diff --git a/clients/cli/connections.c b/clients/cli/connections.c
index caf151fc51..bbe8b78b31 100644
--- a/clients/cli/connections.c
+++ b/clients/cli/connections.c
@@ -4758,9 +4758,6 @@ finish:
 	if (connection)
 		g_object_unref (connection);
 
-	/* shell completion - be sure to exit with success without printing errors */
-	if (nmc->complete)
-		nmc->return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
 
@@ -7818,9 +7815,6 @@ do_connection_modify (NmCli *nmc,
 	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 finish:
-	/* shell completion - be sure to exit with success without printing errors */
-	if (nmc->complete)
-		nmc->return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
 
diff --git a/clients/cli/nmcli.c b/clients/cli/nmcli.c
index 84bb4a23df..a203e407c3 100644
--- a/clients/cli/nmcli.c
+++ b/clients/cli/nmcli.c
@@ -640,6 +640,9 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	loop = g_main_loop_new (NULL, FALSE);  /* create main loop */
 	g_main_loop_run (loop);                /* run main loop */
 
+	if (nm_cli.complete)
+		nm_cli.return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
+
 	/* Print result descripting text */
 	if (nm_cli.return_value != NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS) {
 		g_printerr ("%s\n", nm_cli.return_text->str);