testing.T, m map[string]string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	old := aliases
+	aliases = m
+	t.Cleanup(func() { aliases = old })
+}
+
+// TestShellCandidatesThroughAlias: an alias that expands to a '!' escape turns
+// everything after its name into shell arguments, so it completes as such.
+func TestShellCandidatesThroughAlias(t *testing.T) {
+	shellTree(t)
+	fakeCommands(t, "vi", "ls")
+	withAliases(t, map[string]string{
+		"ll":   "!ls -la",
+		"e":    "!vi $1",
+		"co":   "checkout $1",  // a builtin, not a shell command
+		"open": "!xdg-open $1", // shadows a builtin: must not count
+	})
+
+	// arguments of a shell alias complete against the filesystem
+	if cands, prefix := complete("ll ma"); prefix != "ma" ||
+		strings.Join(cands, ",") != "main.go,main_test.go" {
+		t.Errorf("alias argument = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
+	}
+	// including the empty one, which lists the directory
+	if cands, _ := complete("e "); strings.Join(cands, ",") != "Makefile,main.go,main_test.go,src/" {
+		t.Errorf("empty alias argument = %v", cands)
+	}
+	// and paths inside it
+	if cands, prefix := complete("ll src/ut"); prefix != "ut" ||
+		strings.Join(cands, ",") != "util.go" {
+		t.Errorf("nested alias argument = %v (prefix %q)", cands, prefix)
+	}
+
+	// the command word of an alias is fixed by its body, so PATH is never
+	// offered — `ll vi` means the file "vi", not the editor
+	if cands, _ := complete("ll vi"); len(cands) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("alias argument matched PATH: %v", cands)
+	}
+
+	// an alias to a builtin is not a shell line at all
+	if _, _, ok := shellLine("co ma"); ok {
+		t.Error("an alias expanding to a builtin was treated as a shell line")
+	}
+	// nor is a name that a builtin owns, since runCommand never expands those
+	if _, _, ok := shellLine("open ma"); ok {
+		t.Error("a builtin name was resolved through an alias")
+	}
+	// nor an undefined name
+	if _, _, ok := shellLine("nosuch ma"); ok {
+		t.Error("an undefined alias was treated as a shell line")
+	}
+	// while the alias name itself is still being typed there is nothing to know
+	if _, _, ok := shellLine("ll"); ok {
+		t.Error("an incomplete alias name was resolved")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
index e2cdb56..6c1af82 100644
--- a/version.txt
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-4.0.44
+4.0.46