diff --git a/tools/cli/files.go b/tools/cli/files.go
index 2e0fdc18b..1b4b45409 100644
--- a/tools/cli/files.go
+++ b/tools/cli/files.go
@@ -123,8 +123,13 @@ func CompleteExecutablesInPath(prefix string, paths ...string) []string {
 		entries, err := os.ReadDir(dir)
 		if err == nil {
 			for _, e := range entries {
-				if strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), prefix) && !e.IsDir() && unix.Access(filepath.Join(dir, e.Name()), unix.X_OK) == nil {
-					ans = append(ans, e.Name())
+				if strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), prefix) {
+					// A symlink to a directory has IsDir() false but still passes the X_OK
+					// check, since directories are executable in the access(2) sense.
+					p := filepath.Join(dir, e.Name())
+					if unix.Access(p, unix.X_OK) == nil && !is_dir_or_symlink_to_dir(e, p) {
+						ans = append(ans, e.Name())
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/tools/cli/files_test.go b/tools/cli/files_test.go
index 44e5dbf82..28601c841 100644
--- a/tools/cli/files_test.go
+++ b/tools/cli/files_test.go
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ func TestCompleteExecutables(t *testing.T) {
 	create("two", "two-exec", 0700)
 	os.Symlink(filepath.Join(tdir, "two", "two-exec"), filepath.Join(tdir, "one", "s"))
 	os.Symlink(filepath.Join(tdir, "one", "one-not-exec"), filepath.Join(tdir, "one", "n"))
+	// A symlink to a directory passes the X_OK check, so it must not be offered as a command.
+	os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(tdir, "two", "subdir"), 0700)
+	os.Symlink(filepath.Join(tdir, "two", "subdir"), filepath.Join(tdir, "one", "d"))
 
 	t.Setenv("PATH", strings.Join([]string{filepath.Join(tdir, "one"), filepath.Join(tdir, "two")}, string(os.PathListSeparator)))
 	test_candidates := func(prefix string, expected ...string) {