diff --git a/src/complete.cpp b/src/complete.cpp
index 392425fe1..e6b9e20fe 100644
--- a/src/complete.cpp
+++ b/src/complete.cpp
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ static bool compare_completions_by_duplicate_arguments(const completion_t &a,
     return ad < bd;
 }
 
+static bool compare_completions_by_tilde(const completion_t &a, const completion_t &b) {
+    return a.completion.back() == L'~' < b.completion.back() == L'~';
+}
 /// Unique the list of completions, without perturbing their order.
 static void unique_completions_retaining_order(std::vector<completion_t> *comps) {
     std::unordered_set<wcstring> seen;
@@ -285,9 +288,11 @@ void completions_sort_and_prioritize(std::vector<completion_t> *comps,
     stable_sort(comps->begin(), comps->end(), compare_completions_by_match_type);
 
     // Lastly, if this is for an autosuggestion, prefer to avoid completions that duplicate
-    // arguments.
-    if (flags & completion_request_t::autosuggestion)
+    // arguments, and penalize files that end in tilde - they're frequently autosave files from e.g. emacs.
+    if (flags & completion_request_t::autosuggestion) {
         stable_sort(comps->begin(), comps->end(), compare_completions_by_duplicate_arguments);
+        stable_sort(comps->begin(), comps->end(), compare_completions_by_tilde);
+    }
 }
 
 /// Class representing an attempt to compute completions.