diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_complete_users.fish b/share/functions/__fish_complete_users.fish
index f7002fe21..120c62494 100644
--- a/share/functions/__fish_complete_users.fish
+++ b/share/functions/__fish_complete_users.fish
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ function __fish_complete_users --description "Print a list of local users, with
         getent passwd | cut -d : -f 1,5 | string replace -r ':' \t
     else if test -x /usr/bin/dscl
         dscl . -list /Users RealName | string match -r -v '^_' | string replace -r ' {2,}' \t
-    else
+    else if test -e /etc/passwd
         string match -v -r '^\s*#' </etc/passwd | cut -d : -f 1,5 | string replace ':' \t
     end
 end
diff --git a/share/functions/__fish_print_users.fish b/share/functions/__fish_print_users.fish
index 868376fa8..8f3f77d47 100644
--- a/share/functions/__fish_print_users.fish
+++ b/share/functions/__fish_print_users.fish
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ function __fish_print_users --description "Print a list of local users"
         getent passwd | cut -d : -f 1
     else if test -x /usr/bin/dscl # OS X support
         dscl . -list /Users | string match -r -v '^_'
-    else
+    else if test -e /etc/passwd
         string match -v -r '^\w*#' </etc/passwd | cut -d : -f 1
     end
 end