diff --git a/cli/src/cli/complete_word.rs b/cli/src/cli/complete_word.rs
index 115a7676..19578b70 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli/complete_word.rs
+++ b/cli/src/cli/complete_word.rs
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ impl CompleteWord {
                     }
                 }
                 "zsh" => {
+                    let c = zsh_escape(&c);
                     if any_descriptions {
-                        let c = zsh_escape(&c);
                         let description = zsh_escape(&description);
                         println!("{c}:{description}")
                     } else {
diff --git a/cli/tests/complete_word.rs b/cli/tests/complete_word.rs
index 63c0a2f5..293cf3f2 100644
--- a/cli/tests/complete_word.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/complete_word.rs
@@ -302,6 +302,13 @@ fn complete_word_zsh_escapes_parens_and_brackets() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn complete_word_zsh_escapes_colons_without_descriptions() {
+    let mut c = cmd("zsh-colons-without-descriptions.usage.kdl", Some("zsh"));
+    c.args(["--", "run", ""]);
+    c.assert().success().stdout("test\\:git\ntest\\:nvim\n");
+}
+
 fn cmd(example: &str, shell: Option<&str>) -> Command {
     let mut cmd = Command::new(cargo::cargo_bin!("usage"));
     cmd.args(["cw"]);
diff --git a/examples/zsh-colons-without-descriptions.usage.kdl b/examples/zsh-colons-without-descriptions.usage.kdl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d4e9cf3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/zsh-colons-without-descriptions.usage.kdl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+cmd "run" {
+    arg "<task>" {
+        choices "test:git" "test:nvim"
+    }
+}