diff --git a/examples/prompts/auto-completion/autocomplete-file-path.py b/examples/prompts/auto-completion/autocomplete-file-path.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1af8113cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/prompts/auto-completion/autocomplete-file-path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from prompt_toolkit import prompt
+from prompt_toolkit.completion import PathCompleter
+
+
+def main():
+    text = prompt(
+        "shell: ",
+        completer=PathCompleter(use_word=True),
+        complete_while_typing=False,
+    )
+    print("You said: %s" % text)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/prompt_toolkit/completion/filesystem.py b/prompt_toolkit/completion/filesystem.py
index 17eb173bf..a5b28bf8c 100644
--- a/prompt_toolkit/completion/filesystem.py
+++ b/prompt_toolkit/completion/filesystem.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import re
 from typing import Callable, Iterable, List, Optional
 
 from prompt_toolkit.completion import CompleteEvent, Completer, Completion
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@
     "ExecutableCompleter",
 ]
 
+_FILE_PATH_RE = re.compile(r"[^\s\"'\t]+")
+
 
 class PathCompleter(Completer):
     """
@@ -20,6 +23,7 @@ class PathCompleter(Completer):
                         this file should show up in the completion. ``None``
                         when no filtering has to be done.
     :param min_input_len: Don't do autocompletion when the input string is shorter.
+    :param use_word: Search up to the last white space instead of the whole input.
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -29,6 +33,7 @@ def __init__(
         file_filter: Optional[Callable[[str], bool]] = None,
         min_input_len: int = 0,
         expanduser: bool = False,
+        use_word: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
 
         self.only_directories = only_directories
@@ -36,11 +41,17 @@ def __init__(
         self.file_filter = file_filter or (lambda _: True)
         self.min_input_len = min_input_len
         self.expanduser = expanduser
+        self.use_word = use_word
 
     def get_completions(
         self, document: Document, complete_event: CompleteEvent
     ) -> Iterable[Completion]:
-        text = document.text_before_cursor
+
+        text = (
+            document.text_before_cursor
+            if not self.use_word
+            else document.get_word_before_cursor(pattern=_FILE_PATH_RE)
+        )
 
         # Complete only when we have at least the minimal input length,
         # otherwise, we can too many results and autocompletion will become too
@@ -93,7 +104,11 @@ def get_completions(
                 if not self.file_filter(full_name):
                     continue
 
-                yield Completion(completion, 0, display=filename)
+                yield Completion(
+                    completion,
+                    0,
+                    display=filename,
+                )
         except OSError:
             pass