diff --git a/carapace.go b/carapace.go
index 714139f69..736cfc42b 100644
--- a/carapace.go
+++ b/carapace.go
@@ -85,12 +85,19 @@ func (c Carapace) FlagCompletion(actions ActionMap) {
 	}
 }
 
+const annotation_standalone = "carapace_standalone"
+
 // Standalone prevents cobra defaults interfering with standalone mode (e.g. implicit help command).
 func (c Carapace) Standalone() {
 	c.cmd.CompletionOptions = cobra.CompletionOptions{
 		DisableDefaultCmd: true,
 	}
 
+	if c.cmd.Annotations == nil {
+		c.cmd.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+	c.cmd.Annotations[annotation_standalone] = "true"
+
 	c.PreRun(func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		if f := cmd.Flag("help"); f == nil {
 			cmd.Flags().Bool("help", false, "")
diff --git a/command.go b/command.go
index f58937f6e..b84fedabb 100644
--- a/command.go
+++ b/command.go
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@ func addCompletionCommand(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 				panic("missing parent command") // this should never happen
 			}
 
-			if s, err := complete(cmd.Parent(), args); err != nil {
+			parentCmd := cmd.Parent()
+			if parentCmd.Annotations[annotation_standalone] == "true" {
+				// TODO how to handle an explicit `_carapace` command?
+				parentCmd.RemoveCommand(cmd) // don't complete local `_carapace` in standalone mode
+			}
+
+			if s, err := complete(parentCmd, args); err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintln(io.MultiWriter(cmd.OutOrStderr(), LOG.Writer()), err.Error())
 			} else {
 				fmt.Fprintln(io.MultiWriter(cmd.OutOrStdout(), LOG.Writer()), s)