diff --git a/system/readline/Kconfig b/system/readline/Kconfig
index 7221b546d..d382a7b67 100644
--- a/system/readline/Kconfig
+++ b/system/readline/Kconfig
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ config READLINE_MAX_EXTCMDS
 	default 64
 	depends on READLINE_HAVE_EXTMATCH
 	---help---
-		This the maximum number of matching names of builtin commands that
+		This the maximum number of matching names of external commands that
 		will be displayed.
 
 endif # READLINE_TABCOMPLETION
diff --git a/system/readline/readline_common.c b/system/readline/readline_common.c
index faf094196..47a11fae9 100644
--- a/system/readline/readline_common.c
+++ b/system/readline/readline_common.c
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ static int g_cmd_history_len = 0;
 #if defined(CONFIG_READLINE_TABCOMPLETION) && defined(CONFIG_BUILTIN)
 static int count_builtin_maches(FAR char *buf, FAR int *matches, int namelen)
 {
+#if CONFIG_READLINE_MAX_BUILTINS > 0
   FAR const char *name;
   int nr_matches = 0;
   int i;
@@ -126,6 +127,10 @@ static int count_builtin_maches(FAR char *buf, FAR int *matches, int namelen)
     }
 
   return nr_matches;
+
+#else
+  return 0;
+#endif
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -254,6 +259,7 @@ static void tab_completion(FAR struct rl_common_s *vtbl, char *buf,
            */
 
           memset(tmp_name, 0, sizeof(tmp_name));
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_READLINE_HAVE_EXTMATCH
           /* Show the possible external completions */