diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6f044bb..653a3d3 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ subid_dep = cc.find_library('subid', has_headers: ['shadow/subid.h'])
 
 go = find_program('go')
 go_md2man = find_program('go-md2man')
-podman = find_program('podman')
 
 bats = find_program('bats', required: false)
 codespell = find_program('codespell', required: false)
 htpasswd = find_program('htpasswd', required: false)
 openssl = find_program('openssl', required: false)
+podman = find_program('podman', required: false)
 shellcheck = find_program('shellcheck', required: false)
 skopeo = find_program('skopeo', required: false)
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/root.go b/src/cmd/root.go
index 304b03d..9975ccc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src/cmd/root.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func preRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	logrus.Debugf("TOOLBOX_PATH is %s", toolboxPath)
 
-	if err := migrate(); err != nil {
+	if err := migrate(cmd, args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -211,13 +211,18 @@ func rootRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return rootRunImpl(cmd, args)
 }
 
-func migrate() error {
+func migrate(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	logrus.Debug("Migrating to newer Podman")
 
 	if utils.IsInsideContainer() {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if cmdName, completionCmdName := cmd.Name(), completionCmd.Name(); cmdName == completionCmdName {
+		logrus.Debugf("Migration not needed: command %s doesn't need it", cmdName)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	configDir, err := os.UserConfigDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.Debugf("Migrating to newer Podman: failed to get the user config directory: %s", err)