diff --git a/completions-core/.gitignore b/completions-core/.gitignore
index 9b8ea2ed6fe..04687247dc0 100644
--- a/completions-core/.gitignore
+++ b/completions-core/.gitignore
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 /7zzs.bash
 /aclocal-1.1[012345678].bash
 /alpine.bash
-/alternatives.bash
 /animate.bash
 /apropos.bash
 /aptitude-curses.bash
@@ -45,8 +44,6 @@
 /dcop.bash
 /dfutool.bash
 /display.bash
-/dpkg-deb.bash
-/dpkg-query.bash
 /dpkg-reconfigure.bash
 /dropdb.bash
 /dropuser.bash
diff --git a/completions-core/Makefile.am b/completions-core/Makefile.am
index f4dba26601a..d36a3356d3a 100644
--- a/completions-core/Makefile.am
+++ b/completions-core/Makefile.am
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ cross_platform = 2to3.bash \
 		acpi.bash \
 		add_members.bash \
 		alias.bash \
+		alternatives.bash \
 		ant.bash \
 		apache2ctl.bash \
 		appdata-validate.bash \
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ cross_platform = 2to3.bash \
 		cvs.bash \
 		cvsps.bash \
 		dd.bash \
+		debconf.bash \
 		declare.bash \
 		deja-dup.bash \
 		desktop-file-validate.bash \
@@ -83,9 +85,6 @@ cross_platform = 2to3.bash \
 		dnssec-keygen.bash \
 		dnsspoof.bash \
 		dot.bash \
-		dpkg.bash \
-		dpkg-source.bash \
-		dselect.bash \
 		dsniff.bash \
 		dumpdb.bash \
 		dumpe2fs.bash \
@@ -399,7 +398,6 @@ cross_platform = 2to3.bash \
 		unpack200.bash \
 		unrar.bash \
 		unshunt.bash \
-		update-alternatives.bash \
 		update-rc.d.bash \
 		upgradepkg.bash \
 		urlsnarf.bash \
@@ -490,7 +488,6 @@ CLEANFILES = \
 	aclocal-1.17.bash \
 	aclocal-1.18.bash \
 	alpine.bash \
-	alternatives.bash \
 	animate.bash \
 	apropos.bash \
 	aptitude-curses.bash \
@@ -539,8 +536,6 @@ CLEANFILES = \
 	dcop.bash \
 	dfutool.bash \
 	display.bash \
-	dpkg-deb.bash \
-	dpkg-query.bash \
 	dpkg-reconfigure.bash \
 	dropdb.bash \
 	dropuser.bash \
@@ -861,12 +856,12 @@ symlinks: $(DATA)
 		mogrify montage stream
 	$(ss) cowsay \
 		cowthink
+	$(ss) debconf \
+		dpkg-reconfigure
 	$(ss) declare \
 		typeset
 	$(ss) dict \
 		rdict
-	$(ss) dpkg \
-		dpkg-deb dpkg-query dpkg-reconfigure
 	$(ss) ether-wake \
 		etherwake
 	$(ss) filesnarf \
@@ -1021,8 +1016,6 @@ endif
 		bsdtar gtar star
 	$(ss) tracepath \
 		tracepath6
-	$(ss) update-alternatives \
-		alternatives
 	$(ss) vipw \
 		vigr
 	$(ss) vncviewer \
diff --git a/completions-core/alternatives.bash b/completions-core/alternatives.bash
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7214599faa4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/completions-core/alternatives.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# bash completion for alternatives
+
+_comp_cmd_alternatives__installed()
+{
+    local i admindir
+    # find the admin dir
+    for i in alternatives rpm/alternatives; do
+        [[ -d /var/lib/$i ]] && admindir=/var/lib/$i && break
+    done
+    for ((i = 1; i < cword; i++)); do
+        if [[ ${words[i]} == --admindir ]]; then
+            admindir=${words[i + 1]}
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+    [[ -d $admindir ]] && _comp_compgen_split -- "$(command ls "$admindir")"
+}
+
+_comp_cmd_alternatives()
+{
+    local cur prev words cword comp_args
+    _comp_initialize -- "$@" || return
+
+    case $prev in
+        --altdir | --admindir)
+            _comp_compgen_filedir -d
+            return
+            ;;
+        --help | --usage | --version)
+            return
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    local mode="" args i
+
+    # find which mode to use and how many real args used so far
+    for ((i = 1; i < cword; i++)); do
+        if [[ ${words[i]} == --@(install|remove|auto|display|config|remove-all|set) ]]; then
+            mode=${words[i]}
+            args=$((cword - i))
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+
+    case ${mode-} in
+        --install)
+            case $args in
+                1 | 3)
+                    _comp_compgen_filedir
+                    ;;
+                2)
+                    _comp_cmd_alternatives__installed
+                    ;;
+                4)
+                    # priority - no completions
+                    ;;
+                *)
+                    case $((args % 4)) in
+                        0 | 2)
+                            _comp_compgen_filedir
+                            ;;
+                        1)
+                            _comp_compgen -- -W '--slave'
+                            ;;
+                        3)
+                            _comp_cmd_alternatives__installed
+                            ;;
+                    esac
+                    ;;
+            esac
+            ;;
+        --remove | --set)
+            case $args in
+                1)
+                    _comp_cmd_alternatives__installed
+                    ;;
+                2)
+                    _comp_compgen_filedir
+                    ;;
+            esac
+            ;;
+        --auto | --remove-all | --display | --config)
+            _comp_cmd_alternatives__installed
+            ;;
+        *)
+            _comp_compgen_help - <<<"$(LANG=C "$1" --help 2>&1 | command sed '
+                /usage:/,/^[[:space:]]*$/{
+                  s/^\([[:space:]]*usage:\)\{0,1\}[[:space:]]*[^[:space:]]*alternatives /  /
+                  s/^[[:space:]]*\[\(-.*\)\]/  \1/
+                }
+                /common options:/,$s/ --/\n --/g')"
+            ;;
+    esac
+} &&
+    complete -F _comp_cmd_alternatives alternatives
diff --git a/completions-core/debconf.bash b/completions-core/debconf.bash
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0b11817f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/completions-core/debconf.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# debconf(1) and related commands completion
+
+_comp_cmd_dpkg_reconfigure()
+{
+    local cur prev words cword comp_args
+    _comp_initialize -- "$@" || return
+
+    local opt
+
+    local noargopts='!(-*|*[fp]*)'
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2254
+    case $prev in
+        --frontend | -${noargopts}f)
+            if _comp_expand_glob opt '/usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/*'; then
+                opt=("${opt[@]##*/}")
+                opt=("${opt[@]%.pm}")
+                _comp_compgen -- -W '"${opt[@]}"'
+            fi
+            return
+            ;;
+        --priority | -${noargopts}p)
+            _comp_compgen -- -W 'low medium high critical'
+            return
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    if [[ $cur == -* ]]; then
+        _comp_compgen -- -W '--frontend --priority --all --unseen-only --help
+            --showold --force --terse'
+    else
+        _comp_compgen -x dpkg installed_packages
+    fi
+} &&
+    complete -F _comp_cmd_dpkg_reconfigure -o default dpkg-reconfigure
diff --git a/completions-fallback/.gitignore b/completions-fallback/.gitignore
index fde12fbf5ef..7b27cb71596 100644
--- a/completions-fallback/.gitignore
+++ b/completions-fallback/.gitignore
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
 /dive.bash
 /dlv.bash
 /docker.bash
+/dpkg-deb.bash
+/dpkg-query.bash
 /dprint.bash
 /driftctl.bash
 /dyff.bash
diff --git a/completions-fallback/Makefile.am b/completions-fallback/Makefile.am
index 1e65b6817fc..67e15db80c9 100644
--- a/completions-fallback/Makefile.am
+++ b/completions-fallback/Makefile.am
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ cross_platform = adb.bash \
 		coder.bash \
 		delta.bash \
 		dmesg.bash \
+		dpkg.bash \
+		dpkg-source.bash \
+		dselect.bash \
 		eject.bash \
 		flamegraph.bash \
 		gaiacli.bash \
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ cross_platform = adb.bash \
 		task.bash \
 		tokio-console.bash \
 		udevadm.bash \
+		update-alternatives.bash \
 		umount.bash \
 		umount.linux.bash \
 		uvx.bash \
@@ -83,6 +87,7 @@ CLEANFILES = \
 	airflow.bash \
 	allero.bash \
 	alp.bash \
+	alternatives.bash \
 	ansible.bash \
 	ansible-config.bash \
 	ansible-console.bash \
@@ -140,6 +145,8 @@ CLEANFILES = \
 	dive.bash \
 	dlv.bash \
 	docker.bash \
+	dpkg-deb.bash \
+	dpkg-query.bash \
 	dprint.bash \
 	driftctl.bash \
 	dyff.bash \
@@ -316,6 +323,9 @@ symlinks: $(DATA)
 		mago release-plz
 	$(ss) cal \
 		ncal
+	$(ss) dpkg \
+		dpkg-deb \
+		dpkg-query
 	$(ss) flamegraph \
 		just \
 		watchexec
@@ -537,6 +547,8 @@ symlinks: $(DATA)
 		uv
 	$(ss) sops \
 		kata-runtime todoist
+	$(ss) update-alternatives \
+		alternatives
 	$(ss) vault \
 		bao \
 		consul \
diff --git a/completions-core/dpkg-source.bash b/completions-fallback/dpkg-source.bash
similarity index 96%
rename from completions-core/dpkg-source.bash
rename to completions-fallback/dpkg-source.bash
index 71d5529a560..90fbdab5e60 100644
--- a/completions-core/dpkg-source.bash
+++ b/completions-fallback/dpkg-source.bash
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Debian dpkg-source completion
 
+# Use of this file is deprecated.  Upstream completion is available in
+# dpkg >= 1.23.8, use that instead.
+
 _comp_cmd_dpkg_source()
 {
     local cur prev words cword comp_args
diff --git a/completions-core/dpkg.bash b/completions-fallback/dpkg.bash
similarity index 82%
rename from completions-core/dpkg.bash
rename to completions-fallback/dpkg.bash
index 00417ee8046..db02324ae9a 100644
--- a/completions-core/dpkg.bash
+++ b/completions-fallback/dpkg.bash
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # dpkg(1) and related commands completion
 
+# Use of this file is deprecated.  Upstream completion is available in
+# dpkg >= 1.23.8, use that instead.
+
 # @since 2.12
 _comp_xfunc_dpkg_compgen_installed_packages()
 {
@@ -145,36 +148,3 @@ _comp_cmd_dpkg()
     [[ ${COMPREPLY-} == *= ]] && compopt -o nospace
 } &&
     complete -F _comp_cmd_dpkg dpkg dpkg-deb dpkg-query
-
-_comp_cmd_dpkg_reconfigure()
-{
-    local cur prev words cword comp_args
-    _comp_initialize -- "$@" || return
-
-    local opt
-
-    local noargopts='!(-*|*[fp]*)'
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2254
-    case $prev in
-        --frontend | -${noargopts}f)
-            if _comp_expand_glob opt '/usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/*'; then
-                opt=("${opt[@]##*/}")
-                opt=("${opt[@]%.pm}")
-                _comp_compgen -- -W '"${opt[@]}"'
-            fi
-            return
-            ;;
-        --priority | -${noargopts}p)
-            _comp_compgen -- -W 'low medium high critical'
-            return
-            ;;
-    esac
-
-    if [[ $cur == -* ]]; then
-        _comp_compgen -- -W '--frontend --priority --all --unseen-only --help
-            --showold --force --terse'
-    else
-        _comp_xfunc_dpkg_compgen_installed_packages
-    fi
-} &&
-    complete -F _comp_cmd_dpkg_reconfigure -o default dpkg-reconfigure
diff --git a/completions-core/dselect.bash b/completions-fallback/dselect.bash
similarity index 83%
rename from completions-core/dselect.bash
rename to completions-fallback/dselect.bash
index 0d00379e935..a2f7dbd7c23 100644
--- a/completions-core/dselect.bash
+++ b/completions-fallback/dselect.bash
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Debian Linux dselect(8) completion
 
+# Use of this file is deprecated.  Upstream completion is available in
+# dpkg >= 1.23.8, use that instead.
+
 _comp_cmd_dselect()
 {
     local cur prev words cword comp_args
diff --git a/completions-core/update-alternatives.bash b/completions-fallback/update-alternatives.bash
similarity index 96%
rename from completions-core/update-alternatives.bash
rename to completions-fallback/update-alternatives.bash
index 352413261ae..df7ddad16e2 100644
--- a/completions-core/update-alternatives.bash
+++ b/completions-fallback/update-alternatives.bash
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # bash completion for update-alternatives
 
+# Use of this file is deprecated.  Upstream completion is available in
+# dpkg >= 1.23.8, use that instead.
+
 _comp_cmd_update_alternatives__installed()
 {
     local i admindir
@@ -92,4 +95,4 @@ _comp_cmd_update_alternatives()
             ;;
     esac
 } &&
-    complete -F _comp_cmd_update_alternatives update-alternatives alternatives
+    complete -F _comp_cmd_update_alternatives update-alternatives