diff --git a/compat.go b/compat.go
index c83a2861c..a9086b65a 100644
--- a/compat.go
+++ b/compat.go
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ func cobraDirectiveFor(action InvokedAction) cobra.ShellCompDirective {
 
 func actionCobra(cmd *cobra.Command, f func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective)) Action {
 	return ActionCallback(func(c Context) Action {
+		if f == nil {
+			return ActionValues()
+		}
+
 		values, directive := f(cmd, c.Args, c.Value)
 		return compDirective(directive).ToA(values...)
 	})
diff --git a/example/cmd/compat.go b/example/cmd/compat.go
index 837dd5834..9cc853f25 100644
--- a/example/cmd/compat.go
+++ b/example/cmd/compat.go
@@ -58,4 +58,15 @@ func init() {
 	compatCmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc("default", func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective) {
 		return nil, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveDefault
 	})
+
+	compatCmd.ValidArgsFunction = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, toComplete string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective) {
+		switch len(args) {
+		case 0:
+			return []string{"p1", "positional1"}, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveDefault
+		case 1:
+			return nil, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveDefault
+		default:
+			return nil, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/storage.go b/storage.go
index 3b9687a92..00b2be74d 100644
--- a/storage.go
+++ b/storage.go
@@ -163,12 +163,16 @@ func (s _storage) getPositional(cmd *cobra.Command, index int) Action {
 	case !isDash:
 		if entry.positionalAny != nil {
 			a = *entry.positionalAny
+		} else {
+			a = actionCobra(cmd, cmd.ValidArgsFunction)
 		}
 	case len(entry.dash) > index:
 		a = entry.dash[index]
 	default:
 		if entry.dashAny != nil {
 			a = *entry.dashAny
+		} else {
+			a = actionCobra(cmd, cmd.ValidArgsFunction)
 		}
 	}
 	a = s.preinvoke(cmd, nil, a)