diff --git a/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc b/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
index e188caad..0053d2bb 100644
--- a/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/pages/changelog.asciidoc
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ change to make Kakoune command model cleaner and more robust.
   inserting on the next character, which will be the first character
   of the next line.
 
+- `autoshowcompl` options has been renames `auto_complete` and is
+  now a `flags(insert|prompt)` option, allowing more granular
+  configuration of when the completions should be displayed
+  automatically.
+
 == Kakoune 2018.04.13
 
 First official Kakoune release.
diff --git a/doc/pages/options.asciidoc b/doc/pages/options.asciidoc
index 60c6f454..d56c3ccb 100644
--- a/doc/pages/options.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/pages/options.asciidoc
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ are exclusively available to built-in options.
     _default_ command|onkey +
     display automatic information box in the enabled contexts
 
-*autoshowcompl* `bool`::
-    _default_ true +
-    automatically display possible completions when editing a prompt
+*auto_complete* `flags(insert|prompt)`::
+    _default_ insert|prompt +
+    automatically display possible completions in the enabled modes.
 
 *ignored_files* `regex`::
     filenames matching this regex won't be considered as candidates
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index cf9773c9..0d0d2feb 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -709,10 +709,10 @@ public:
         : InputMode(input_handler), m_prompt(prompt.str()), m_prompt_face(face),
           m_empty_text{std::move(emptystr)},
           m_flags(flags), m_completer(std::move(completer)), m_callback(std::move(callback)),
-          m_autoshowcompl{context().options()["autoshowcompl"].get<bool>()},
+          m_auto_complete{context().options()["auto_complete"].get<AutoComplete>() & AutoComplete::Prompt},
           m_idle_timer{TimePoint::max(), context().flags() & Context::Flags::Draft ?
                            Timer::Callback{} : [this](Timer&) {
-                           if (m_autoshowcompl and m_refresh_completion_pending)
+                           if (m_auto_complete and m_refresh_completion_pending)
                                refresh_completions(CompletionFlags::Fast);
                            if (m_line_changed)
                            {
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ public:
         }
         else if (key == ctrl('o'))
         {
-            m_autoshowcompl = false;
+            m_auto_complete = false;
             clear_completions();
             if (context().has_client())
                 context().client().menu_hide();
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ private:
     LineEditor     m_line_editor;
     bool           m_line_changed = false;
     PromptFlags    m_flags;
-    bool           m_autoshowcompl;
+    bool           m_auto_complete;
     bool           m_refresh_completion_pending = true;
     Timer          m_idle_timer;
 
@@ -1078,11 +1078,11 @@ public:
           m_restore_cursor(mode == InsertMode::Append),
           m_edition(context()),
           m_completer(context()),
-          m_autoshowcompl{context().options()["autoshowcompl"].get<bool>()},
+          m_auto_complete{context().options()["auto_complete"].get<AutoComplete>() & AutoComplete::Insert},
           m_disable_hooks{context().hooks_disabled(), context().hooks_disabled()},
           m_idle_timer{TimePoint::max(), context().flags() & Context::Flags::Draft ?
                        Timer::Callback{} : [this](Timer&) {
-                           if (m_autoshowcompl)
+                           if (m_auto_complete)
                                m_completer.update();
                            context().hooks().run_hook("InsertIdle", "", context());
                        }}
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ public:
         }
         else if (key == ctrl('o'))
         {
-            m_autoshowcompl = false;
+            m_auto_complete = false;
             m_completer.reset();
         }
         else if (key == ctrl('u'))
@@ -1433,7 +1433,7 @@ private:
     ScopedEdition   m_edition;
     InsertCompleter m_completer;
     const bool      m_restore_cursor;
-    bool            m_autoshowcompl;
+    bool            m_auto_complete;
     Timer           m_idle_timer;
     bool            m_in_end = false;
     MouseHandler    m_mouse_handler;
diff --git a/src/input_handler.hh b/src/input_handler.hh
index d5c9f7b4..600d78b8 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.hh
+++ b/src/input_handler.hh
@@ -152,6 +152,22 @@ constexpr auto enum_desc(Meta::Type<AutoInfo>)
     });
 }
 
+enum class AutoComplete
+{
+    None = 0,
+    Insert = 0b01,
+    Prompt = 0b10
+};
+constexpr bool with_bit_ops(Meta::Type<AutoComplete>) { return true; }
+
+constexpr auto enum_desc(Meta::Type<AutoComplete>)
+{
+    return make_array<EnumDesc<AutoComplete>, 3>({
+        { AutoComplete::Insert, "insert"},
+        { AutoComplete::Prompt, "prompt" }
+    });
+}
+
 bool show_auto_info_ifn(StringView title, StringView info, AutoInfo mask, const Context& context);
 void hide_auto_info_ifn(const Context& context, bool hide);
 
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 8987fe20..a1cfbafd 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -350,9 +350,9 @@ void register_options()
     reg.declare_option("autoinfo",
                        "automatically display contextual help",
                        AutoInfo::Command | AutoInfo::OnKey);
-    reg.declare_option("autoshowcompl",
-                       "automatically display possible completions for prompts",
-                       true);
+    reg.declare_option("auto_complete",
+                       "automatically display possible completions",
+                       AutoComplete::Insert | AutoComplete::Prompt);
     reg.declare_option("aligntab",
                        "use tab characters when possible for alignment",
                        false);
diff --git a/test/run b/test/run
index 85a92120..c019eb60 100755
--- a/test/run
+++ b/test/run
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ main() {
   kak_commands='
         set global autoreload yes
         set global autoinfo ""
-        set global autoshowcompl false
+        set global auto_complete ""
         try %{
             exec -save-regs / %{%s%\(\K[^)]+\)<ret>a<backspace><esc>i<backspace><backspace><c-u><esc><a-;>}
         } catch %{ exec gg }