diff --git a/internal/hook/completion_test.go b/internal/hook/completion_test.go
index c5f3f14..ea0c37b 100644
--- a/internal/hook/completion_test.go
+++ b/internal/hook/completion_test.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ _netssh
 		t.Fatalf("%v\n%s", err, out)
 	}
 	// Directive 36 = NoFileComp|KeepOrder: unsorted host group, no file fallback.
-	want := "describe cache:Manage the cache\ncompadd -V hosts -X %Bhosts%b -- web01 web:02\n"
+	want := "describe cache:Manage the cache\ncompadd -V hosts -X %Bhosts%b -M l:|=* -- web01 web:02\n"
 	if string(out) != want {
 		t.Fatalf("got:\n%s\nwant:\n%s", out, want)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/hook/zsh.go b/internal/hook/zsh.go
index a9db706..79fe95a 100644
--- a/internal/hook/zsh.go
+++ b/internal/hook/zsh.go
@@ -58,12 +58,13 @@ _netssh() {
     _describe -t commands 'netssh command' items $nospace && ret=0
   fi
   if (( $#plain )); then
+    # netssh already filtered the hosts, also by the name after an instance
+    # prefix: "fsn1" offers "prod/fsn1-…". 'l:|=*' lets zsh accept text
+    # before the typed word instead of discarding these matches.
+    local -a group=(-J hosts)
     # Directive 32: keep the order supplied by netssh.
-    if (( directive & 32 )); then
-      compadd -V hosts -X '%Bhosts%b' $nospace -- $plain && ret=0
-    else
-      compadd -J hosts -X '%Bhosts%b' $nospace -- $plain && ret=0
-    fi
+    (( directive & 32 )) && group=(-V hosts)
+    compadd $group -X '%Bhosts%b' -M 'l:|=*' $nospace -- $plain && ret=0
   fi
   # Directive 4: no file completion as a fallback.
   if (( ! $#lines && ! (directive & 4) )); then