diff --git a/etc/fish.in b/etc/fish.in
index 5b5c72edf..1c85fb287 100644
--- a/etc/fish.in
+++ b/etc/fish.in
@@ -3,13 +3,6 @@
 #
 # @configure_input@
 
-#
-# Set default search paths for completions and shellscript functions
-#
-
-set -g fish_function_path ~/.fish.d/functions    @sysconfdir@/fish.d/functions    @datadir@/fish/functions 
-set -g fish_complete_path ~/.fish.d/completions  @sysconfdir@/fish.d/completions  @datadir@/fish/completions 
-
 #
 # Set default field separators
 #
diff --git a/share/fish.in b/share/fish.in
index 0cc0ac503..b1d88b784 100644
--- a/share/fish.in
+++ b/share/fish.in
@@ -5,10 +5,20 @@
 #
 # @configure_input@
 
-# Assign a temporary value here for performance reasons. The real
-# value should be set in /etc/fish.
+#
+# Set default search paths for completions and shellscript functions
+# unless they already exist
+#
+
+if not set -q fish_function_path 
+	set -U fish_function_path ~/.fish.d/functions    @sysconfdir@/fish.d/functions    @datadir@/fish/functions 
+end
+
+if not set -q fish_complete_path 
+	set -U fish_complete_path ~/.fish.d/completions  @sysconfdir@/fish.d/completions  @datadir@/fish/completions 
+end
+
 
-set -g fish_function_path @datadir@/fish/functions/
 set __fish_help_dir @docdir@
 
 # This is a Solaris-specific test to modify the PATH so that