diff --git a/command_run.go b/command_run.go
index 87fa7e7fa5..c509b0172b 100644
--- a/command_run.go
+++ b/command_run.go
@@ -158,7 +158,12 @@ func (cmd *Command) run(ctx context.Context, osArgs []string) (_ context.Context
 
 	tracef("using post-parse arguments %[1]q (cmd=%[2]q)", args, cmd.Name)
 
-	if checkCompletions(ctx, cmd) {
+	if shouldRunCompletion(cmd) {
+		var beforeErr error
+		if ctx, beforeErr = runBefore(ctx, commandChain(cmd)); beforeErr != nil {
+			return ctx, beforeErr
+		}
+		runCompletion(ctx, cmd)
 		return ctx, nil
 	}
 
@@ -297,23 +302,12 @@ func (cmd *Command) run(ctx context.Context, osArgs []string) (_ context.Context
 	// perform the command action.
 	//
 	// First, resolve the chain of nested commands up to the parent.
-	var cmdChain []*Command
-	for p := cmd; p != nil; p = p.parent {
-		cmdChain = append(cmdChain, p)
-	}
-	slices.Reverse(cmdChain)
+	cmdChain := commandChain(cmd)
 
 	// Run Before actions in order.
-	for _, cmd := range cmdChain {
-		if cmd.Before == nil {
-			continue
-		}
-		if bctx, err := cmd.Before(ctx, cmd); err != nil {
-			deferErr = cmd.handleExitCoder(ctx, err)
-			return ctx, deferErr
-		} else if bctx != nil {
-			ctx = bctx
-		}
+	if ctx, err = runBefore(ctx, cmdChain); err != nil {
+		deferErr = err
+		return ctx, deferErr
 	}
 
 	// Run flag actions in order.
@@ -363,3 +357,26 @@ func (cmd *Command) run(ctx context.Context, osArgs []string) (_ context.Context
 	tracef("returning deferErr (cmd=%[1]q) %[2]q", cmd.Name, deferErr)
 	return ctx, deferErr
 }
+
+func commandChain(cmd *Command) []*Command {
+	var cmdChain []*Command
+	for p := cmd; p != nil; p = p.parent {
+		cmdChain = append(cmdChain, p)
+	}
+	slices.Reverse(cmdChain)
+	return cmdChain
+}
+
+func runBefore(ctx context.Context, cmdChain []*Command) (context.Context, error) {
+	for _, cmd := range cmdChain {
+		if cmd.Before == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if bctx, err := cmd.Before(ctx, cmd); err != nil {
+			return ctx, cmd.handleExitCoder(ctx, err)
+		} else if bctx != nil {
+			ctx = bctx
+		}
+	}
+	return ctx, nil
+}
diff --git a/command_test.go b/command_test.go
index 24ce5e4739..338565e7f6 100644
--- a/command_test.go
+++ b/command_test.go
@@ -2098,8 +2098,9 @@ func TestCommand_OrderOfOperations(t *testing.T) {
 		r := require.New(t)
 
 		_ = cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"command", completionFlag})
-		r.Equal(1, counts.ShellComplete)
-		r.Equal(1, counts.Total)
+		r.Equal(1, counts.Before)
+		r.Equal(2, counts.ShellComplete)
+		r.Equal(2, counts.Total)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("nil on usage error", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/completion_test.go b/completion_test.go
index 2da7f622e2..26b7cf995f 100644
--- a/completion_test.go
+++ b/completion_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package cli
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -393,6 +395,58 @@ func TestCompletionSubcommandCustomShellComplete(t *testing.T) {
 	r.Equal("custom-index\n", out.String())
 }
 
+func TestCompletionRunsBeforeChain(t *testing.T) {
+	type contextKey struct{}
+
+	out := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	cmd := &Command{
+		EnableShellCompletion: true,
+		Writer:                out,
+		Before: func(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) (context.Context, error) {
+			return context.WithValue(ctx, contextKey{}, "ready"), nil
+		},
+		Commands: []*Command{
+			{
+				Name: "index",
+				Commands: []*Command{
+					{
+						Name: "show",
+						ShellComplete: func(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) {
+							fmt.Fprintln(cmd.Root().Writer, ctx.Value(contextKey{}))
+						},
+						Action: func(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) error { return nil },
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	r := require.New(t)
+	r.NoError(cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"foo", "index", "show", completionFlag}))
+	r.Equal("ready\n", out.String())
+}
+
+func TestCompletionReturnsBeforeError(t *testing.T) {
+	beforeErr := errors.New("load config")
+	completed := false
+
+	cmd := &Command{
+		EnableShellCompletion: true,
+		Writer:                io.Discard,
+		Before: func(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) (context.Context, error) {
+			return nil, beforeErr
+		},
+		ShellComplete: func(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) {
+			completed = true
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := cmd.Run(buildTestContext(t), []string{"foo", completionFlag})
+
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, beforeErr)
+	assert.False(t, completed)
+}
+
 func TestCompletionInvalidShell(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := &Command{
 		EnableShellCompletion: true,
diff --git a/help.go b/help.go
index 1fba6edf0c..d901ba770a 100644
--- a/help.go
+++ b/help.go
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ func checkShellCompleteFlag(c *Command, arguments []string) (bool, []string) {
 	return true, arguments[:pos]
 }
 
-func checkCompletions(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) bool {
+func shouldRunCompletion(cmd *Command) bool {
 	tracef("checking completions on command %[1]q", cmd.Name)
 
 	if !cmd.Root().shellCompletion {
@@ -509,13 +509,14 @@ func checkCompletions(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) bool {
 	}
 
 	tracef("no subcommand found for completion %[1]q", cmd.Name)
+	return true
+}
 
+func runCompletion(ctx context.Context, cmd *Command) {
 	if cmd.ShellComplete != nil {
 		tracef("running shell completion func for command %[1]q", cmd.Name)
 		cmd.ShellComplete(ctx, cmd)
 	}
-
-	return true
 }
 
 func subtract(a, b int) int {