diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0ba63bb8..b041f180 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION := v1.31.0
 # built tags needed for wwbuild binary
 WW_BUILD_GO_BUILD_TAGS := containers_image_openpgp containers_image_ostree
 
-all: setup_tools vendor wwctl wwclient
+all: setup_tools vendor wwctl wwclient bash_completion
 
 # set the go tools into the tools bin.
 setup_tools: $(GO_TOOLS_BIN) $(GOLANGCI_LINT)
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ files: all
 	install -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/
 	install -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/ipxe
 	install -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/var/lib/tftpboot/warewulf/ipxe/
+	install -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/etc/bash_completion.d/
+	./bash_completion  $(DESTDIR)/etc/bash_completion.d/warewulf
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/warewulf.conf || install -m 644 etc/warewulf.conf $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/hosts.tmpl || install -m 644 etc/hosts.tmpl $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/
 	cp -r etc/dhcp $(DESTDIR)/etc/warewulf/
@@ -84,6 +86,9 @@ wwctl:
 wwclient:
 	cd cmd/wwclient; CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -mod vendor -a -ldflags '-extldflags -static' -o ../../wwclient
 
+bash_completion:
+	cd cmd/bash_completion; go build -mod vendor -tags "$(WW_BUILD_GO_BUILD_TAGS)" -o ../../bash_completion
+
 dist: vendor
 	rm -rf _dist/warewulf-$(VERSION)
 	mkdir -p _dist/warewulf-$(VERSION)
diff --git a/cmd/bash_completion/bash_completion.go b/cmd/bash_completion/bash_completion.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2a300c87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bash_completion/bash_completion.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// usage: ./bash_completion <FILE>
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/app/wwctl"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	fh, err := os.Create(os.Args[1])
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	defer fh.Close()
+
+	if err := wwctl.GenBashCompletion(fh); err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		return
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/wwctl/main.go b/cmd/wwctl/main.go
index 0676131e..e1e0f479 100644
--- a/cmd/wwctl/main.go
+++ b/cmd/wwctl/main.go
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ func main() {
 
 	root.Execute()
 }
+
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
index e355cd37..7e810b13 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/root.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package wwctl
 
 import (
+  "io"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/app/wwctl/configure"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/app/wwctl/container"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/app/wwctl/kernel"
@@ -59,3 +60,10 @@ func rootPersistentPreRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// GenBashCompletionFile
+func GenBashCompletion(w io.Writer) error {
+  return rootCmd.GenBashCompletion(w)
+}
+
+
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/datastructure.go b/internal/pkg/node/datastructure.go
index 406c656d..8d7527c9 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/datastructure.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/datastructure.go
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ func init() {
 		c, err := os.OpenFile(ConfigFile, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
 		if err != nil {
 			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "Could not create new configuration file: %s\n", err)
-			os.Exit(1)
+      // just return silently, as init is also called for bash_completion
+      return
 		}
 
 		fmt.Fprintf(c, "nodeprofiles:\n")
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
index da2dc0ad..c47a08d8 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package warewulfconf
 
 import (
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ func init() {
 	//TODO: Check to make sure nodes.conf is found
 	if util.IsFile(ConfigFile) == false {
 		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "Configuration file not found: %s\n", ConfigFile)
-		os.Exit(1)
+    // fail silently as this also called by bash_completion
+    return
 	}
 }