diff --git a/complete.c b/complete.c
index f564a47..1cf65c1 100644
--- a/complete.c
+++ b/complete.c
@@ -432,7 +432,6 @@ int rl_sort_completion_matches = 1;
 
 /* Local variable states what happened during the last completion attempt. */
 static int completion_changed_buffer;
-static int last_completion_failed = 0;
 
 /* The result of the query to the user about displaying completion matches */
 static int completion_y_or_n;
@@ -455,12 +454,8 @@ rl_complete (int ignore, int invoking_key)
 
   if (rl_inhibit_completion)
     return (_rl_insert_char (ignore, invoking_key));
-#if 0
-  else if (rl_last_func == rl_complete && completion_changed_buffer == 0 && last_completion_failed == 0)
-#else
   else if (rl_last_func == rl_complete && completion_changed_buffer == 0)
-#endif
-    return (rl_complete_internal ('?'));
+    return (rl_complete_internal ('2'));
   else if (_rl_complete_show_all)
     return (rl_complete_internal ('!'));
   else if (_rl_complete_show_unmodified)
@@ -473,7 +468,6 @@ rl_complete (int ignore, int invoking_key)
 int
 rl_possible_completions (int ignore, int invoking_key)
 {
-  last_completion_failed = 0;
   rl_completion_invoking_key = invoking_key;
   return (rl_complete_internal ('?'));
 }
@@ -2047,13 +2041,11 @@ rl_complete_internal (int what_to_do)
   int start, end, delimiter, found_quote, i, nontrivial_lcd, do_display;
   char *text, *saved_line_buffer;
   char quote_char;
-  int tlen, mlen, saved_last_completion_failed;
+  int tlen, mlen;
   complete_sigcleanarg_t cleanarg;	/* state to clean up on signal */
 
   RL_SETSTATE(RL_STATE_COMPLETING);
 
-  saved_last_completion_failed = last_completion_failed;
-
   set_completion_defaults (what_to_do);
 
   saved_line_buffer = rl_line_buffer ? savestring (rl_line_buffer) : (char *)NULL;
@@ -2102,7 +2094,6 @@ rl_complete_internal (int what_to_do)
       rl_ding ();
       FREE (saved_line_buffer);
       completion_changed_buffer = 0;
-      last_completion_failed = 1;
       RL_UNSETSTATE(RL_STATE_COMPLETING);
       _rl_reset_completion_state ();
       return (0);
@@ -2118,15 +2109,11 @@ rl_complete_internal (int what_to_do)
       rl_ding ();
       FREE (saved_line_buffer);
       completion_changed_buffer = 0;
-      last_completion_failed = 1;
       RL_UNSETSTATE(RL_STATE_COMPLETING);
       _rl_reset_completion_state ();
       return (0);
     }
 
-  if (matches && matches[0] && *matches[0])
-    last_completion_failed = 0;
-
   do_display = 0;
 
   switch (what_to_do)
@@ -2183,10 +2170,9 @@ rl_complete_internal (int what_to_do)
       insert_all_matches (matches, start, &quote_char);
       break;
 
-    case '?':
-      /* Let's try to insert a single match here if the last completion failed
-	 but this attempt returned a single match. */
-      if (saved_last_completion_failed && matches[0] && *matches[0] && matches[1] == 0)
+    case '2':
+      /* Let's try to insert a possible single match here. */
+      if (matches[0] && *matches[0] && matches[1] == 0)
 	{
 	  insert_match (matches[0], start, matches[1] ? MULT_MATCH : SINGLE_MATCH, &quote_char);
 	  append_to_match (matches[0], delimiter, quote_char, nontrivial_lcd);
@@ -2194,6 +2180,7 @@ rl_complete_internal (int what_to_do)
 	}
       /*FALLTHROUGH*/
 
+    case '?':
     case '%':			/* used by menu_complete */
     case '|':			/* add this for unconditional display */
       do_display = 1;
diff --git a/doc/rltech.texi b/doc/rltech.texi
index 497cd4d..8b5a628 100644
--- a/doc/rltech.texi
+++ b/doc/rltech.texi
@@ -1989,7 +1989,11 @@ insert all of the possible completions.  @samp{!} means to display
 all of the possible completions, if there is more than one, as well as
 performing partial completion.  @samp{@@} is similar to @samp{!}, but
 possible completions are not listed if the possible completions share
-a common prefix.
+a common prefix. The value @samp{2} lists all completions, except if
+there is only a single completion, which it inserts instead; this is
+the action performed by invoking standard completion a second time
+after the first completion resulted in no matches or more than one
+match.
 @end deftypefun
 
 @deftypefun int rl_complete (int ignore, int invoking_key)