diff --git a/.changeset/completion-install-tips.md b/.changeset/completion-install-tips.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..616cadeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/completion-install-tips.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"clerk": patch
+---
+
+Fix shell completion install tips so they work on fresh systems. The `clerk doctor` zsh remedy now leads with `eval "$(clerk completion zsh)"` and points to `clerk completion --help` for the file-based install method, and the fish remedy prefixes `mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions` before writing. The zsh completion script's install banner now tells users to `mkdir -p ~/.zfunc` before writing the completion file.
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/cli-program.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/cli-program.ts
index 4205b577..c480d4b6 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/cli-program.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/cli-program.ts
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ Tutorial — enable completions for your shell:
     # Then add to ~/.zshrc: fpath=(~/.zfunc $fpath); autoload -Uz compinit && compinit
 
   Fish:
+    $ mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
     $ clerk completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/clerk.fish  # Auto-discovered
 
   PowerShell:
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/README.md b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/README.md
index d0cf5554..cc81eb1c 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/README.md
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/README.md
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ clerk completion zsh > ~/.zfunc/_clerk
 
 ```sh
 # Fish auto-discovers completion files — just save it
+mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
 clerk completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/clerk.fish
 ```
 
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/index.test.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/index.test.ts
index a92fde55..76079900 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/index.test.ts
@@ -62,10 +62,30 @@ describe("shell script generators", () => {
     expect(generateZsh(BINARY)).toContain("_describe");
   });
 
+  test("zsh banner instructs users to mkdir ~/.zfunc before writing", () => {
+    const script = generateZsh(BINARY);
+    const mkdirIdx = script.indexOf("mkdir -p ~/.zfunc");
+    const writeIdx = script.indexOf(`${BINARY} completion zsh > ~/.zfunc/_${BINARY}`);
+    expect(mkdirIdx).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(writeIdx).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(mkdirIdx).toBeLessThan(writeIdx);
+  });
+
   test("fish uses complete command", () => {
     expect(generateFish(BINARY)).toContain(`complete -c ${BINARY}`);
   });
 
+  test("fish banner instructs users to mkdir ~/.config/fish/completions before writing", () => {
+    const script = generateFish(BINARY);
+    const mkdirIdx = script.indexOf("mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions");
+    const writeIdx = script.indexOf(
+      `${BINARY} completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/${BINARY}.fish`,
+    );
+    expect(mkdirIdx).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(writeIdx).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(mkdirIdx).toBeLessThan(writeIdx);
+  });
+
   test("powershell uses Register-ArgumentCompleter", () => {
     expect(generatePowershell(BINARY)).toContain("Register-ArgumentCompleter");
   });
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/fish.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/fish.ts
index c1c397c0..55354fa8 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/fish.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/fish.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 export function generate(binaryName: string): string {
   return `# Fish completion for ${binaryName}
 # Save to:
+#   mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
 #   ${binaryName} completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/${binaryName}.fish
 
 function __${binaryName}_complete
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/zsh.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/zsh.ts
index 591cbc0c..6769521b 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/zsh.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/completion/shells/zsh.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export function generate(binaryName: string): string {
 # Add to ~/.zshrc:
 #   eval "$(${binaryName} completion zsh)"
 # Or save to a file in your $fpath:
+#   mkdir -p ~/.zfunc
 #   ${binaryName} completion zsh > ~/.zfunc/_${binaryName}
 #   # Then ensure ~/.zshrc contains:
 #   #   fpath=(~/.zfunc $fpath)
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/checks.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/checks.ts
index 5c377c7d..0f4592fa 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/checks.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/checks.ts
@@ -369,7 +369,8 @@ const SHELL_COMPLETION: Record<
 > = {
   fish: {
     isInstalled: (home) => Bun.file(join(home, ".config/fish/completions/clerk.fish")).exists(),
-    remedy: "Run `clerk completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/clerk.fish`",
+    remedy:
+      "Run `mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions && clerk completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/clerk.fish`",
   },
   bash: {
     isInstalled: (home) =>
@@ -381,7 +382,7 @@ const SHELL_COMPLETION: Record<
       (await fileContains([join(home, ".zshrc")], "clerk completion")) ||
       (await Bun.file(join(home, ".zfunc/_clerk")).exists()),
     remedy:
-      'Add `eval "$(clerk completion zsh)"` to your ~/.zshrc, or run `clerk completion zsh > ~/.zfunc/_clerk`',
+      'Add `eval "$(clerk completion zsh)"` to your ~/.zshrc (run `clerk completion --help` for other install methods)',
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/doctor.test.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/doctor.test.ts
index 25c2a46a..44ae628b 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/doctor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/doctor/doctor.test.ts
@@ -667,4 +667,21 @@ describe("checkShellCompletion", () => {
       fix: false,
     });
   });
+
+  test("zsh remedy leads with the eval form (safe on fresh systems)", async () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "/bin/zsh";
+    process.env.HOME = tempDir;
+    const result = await checkShellCompletion();
+    expect(result.remedy).toContain('eval "$(clerk completion zsh)"');
+    // The raw fpath one-liner was unsafe — it fails when ~/.zfunc doesn't exist
+    // and silently no-ops without fpath/compinit setup in ~/.zshrc.
+    expect(result.remedy).not.toMatch(/clerk completion zsh > ~\/\.zfunc\/_clerk/);
+  });
+
+  test("fish remedy creates the completions directory before writing", async () => {
+    process.env.SHELL = "/usr/bin/fish";
+    process.env.HOME = tempDir;
+    const result = await checkShellCompletion();
+    expect(result.remedy).toContain("mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions");
+  });
 });