diff --git a/scripts/buildCompletionsBash.sh b/scripts/buildCompletionsBash.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..283fe44df9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/buildCompletionsBash.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [[ "$1" == "" ]]; then
+  echo "usage $0 outfile"
+  exit 1
+fi
+out="$1"
+
+if [ ! -d "build/bin" ]; then
+  echo "expecting directory build/bin to be present"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+rm -f /tmp/completions-template
+
+cat << 'EOF' > /tmp/completions-template
+_PROGNAME()
+{
+    local cur prev opts
+    COMPREPLY=()
+    cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
+    prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
+    opts="PROGOPTS"
+
+    if [[ ${cur} == -* ]] ; then
+        COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "${opts}" -- ${cur}) )
+        return 0
+    fi
+}
+
+complete -o default -F _PROGNAME PROGNAME
+
+EOF
+
+
+echo "" > $out
+
+progs="arangobench arangosh arangoimp arangodump arangorestore arangod"
+
+for progname in $progs
+  do
+    # find the executable
+    # check if the executable exists
+    if [[ -f "build/bin/$progname" ]]; then
+      executable="build/bin/$progname"
+  
+      # setup the help command string
+      command="--help-all" 
+
+      # set up the list of completions for the executable
+      completions="`\"$executable\" $command | grep -o \"^\\ \\+--[a-z-]\\+\\(\\.[a-z0-9-]\\+\\)\\?\" | xargs`"
+
+      sed -e "s/PROGNAME/$progname/g" -e "s/PROGOPTS/$completions/g" /tmp/completions-template >> $out          
+    fi
+  done
+
+rm -f /tmp/completions-template
+
+echo "completions stored in file $out"
+echo "now copy this file to /etc/bash_completion.d/arangodb"