diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_complete_gpg_key_id.fish b/share/functions/__fish_complete_gpg_key_id.fish
index da9c042d1..102928783 100644
--- a/share/functions/__fish_complete_gpg_key_id.fish
+++ b/share/functions/__fish_complete_gpg_key_id.fish
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ function __fish_complete_gpg_key_id -d 'Complete using gpg key ids' -a __fish_co
     set -l keyid
     $__fish_complete_gpg_command --list-keys --with-colons | while read garbage
         switch $garbage
-            # Extract user ids
+            # Extract user ids (note: gpg escapes colons as '\x3a')
             case "uid*"
-                echo $garbage | cut -d ":" -f 10 | sed -e "s/\\\x3a/:/g" | read uid
+                set -l __uid (string split ":" -- $garbage)
+                set uid (string replace -a '\x3a' ':' -- $__uuid[10])
                 printf "%s\t%s\n" $keyid $uid
-                # Extract key fingerprints (no subkeys)
+            # Extract key fingerprints (no subkeys)
             case "pub*"
-                echo $garbage | cut -d ":" -f 5 | read keyid
+                set -l __pub (string split ":" -- $garbage)
+                set keyid $__pub[5]
         end
     end
 end