diff --git a/.zshenv b/.zshenv
index 74fb2b6..df108b7 100644
--- a/.zshenv
+++ b/.zshenv
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ setopt NO_PROMPT_CR
 
 setopt PUSHD_IGNORE_DUPS
 
-fpath=(~/bin/func)
 SAVEHIST=100
 HISTSIZE=$SAVEHIST
 HISTFILE=~/.zhistory
diff --git a/.zshrc b/.zshrc
index 98be603..4e2de61 100644
--- a/.zshrc
+++ b/.zshrc
@@ -72,3 +72,13 @@ if [ -z "$EDITOR" ]
 then
     export EDITOR=vi
 fi
+
+# prepend local function dir if we have one.
+#
+# Important: Don't clobber FPATH. It's needed for completion and usually
+# contains a lot of directories (at least on Debian systems) and you
+# don't want to recreate that mess manually.
+if [ -d ~/bin/func ]
+then
+    FPATH=`preppath -v FPATH ~/bin/func`
+fi