diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fb9e7ac..a4d3a88 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,20 +33,8 @@ My one slight annoyance is the manual set up required for a new host/account whi
 
 ### Bash
 
-```bash
-eval "$(roam completion bash)"
-```
-
-Maybe somehow also use,
-
-```bash
--o bashdefault -o default -o nospace
-```
+Run `roam completion bash --help` for instructions.
 
 ### Zsh
 
-```
-roam completion zsh
-```
-
-This writes `_roam` to `~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions`. Use `--out` to choose another directory and `--force` to overwrite an existing file.
+Run `roam completion zsh --help` for instructions.
diff --git a/completion.go b/completion.go
index cfd9d7c..25d3810 100644
--- a/completion.go
+++ b/completion.go
@@ -1,34 +1,12 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	_ "embed"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-//go:embed _roam
-var zshCompletion []byte
-
-func (a *app) defaultZshOut() string {
-	return filepath.Join(a.home, ".local/share/zsh/site-functions")
-}
-
-func (a *app) expandOut(out string) string {
-	if out == "~" {
-		return a.home
-	}
-	if rest, ok := strings.CutPrefix(out, "~/"); ok {
-		return filepath.Join(a.home, rest)
-	}
-	return out
-}
-
-func (a *app) completionCommand() *cobra.Command {
+func completionCommand(a *app) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:           "completion",
 		Short:         "Generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell",
@@ -44,48 +22,6 @@ func (a *app) completionCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			return cmd.Help()
 		},
 	}
-	var force bool
-	out := a.defaultZshOut()
-	bash := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:           "bash",
-		Short:         "Generate the autocompletion script for bash",
-		Args:          cobra.NoArgs,
-		SilenceUsage:  true,
-		SilenceErrors: true,
-		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
-			_, err := fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "complete -F _git roam")
-			return err
-		},
-	}
-	zsh := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:           "zsh",
-		Short:         "Generate the autocompletion script for zsh",
-		Args:          cobra.NoArgs,
-		SilenceUsage:  true,
-		SilenceErrors: true,
-		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
-			return a.completionZsh(force, a.expandOut(out))
-		},
-	}
-	zsh.Flags().BoolVarP(&force, "force", "f", false, "Overwrite existing generated files")
-	zsh.Flags().StringVarP(&out, "out", "o", out, "Output directory for generated files (~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions)")
-	cmd.AddCommand(bash, zsh)
+	cmd.AddCommand(completionBashCommand(), completionZshCommand(a))
 	return cmd
 }
-
-func (a *app) completionZsh(force bool, out string) error {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(out, 0o755); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	path := filepath.Join(out, "_roam")
-	_, err := os.Stat(path)
-	switch {
-	case err == nil:
-		if !force {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s already exists; use --force to overwrite", path)
-		}
-	case !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist):
-		return err
-	}
-	return os.WriteFile(path, zshCompletion, 0o644)
-}
diff --git a/completion_bash.go b/completion_bash.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c13974a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/completion_bash.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+func completionBashCommand() *cobra.Command {
+	return &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "bash",
+		Short: "Generate the autocompletion script for bash",
+		Long: `Generate the autocompletion script for the bash shell.
+
+This aliases roam completion to git completion, since roam wraps git.
+It needs git's bash completion, usually provided by the 'bash-completion'
+package. If it is not installed already, you can install it via your OS's
+package manager.
+
+To load completions in your current shell session:
+
+	source <(roam completion bash)
+
+To load completions for every new session, execute once:
+
+#### Linux:
+
+	roam completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/roam
+
+#### macOS:
+
+	roam completion bash > $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion.d/roam
+
+You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.`,
+		Args:          cobra.NoArgs,
+		SilenceUsage:  true,
+		SilenceErrors: true,
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+			_, err := fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "complete -F _git roam")
+			return err
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/completion_test.go b/completion_test.go
index f03d5d8..03db596 100644
--- a/completion_test.go
+++ b/completion_test.go
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@ func TestCompletionZsh(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCompletionZshDefaultOut(t *testing.T) {
 	app, _ := testApp(t)
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	app.stdout = &stdout
 	require.NoError(t, app.run(t.Context(), []string{"completion", "zsh"}))
+	require.Equal(t, string(zshCompletion), stdout.String())
 	path := filepath.Join(app.home, ".local/share/zsh/site-functions", "_roam")
-	require.FileExists(t, path)
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(path)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, statErr, os.ErrNotExist)
 }
 
 func TestCompletionZshExistsWithoutForce(t *testing.T) {
@@ -59,13 +63,21 @@ func TestCompletionZshForce(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, string(zshCompletion), string(got))
 }
 
+func TestCompletionBashHelp(t *testing.T) {
+	app, _ := testApp(t)
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	app.stdout = &stdout
+	require.NoError(t, app.run(t.Context(), []string{"completion", "bash", "--help"}))
+	require.Contains(t, stdout.String(), "source <(roam completion bash)")
+}
+
 func TestCompletionZshHelp(t *testing.T) {
 	app, _ := testApp(t)
 	var stdout bytes.Buffer
 	app.stdout = &stdout
 	require.NoError(t, app.run(t.Context(), []string{"completion", "zsh", "--help"}))
 	help := stdout.String()
-	for _, want := range []string{"--force", "--out", "~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions"} {
+	for _, want := range []string{"--force", "--out", "~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions", "source <(roam completion zsh)"} {
 		require.Contains(t, help, want)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/completion_zsh.go b/completion_zsh.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d23ea7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/completion_zsh.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	_ "embed"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+//go:embed _roam
+var zshCompletion []byte
+
+func defaultZshOut(a *app) string {
+	return filepath.Join(a.home, ".local/share/zsh/site-functions")
+}
+
+func expandOut(a *app, out string) string {
+	if out == "~" {
+		return a.home
+	}
+	if rest, ok := strings.CutPrefix(out, "~/"); ok {
+		return filepath.Join(a.home, rest)
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+func completionZshCommand(a *app) *cobra.Command {
+	var force bool
+	out := defaultZshOut(a)
+	zsh := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "zsh",
+		Short: "Generate the autocompletion script for zsh",
+		Long: `Generate the autocompletion script for the zsh shell.
+
+If shell completion is not already enabled in your environment you will need
+to enable it.  You can execute the following once:
+
+	echo "autoload -U compinit; compinit" >> ~/.zshrc
+
+To load completions in your current shell session:
+
+	source <(roam completion zsh)
+
+To load completions for every new session, execute once:
+
+#### Linux:
+
+	roam completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_roam"
+
+#### macOS:
+
+	roam completion zsh > $(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions/_roam
+
+You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.
+
+Alternatively, use --out to write _roam to a directory directly,
+with --force to overwrite an existing file.`,
+		Args:          cobra.NoArgs,
+		SilenceUsage:  true,
+		SilenceErrors: true,
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+			if cmd.Flags().Changed("out") {
+				return completionZsh(force, expandOut(a, out))
+			}
+			_, err := cmd.OutOrStdout().Write(zshCompletion)
+			return err
+		},
+	}
+	zsh.Flags().BoolVarP(&force, "force", "f", false, "Overwrite existing generated files")
+	zsh.Flags().StringVarP(&out, "out", "o", out, "Output directory for generated files (~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions)")
+	return zsh
+}
+
+func completionZsh(force bool, out string) error {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(out, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	path := filepath.Join(out, "_roam")
+	_, err := os.Stat(path)
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+		if !force {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s already exists; use --force to overwrite", path)
+		}
+	case !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist):
+		return err
+	}
+	return os.WriteFile(path, zshCompletion, 0o644)
+}
diff --git a/roam.go b/roam.go
index 29cce06..4c662ee 100644
--- a/roam.go
+++ b/roam.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (a *app) command() *cobra.Command {
 		a.setupCommand(),
 		a.updateCommand(),
 		a.syncCommand(),
-		a.completionCommand(),
+		completionCommand(a),
 	)
 	return root
 }