--- a/liboctave/cmd-edit.cc
+++ b/liboctave/cmd-edit.cc
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@
 
   void do_read_init_file (const std::string& file);
 
+  bool do_filename_completion_desired (bool);
+
   static int operate_and_get_next (int, int);
 
   static int history_search_backward (int, int);
@@ -370,6 +372,12 @@
   ::octave_rl_read_init_file (file.c_str ());
 }
 
+bool
+gnu_readline::do_filename_completion_desired (bool arg)
+{
+  return ::octave_rl_filename_completion_desired (arg);
+}
+
 int
 gnu_readline::operate_and_get_next (int /* count */, int /* c */)
 {
@@ -764,6 +772,13 @@
     instance->do_read_init_file (file);
 }
 
+bool
+command_editor::filename_completion_desired (bool arg)
+{
+  return (instance_ok ())
+    ? instance->do_filename_completion_desired (arg) : false;
+}
+
 // Return a string which will be printed as a prompt.  The string may
 // contain special characters which are decoded as follows: 
 //