diff --git a/extra/_beet b/extra/_beet
index 23155b8e5..5b715dcef 100644
--- a/extra/_beet
+++ b/extra/_beet
@@ -2,28 +2,29 @@
 
 # zsh completion for beets music library manager and MusicBrainz tagger: http://beets.radbox.org/
 
-# NOTE: it will be very slow the first time you try to complete in a zsh shell (especially if you've enable many plugins)
-#       You can make it faster in future by creating a cached version:
-#       1) perform a query completion with this file (_beet), e.g. do: beet list artist:"<TAB>
-#          to create the completion function (takes a few seconds)
-#       2) save a copy of the completion function: which _beet > _beet_cached
-#       3) save a copy of the query completion function: which _beet_query > _beet_query_cached
-#       4) copy the contents of _beet_query_cached to the top of _beet_cached
-#       5) copy and paste the _beet_field_values function from _beet to the top of _beet_cached
-#       6) add the following line to the top of _beet_cached: #compdef beet
-#       7) add the following line to the bottom of _beet_cached: _beet "$@"
-#       8) save _beet_cached to your completions directory (e.g. /usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion)
-#       9) add the following line to your .zshrc file: compdef _beet_cached beet
-#       You will need to repeat this proceedure each time you enable new plugins if you want them to complete properly.
+# Cache will be updated if it is older than the beets database or binary.
+# Need to set BEETS_LIBRARY to some preliminary value since it is used by the cache checking function.
+typeset -g BEETS_LIBRARY=~/.config/beets/library.db
+zstyle ":completion:${curcontext}:" cache-policy _beet_check_cache
+_beet_check_cache () {
+    [[ ! -a "${1}" ]] || [[ ! -a ${~BEETS_LIBRARY} ]] || [[ "${1}" -ot ${~BEETS_LIBRARY} ]] || [[ "${1}" -ot =beet ]]
+}
+# Try to retrieve the cache, and find out if it needs to be updated
+if ! _retrieve_cache beets || _cache_invalid beets; then
+    local updatecache=1
+    # Location of database
+    typeset -g BEETS_LIBRARY="$(beet config|grep library|cut -f 2 -d ' ')"
+    # List of all fields
+    local -a fields
+    fields=(`beet fields | grep -G '^  ' | sort -u | colrm 1 2`)
+fi
 
 # useful: argument to _regex_arguments for matching any word
 local matchany=/$'[^\0]##\0'/
 
 # Deal with completions for querying and modifying fields..
 local fieldargs matchquery matchmodify
-local -a fields
-# get list of all fields
-fields=(`beet fields | grep -G '^  ' | sort -u | colrm 1 2`)
+
 # regexps for matching query and modify terms on the command line
 matchquery=/"(${(j/|/)fields[@]})"$':[^\0]##\0'/
 matchmodify=/"(${(j/|/)fields[@]})"$'(=[^\0]##|!)\0'/
@@ -43,14 +44,17 @@ function _join_lines() {
 function _beet_field_values()
 {
     local -a output fieldvals
-    local library="$(beet config|grep library|cut -f 2 -d ' ')"
-    output=$(sqlite3 ${~library} "select distinct $1 from items;")
+    local sqlcmd="select distinct $1 from items;"
     case $1
         in
         lyrics)
             fieldvals=
             ;;
         *)
+	    if [[ "$(sqlite3 ${~BEETS_LIBRARY} ${sqlcmd} 2>&1)" =~ "no such column" ]]; then
+		sqlcmd="select distinct value from item_attributes where key=='$1' and value!='';"
+	    fi
+	    output="$(sqlite3 ${~BEETS_LIBRARY} ${sqlcmd} 2>/dev/null | sed -rn '/^-+$/,${{/^[- ]+$/n};p}')"
             fieldvals=("${(f)output[@]}")
             ;;
     esac
@@ -68,8 +72,7 @@ queryelem="_values -S : 'query field (add an extra : to match by regexp)' '::' $
 # store call to _values function for completing modify terms (no need to complete field values)
 modifyelem="_values -S = 'modify field (replace = with ! to remove field)' $(echo "'${^fields[@]}:: '")"
 # Create completion function for queries
-_regex_arguments _beet_query "$matchany" \# \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:$queryelem" \) \
-    \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:$queryelem" \) \#
+_regex_arguments _beet_query "$matchany" \# \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:$queryelem" \) \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:$queryelem" \) \#
 # store regexps for completing lists of queries and modifications
 local -a query modify
 query=( \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:{_beet_query}" \) \( "$matchquery" ":query:query string:{_beet_query}" \) \# )
@@ -108,7 +111,7 @@ retagopt='-L:retag items matching a query:${query[@]}'
 skipopt='-i:skip already-imported directories'
 noskipopt='-I:do not skip already-imported directories'
 flatopt='--flat:import an entire tree as a single album'
-groupopt='-g:group tracks in a folder into separate albums'
+groupopt='-g:group tracks in a folder into separate albums' 
 editopt='-e:edit user configuration with $EDITOR'
 defaultopt='-d:include the default configuration'
 copynomoveopt='-c:copy instead of moving'
@@ -174,73 +177,76 @@ function _beet_subcmd_options()
 }
 
 # Now build the arguments to _regex_arguments for each subcommand.
-local -a options regex_words_subcmds regex_words_help
-local subcmd cmddesc
-for i in ${${(f)"$(beet help | _join_lines ' ' 3 'Commands:')"[@]}[@]}
-do
-    subcmd="${i[(w)1]}"
-    # remove first word and parenthesised alias, replace : with -, [ with (, ] with ), and remove single quotes
-    cmddesc="${${${${${i[(w)2,-1]##\(*\) #}//:/-}//\[/(}//\]/)}//\'/}"
-    case $subcmd
+if [[ -n $updatecache ]]; then
+    local -a options regex_words_subcmds regex_words_help
+    local subcmd cmddesc
+    for i in ${${(f)"$(beet help | _join_lines ' ' 3 'Commands:')"[@]}[@]}
+    do
+	subcmd="${i[(w)1]}"
+	# remove first word and parenthesised alias, replace : with -, [ with (, ] with ), and remove single quotes
+	cmddesc="${${${${${i[(w)2,-1]##\(*\) #}//:/-}//\[/(}//\]/)}//\'/}"
+	case $subcmd
         in
-        (config)
-            _regex_words options "config options" "$helpopt"  "$pathopt"  "$editopt" "$defaultopt"
-            options=("${reply[@]}")
-            ;;
-        (import)
-            _regex_words options "import options" "$helpopt" "$writeopt" "$nowriteopt" "$copyopt" "$nocopyopt"\
-                "$inferopt" "$noinferopt" "$resumeopt" "$noresumeopt" "$nopromptopt" "$logopt" "$individualopt" "$confirmopt"\
-                "$retagopt" "$skipopt" "$noskipopt" "$flatopt" "$groupopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${files[@]}" \# )
-            ;;
-        (list)
-            _regex_words options "list options" "$helpopt" "$pathopt" "$albumopt" "$formatopt"
-            options=( "$reply[@]" \# "${query[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (modify)
-            _regex_words options "modify options" "$helpopt" "$dontmoveopt" "$writeopt" "$nowriteopt" "$albumopt" \
-                "$noconfirmopt" "$formatopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" "${modify[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (move)
-            _regex_words options "move options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$destopt" "$copynomoveopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}")
-            ;;
-        (remove)
-            _regex_words options "remove options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$removeopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (stats)
-            _regex_words options "stats options" "$helpopt" "$exactopt" 
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (update)
-            _regex_words options "update options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$dontmoveopt" "$pretendopt" "$formatopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (write)
-            _regex_words options "write options" "$helpopt" "$pretendopt"
-            options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
-            ;;
-        (fields|migrate|version)
-            options=()
-            ;;
-        (help)
-            # The help subcommand is treated separately
-            continue 
-            ;;
-        (*) # completions for plugin commands are generated using _beet_subcmd_options 
-            _beet_subcmd_options "$subcmd"
-            options=( \( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" \) )
-            ;;
-    esac
-    # Create variable for holding option for this subcommand, and assign to it (needs to have a unique name).
-    typeset -a opts_for_$subcmd
-    set -A opts_for_$subcmd ${options[@]} # Assignment MUST be done using set (other methods fail).
-    regex_words_subcmds+=("$subcmd:$cmddesc:\${(@)opts_for_$subcmd}")
-    # Add to regex_words args for help subcommand
-    regex_words_help+=("$subcmd:$cmddesc")
-done
+            (config)
+		_regex_words options "config options" "$helpopt"  "$pathopt"  "$editopt" "$defaultopt"
+		options=("${reply[@]}")
+		;;
+            (import)
+		_regex_words options "import options" "$helpopt" "$writeopt" "$nowriteopt" "$copyopt" "$nocopyopt"\
+			     "$inferopt" "$noinferopt" "$resumeopt" "$noresumeopt" "$nopromptopt" "$logopt" "$individualopt" "$confirmopt"\
+			     "$retagopt" "$skipopt" "$noskipopt" "$flatopt" "$groupopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${files[@]}" \# )
+		;;
+            (list)
+		_regex_words options "list options" "$helpopt" "$pathopt" "$albumopt" "$formatopt"
+		options=( "$reply[@]" \# "${query[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (modify)
+		_regex_words options "modify options" "$helpopt" "$dontmoveopt" "$writeopt" "$nowriteopt" "$albumopt" \
+			     "$noconfirmopt" "$formatopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" "${modify[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (move)
+		_regex_words options "move options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$destopt" "$copynomoveopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}")
+		;;
+            (remove)
+		_regex_words options "remove options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$removeopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (stats)
+		_regex_words options "stats options" "$helpopt" "$exactopt" 
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (update)
+		_regex_words options "update options" "$helpopt" "$albumopt" "$dontmoveopt" "$pretendopt" "$formatopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (write)
+		_regex_words options "write options" "$helpopt" "$pretendopt"
+		options=( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" )
+		;;
+            (fields|migrate|version)
+		options=()
+		;;
+            (help)
+		# The help subcommand is treated separately
+		continue 
+		;;
+            (*) # completions for plugin commands are generated using _beet_subcmd_options 
+		_beet_subcmd_options "$subcmd"
+		options=( \( "${reply[@]}" \# "${query[@]}" \) )
+		;;
+	esac
+	# Create variable for holding option for this subcommand, and assign to it (needs to have a unique name).
+	typeset -a opts_for_$subcmd
+	set -A opts_for_$subcmd ${options[@]} # Assignment MUST be done using set (other methods fail).
+	regex_words_subcmds+=("$subcmd:$cmddesc:\${(@)opts_for_$subcmd}")
+	# Add to regex_words args for help subcommand
+	regex_words_help+=("$subcmd:$cmddesc")
+    done
+    _store_cache beets regex_words_subcmds regex_words_help BEETS_LIBRARY fields
+fi
 
 local -a opts_for_help
 _regex_words subcmds "subcommands" "${regex_words_help[@]}"
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ _regex_words options "global options" "$configopt" "$debugopt" "$libopt" "$helpo
 globalopts=("${reply[@]}")
 
 # Create main completion function
-#local -a subcmds
+local -a subcmds
 _regex_words subcmds "subcommands" "${regex_words_subcmds[@]}"
 subcmds=("${reply[@]}")
 _regex_arguments _beet "$matchany" \( "${globalopts[@]}" \# \) "${subcmds[@]}"
@@ -267,3 +273,4 @@ _beet "$@"
 # Local Variables: 
 # mode:shell-script
 # End:
+