diff --git a/.clitest/complete-word.post.md b/.clitest/complete-word.post.md
index 429a8561..5685a899 100644
--- a/.clitest/complete-word.post.md
+++ b/.clitest/complete-word.post.md
@@ -1,58 +1,86 @@
 Setup:
 ```zsh
+% zmodload zsh/param/private
 % autoload -Uz zmathfunc && zmathfunc
 % autoload -Uz $PWD/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.post
 % unset terminfo
-% typeset -gA terminfo=() compstate=( old_list shown ) _lastcomp=()
-% terminfo[kcbt]=BACKSPACE
+% typeset -gA compstate=() _lastcomp=() terminfo=()
 % zstyle ':autocomplete:*' add-space 'FOO' 'TAG' 'BAR'
+% zstyle ':autocomplete:(|shift-)tab:' widget-style complete-word
+% KEYS=$'\t' WIDGET=complete-word terminfo[kcbt]=BACKTAB
+% compstate[old_list]=keep compstate[nmatches]=0 _lastcomp[nmatches]=2
 %
 ```
 
-Only `menu-select` widget sets `$MENUSELECT`:
+If we have only 1 match, just insert it:
 ```zsh
-% WIDGET=menu-select .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-1 '' 1
+% _lastcomp[nmatches]=1
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+1 0 0
+% _lastcomp[nmatches]=2
 %
 ```
 
-Only `Shift-Tab` key sets `$compstate[insert]` to `*:0`:
+If we have more than 1 match, but there's no old list, then show the list and don't insert:
 ```zsh
-% KEYS=BACKSPACE .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-0 '' 0
+% compstate[old_list]= compstate[nmatches]=2
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+'' 1 0
+% compstate[old_list]=keep compstate[nmatches]=0
 %
 ```
 
-`add-space` tag in current completion adds space:
+`menu-*` widgets set `$compstate[insert]` to `menu:*`:
 ```zsh
-% _comp_tags='LOREM TAG IPSUM' _lastcomp[tags]='OTHER' .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-'1 ' '' 0
+% zstyle ':autocomplete:shift-tab:' widget-style reverse-menu-complete
+% KEYS=$terminfo[kcbt]
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+menu:0 0 0
+% zstyle ':autocomplete:shift-tab:' widget-style complete-word
+% KEYS=$'\t'
 %
 ```
 
-`add-space` tag in previous completion adds space, if current completion is not used:
+Widgets default to `menu-select`, which sets `$MENUSELECT`, even without old list:
 ```zsh
-% _comp_tags= _lastcomp[tags]='LOREM TAG IPSUM' .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-'1 ' '' 0
+% KEYS=OTHER  compstate[old_list]= compstate[nmatches]=2
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+menu:1 0 1
+% KEYS=$'\t' compstate[old_list]=keep compstate[nmatches]=0
 %
 ```
 
-`add-space` tag in previous completion does NOT add space, if current completion is used:
+`Shift-Tab` key sets `$compstate[insert]` to `*0`:
 ```zsh
-% _comp_tags='OTHER' _lastcomp[tags]='TAG' .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-1 '' 0
+% KEYS=$terminfo[kcbt]
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+0 0 0
+% KEYS=$'\t'
 %
 ```
 
-If list is not yet shown, then insert unambiguous and show list:
+If the list is showing and there's an `add-space` tag in the last completion, then add a space:
 ```zsh
-% compstate[old_list]= _comp_tags= _lastcomp[tags]= .autocomplete.complete-word.post
-% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} ${(q+)compstate[list]} $+MENUSELECT
-unambiguous 'list force packed rows' 0
+# % functions -T .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% _comp_tags='OTHER' _lastcomp[tags]='LOREM TAG IPSUM'
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+'1 ' 0 0
+% compstate[old_list]= _lastcomp[tags]=
+%
+```
+
+If the list is not showing and there's an `add-space` tag in the new completion, then add a space:
+```zsh
+% compstate[old_list]= _comp_tags='LOREM TAG IPSUM' _lastcomp[tags]='OTHER'
+% .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+% print -r -- ${(q+)compstate[insert]} $+compstate[list] $+MENUSELECT
+'1 ' 0 0
+% compstate[old_list]=keep _comp_tags= _lastcomp[tags]=
 %
 ```
diff --git a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.completion-widget b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.completion-widget
index 4ed9cee2..134efafd 100644
--- a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.completion-widget
+++ b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.completion-widget
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
-unfunction .autocomplete.complete-word.post 2> /dev/null
-builtin autoload -Uz .autocomplete.complete-word.post
+zmodload -F zsh/terminfo p:terminfo
 
 private key_name=
 case $KEYS in
@@ -10,18 +9,15 @@ esac
 
 local +h curcontext=${curcontext:-${WIDGET}:::}
 local +h -a comppostfuncs=( .autocomplete.complete-word.post "$comppostfuncs[@]" )
-if [[ $WIDGET == *menu-* && -v _autocomplete__partial_list ]] ||
-    ( ( [[ $key_name == shift-tab ]] ||
-        builtin zstyle -t ":autocomplete:${key_name}:" insert-unambiguous
-      ) && [[ -n $compstate[old_list] &&
-        -v _autocomplete__unambiguous && -n $_autocomplete__unambiguous ]] ); then
+
+if [[ -z $compstate[old_list] ]] || [[ $WIDGET == *menu-* && -v _autocomplete__partial_list ]] ||
+    ( builtin zstyle -t ":autocomplete:${key_name}:" insert-unambiguous &&
+        [[ -n $_autocomplete__unambiguous ]] ); then
   _main_complete
-elif [[ -n $compstate[old_list] ]]; then
+else
   compstate[old_list]=keep
   [[ $key_name == shift-tab && $_lastcomp[tags] == *all-matches ]] &&
       compstate[insert]=all
   _main_complete -
-else
-  _main_complete
 fi
-return 0  # Prevent beeping.
+[[ _lastcomp[nmatches] -gt 0 && -n $compstate[insert] ]]
diff --git a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.post b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.post
index 95c3a163..9920b32a 100644
--- a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.post
+++ b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.complete-word.post
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #autoload
 builtin autoload -Uz is-at-least
 
-unset MENUSELECT
+unset MENUSELECT 'compstate[list]'
 compstate[insert]=
 
 private key_name=
@@ -9,41 +9,42 @@ case $KEYS in
   ( $'\t'           ) key_name=tab ;;
   ( $terminfo[kcbt] ) key_name=shift-tab ;;
 esac
-local key_style=
-builtin zstyle -s :autocomplete:${key_name}: widget-style key_style
-
-if  [[ ! -v compstate[old_list] || -z $compstate[old_list] ]] ||
-    (
-      [[ -v _autocomplete__unambiguous && -n $_autocomplete__unambiguous ]] &&
-      builtin zstyle -t ":autocomplete:${key_name}:" insert-unambiguous
-    ); then
-
-  if ! is-at-least 5.8.1; then
-    # Work around a crashing bug in Zsh.
-    # See [zsh-workers 48936](https://www.zsh.org/mla/workers/2021/msg01162.html).
-    [[ $key_style == *menu-* && -n $key_name ]] &&
-        compstate[insert]='automenu-'
-  fi
+local widget_style=
+builtin zstyle -s :autocomplete:${key_name}: widget-style widget_style ||
+    widget_style=menu-select
 
+if [[ -n $_autocomplete__unambiguous ]] &&
+    builtin zstyle -t ":autocomplete:${key_name}:" insert-unambiguous; then
+  [[ $widget_style == (|*-)menu-* ]] &&
+      compstate[insert]='automenu-'
   compstate[insert]+=unambiguous
-  compstate[list]='list force packed rows'
   unset _autocomplete__unambiguous
   return
 fi
 
-if [[ $WIDGET == *menu-select ]]; then
-  # Determine which terminal line we're on (for async completion).
-  typeset -gHi _autocomplete__buffer_start_line=$((
-      max( min( _autocomplete__buffer_start_line, LINES - compstate[list_lines] ), BUFFERLINES )
-  ))
-  typeset -gHi MENUSELECT=0
+private -i nmatches=0
+if [[ $compstate[old_list] == keep ]]; then
+  nmatches=$_lastcomp[nmatches]
+else
+  nmatches=$compstate[nmatches]
 fi
 
-if ! is-at-least 5.8.1; then
-  # Work around a crashing bug in Zsh.
-  # See [zsh-workers 48936](https://www.zsh.org/mla/workers/2021/msg01162.html).
-  [[ $key_style == *menu-* && -n $key_name ]] &&
-      compstate[insert]='menu:'
+if (( nmatches > 1 )); then
+  if [[ $widget_style == (|*-)menu-select ]]; then
+    typeset -gHi MENUSELECT=0
+    compstate[insert]='menu:'
+
+    # Determine which terminal line we're on (for async completion).
+    typeset -gHi _autocomplete__buffer_start_line=$((
+        max( min( _autocomplete__buffer_start_line, LINES - compstate[list_lines] ), BUFFERLINES )
+    ))
+
+  elif [[ $compstate[old_list] != keep && $_lastcomp[insert] != (|*-)unambiguous ]]; then
+    compstate[list]='list force'
+    return
+  elif [[ $widget_style == (|*-)menu-complete ]]; then
+    compstate[insert]='menu:'
+  fi
 fi
 
 if [[ $key_name == shift-tab ]]; then
@@ -52,9 +53,16 @@ else
   compstate[insert]+='1'
 fi
 
-local -a tags=() match=() mbegin=() mend=()
-builtin zstyle -a :autocomplete: add-space tags ||
-    tags=( executables aliases functions builtins reserved-words commands )
-
-[[ $RBUFFER != [[:space:]]* && -n ${${=${_comp_tags:-$_lastcomp[tags]}}:*tags} ]] &&
-    compstate[insert]+=' '
+if [[ $RBUFFER != [[:space:]]* ]]; then
+  local -a spacetags=()
+  builtin zstyle -a :autocomplete: add-space spacetags ||
+      spacetags=( executables aliases functions builtins reserved-words commands )
+  private -a comptags=()
+  if [[ $compstate[old_list] == keep ]]; then
+    comptags=( $=_lastcomp[tags] )
+  else
+    comptags=( $=_comp_tags )
+  fi
+  [[ -n ${comptags:*spacetags} ]] &&
+      compstate[insert]+=' '
+fi
diff --git a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.history-search.completion-widget b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.history-search.completion-widget
index c1c3d3c4..509b82d9 100644
--- a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.history-search.completion-widget
+++ b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.history-search.completion-widget
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ $0() {
   _main_complete _autocomplete.history_lines
 
   unset curcontext
-  (( compstate[nmatches] > 0 ))
+  (( _lastcomp[nmatches] ))
 }
 
 $0.post() {
diff --git a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.list-expand.completion-widget b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.list-expand.completion-widget
index 72b37a2b..f37c1642 100644
--- a/functions/widget/.autocomplete.list-expand.completion-widget
+++ b/functions/widget/.autocomplete.list-expand.completion-widget
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ $0() {
   compstate[old_list]=
   local +h -a comppostfuncs=( $0.post "$comppostfuncs[@]" )
   _main_complete
+  (( _lastcomp[nmatches] ))
 }
 
 $0.post() {
diff --git a/scripts/.autocomplete.async b/scripts/.autocomplete.async
index e792261e..f249cf56 100644
--- a/scripts/.autocomplete.async
+++ b/scripts/.autocomplete.async
@@ -207,6 +207,11 @@ builtin zle -N history-incremental-search-forward .autocomplete.async.history-in
 
 .autocomplete.async.start.inner() {
   {
+    local -F min_delay=
+    builtin zstyle -s :autocomplete: min-delay min_delay ||
+        min_delay=0.01
+    zselect -t "$(( [#10] 100 * max( 0, min_delay - SECONDS ) ))"
+
     private hooks=( chpwd periodic precmd preexec zshaddhistory zshexit )
     builtin unset ${^hooks}_functions &> /dev/null
     $hooks[@] () { : }
@@ -224,11 +229,6 @@ builtin zle -N history-incremental-search-forward .autocomplete.async.history-in
 
       zpty -w AUTOCOMPLETE $'\t'
 
-      local -F min_delay=
-      builtin zstyle -s :autocomplete: min-delay min_delay ||
-          min_delay=0.01
-      zselect -t "$(( [#10] 100 * max( 0, min_delay - SECONDS ) ))"
-
       local header=
       zpty -r AUTOCOMPLETE header $'*\C-B'
 
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ log_functions+=( .autocomplete.async.pty )
         setopt $_autocomplete__ctxt_opts[@]
     builtin zle .autocomplete.async.pty.completion-widget -w 2> /dev/null
   } always {
-    print -n -- '\C-C'
+    print -rNC1 -- \
+        "$_autocomplete__list_lines" "$_autocomplete__mesg" "$_autocomplete__comp_mesg[@]" '\C-C'
     builtin kill $sysparams[pid]
   }
 } 2>>| $_autocomplete__log_file
@@ -291,11 +292,11 @@ log_functions+=( .autocomplete.async.pty.zle-widget.inner )
 
 .autocomplete.async.pty.completion-widget.inner() {
   if .autocomplete.async.insufficient-input; then
-    print -rNC1 -- "0" "" ""
+    typeset -gHi _autocomplete__list_lines=0
     return
   fi
   if .autocomplete.async.same-state; then
-    print -rNC1 -- "$_lastcomp[list_lines]" "$_autocomplete__mesg" "$_autocomplete__comp_mesg[@]"
+    typeset -gHi _autocomplete__list_lines=$_lastcomp[list_lines]
     return
   fi
   unset _autocomplete__mesg _autocomplete__comp_mesg
@@ -320,7 +321,7 @@ log_functions+=( .autocomplete.async.pty.zle-widget.inner )
     local +h -a comppostfuncs=( .autocomplete.async.pty.message )
     _main_complete
   } always {
-    print -rNC1 -- "$compstate[list_lines]" "$_autocomplete__mesg" "$_autocomplete__comp_mesg[@]"
+    typeset -gHi _autocomplete__list_lines=$compstate[list_lines]
   }
 } 2>>| $_autocomplete__log_file
 log_functions+=( .autocomplete.async.pty.completion-widget.inner )
diff --git a/zsh-autocomplete.plugin.zsh b/zsh-autocomplete.plugin.zsh
index 484a6317..3603d9ee 100644
--- a/zsh-autocomplete.plugin.zsh
+++ b/zsh-autocomplete.plugin.zsh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     .zinit-tmp-subst-off "${___mode:-load}"
 
 zmodload zsh/param/private
-setopt NO_flowcontrol NO_singlelinezle
+setopt NO_flowcontrol NO_listbeep NO_singlelinezle
 
 () {
   emulate -L zsh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ setopt NO_flowcontrol NO_singlelinezle
   )
   setopt $_autocomplete__func_opts[@]
 
-  typeset -gHa _autocomplete__comp_opts=( localoptions NO_banghist NO_completeinword NO_listbeep )
+  typeset -gHa _autocomplete__comp_opts=( localoptions NO_banghist NO_completeinword )
   typeset -gHa _autocomplete__ctxt_opts=( completealiases completeinword )
 
   private basedir=${${(%):-%x}:P:h}