diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index 4643b10..ab2b0a9 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -59,8 +59,14 @@ func WithoutExpandedModules() ExpandOption {
 
 func expand(c Commands, depth int, includeExpandedModules bool) (Commands, []error) {
 	return parallelMap(c, func(cmd Command) ([]Command, []error) {
+		// At depth 0, nothing is expanded; don't ask for subcommands at all
+		// because Subcommands() may trigger discovery.
+		if depth == 0 {
+			return []Command{cmd}, []error{}
+		}
+
 		// If this command has subcommands, recursively flatten them...
-		if subcmds, err := cmd.Subcommands(); err == nil && len(subcmds) > 0 && depth != 0 {
+		if subcmds, err := cmd.Subcommands(); err == nil && len(subcmds) > 0 {
 			cmds := []Command{}
 			errs := []error{}
 
diff --git a/commands_test.go b/commands_test.go
index c3cf173..dce5c94 100644
--- a/commands_test.go
+++ b/commands_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,15 @@ func TestExpand(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestExpandWithDepthZeroDoesNotCallSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
+	stub := &stubParent{name: "stub"}
+
+	cmds, errs := Commands{stub}.Expand(WithDepth(0))
+	assert.Empty(t, errs)
+	assert.Equal(t, Commands{stub}, cmds)
+	assert.False(t, stub.subcommandsCalled, "Expand should not call Subcommands() when depth is 0")
+}
+
 func namesOf(cmds Commands) string {
 	var result []string
 	for _, cmd := range cmds {
diff --git a/directory_command.go b/directory_command.go
index 82fc7dc..da5cb6d 100644
--- a/directory_command.go
+++ b/directory_command.go
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ func (m *directoryCommand) Help() (string, error) {
 
 func (m *directoryCommand) DefaultSubcommand() Command { return nil }
 
+// HasSubcommands returns true if the directory has subcommands or —
+// when discovery has not been performed — may have subcommands.
+func (m *directoryCommand) HasSubcommands() bool {
+	if m.cmds != nil {
+		return len(m.cmds) > 0
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (m *directoryCommand) Subcommands() (Commands, error) {
 	if m.cmds == nil && m.discoverer != nil {
 		m.cmds, _ = m.discoverer.DiscoverIn(filepath.Dir(m.path), m)
diff --git a/executable_command.go b/executable_command.go
index 9d5d792..0e74755 100644
--- a/executable_command.go
+++ b/executable_command.go
@@ -119,6 +119,15 @@ func (cmd *executableCommand) DefaultSubcommand() Command {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// HasSubcommands returns true if the command has subcommands or —
+// when discovery has not been performed — may have subcommands.
+func (cmd *executableCommand) HasSubcommands() bool {
+	if cmd.cmds != nil {
+		return len(cmd.cmds) > 0
+	}
+	return cmd.discoverer != nil
+}
+
 // Subcommands returns the list of subcommands for this command.
 // Returns an empty slice for leaf commands.
 func (cmd *executableCommand) Subcommands() (Commands, error) {
diff --git a/fixtures_test.go b/fixtures_test.go
index 5e76c6a..4650c01 100644
--- a/fixtures_test.go
+++ b/fixtures_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package exoskeleton
 import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+
+	"github.com/square/exoskeleton/v2/pkg/shellcomp"
 )
 
 var fixtures string
@@ -11,3 +13,32 @@ func init() {
 	_, testfile, _, _ := runtime.Caller(0)
 	fixtures = filepath.Join(testfile, "..", "fixtures")
 }
+
+// stubParent is a Command that reports that it may have subcommands
+// and records whether Subcommands() was ever called.
+type stubParent struct {
+	name              string
+	parent            Command
+	subcommandsCalled bool
+}
+
+func (c *stubParent) Path() string             { return "" }
+func (c *stubParent) Name() string             { return c.name }
+func (c *stubParent) Parent() Command          { return c.parent }
+func (c *stubParent) Aliases() []string        { return nil }
+func (c *stubParent) Summary() (string, error) { return "A stub", nil }
+func (c *stubParent) Help() (string, error)    { panic("Unused") }
+func (c *stubParent) HasSubcommands() bool     { return true }
+
+func (c *stubParent) Exec(*Entrypoint, []string, []string) error { panic("Unused") }
+
+func (c *stubParent) Complete(*Entrypoint, []string, []string) ([]string, shellcomp.Directive, error) {
+	panic("Unused")
+}
+
+func (c *stubParent) DefaultSubcommand() Command { return nil }
+
+func (c *stubParent) Subcommands() (Commands, error) {
+	c.subcommandsCalled = true
+	return Commands{}, nil
+}
diff --git a/menu.go b/menu.go
index b814e04..a96ac44 100644
--- a/menu.go
+++ b/menu.go
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func buildMenu(cmd Command, opts *MenuOptions) (*Menu, []error) {
 	allItems, ferrs :=
 		parallelMap(c, func(subcmd Command) ([]*MenuItem, []error) {
 			name := UsageRelativeTo(subcmd, cmd)
-			if subcmds, _ := subcmd.Subcommands(); len(subcmds) > 0 {
+			if HasSubcommands(subcmd) {
 				name += ":"
 			}
 
diff --git a/menu_test.go b/menu_test.go
index 7901a60..4423e4a 100644
--- a/menu_test.go
+++ b/menu_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ func TestMenuForTrailer(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, menu, "Run \033[96mentrypoint help module <command>\033[0m to print information on a specific command.")
 }
 
+func TestBuildMenuRendersSigilWithoutDiscoveringSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
+	entrypoint := &Entrypoint{name: "entrypoint"}
+	stub := &stubParent{name: "stub", parent: entrypoint}
+	entrypoint.cmds = Commands{stub}
+
+	menu, errs := buildMenu(entrypoint, &MenuOptions{})
+	assert.Empty(t, errs)
+	assert.Equal(t, "stub:", menu.Sections[0].MenuItems[0].Name)
+	assert.False(t, stub.subcommandsCalled, "buildMenu should not discover subcommands to render the sigil")
+}
+
 func TestMenuForSections(t *testing.T) {
 	entrypoint, err := New([]string{fixtures})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/predicates.go b/predicates.go
index 2eb7291..9156260 100644
--- a/predicates.go
+++ b/predicates.go
@@ -11,3 +11,25 @@ func IsNull(command Command) bool {
 	_, ok := command.(nullCommand)
 	return ok
 }
+
+// SubcommandsReporter is implemented by Commands that can report whether
+// they may have subcommands without performing discovery.
+type SubcommandsReporter interface {
+	// HasSubcommands returns true if the Command has subcommands or —
+	// when discovery has not been performed — may have subcommands.
+	HasSubcommands() bool
+}
+
+// HasSubcommands returns true if the given Command has subcommands or —
+// when the Command defers discovery — may have subcommands.
+//
+// Unlike calling Subcommands() and checking its length, HasSubcommands
+// never triggers discovery. Use it when a cheap, possibly-approximate
+// answer is preferable to an exact, possibly-expensive one.
+func HasSubcommands(command Command) bool {
+	if r, ok := command.(SubcommandsReporter); ok {
+		return r.HasSubcommands()
+	}
+	cmds, err := command.Subcommands()
+	return err == nil && len(cmds) > 0
+}
diff --git a/predicates_test.go b/predicates_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4752d99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/predicates_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package exoskeleton
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsIsFalseForLeafExecutables(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := &executableCommand{name: "leaf"}
+	assert.False(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+}
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsIsFalseForShellScripts(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := &shellScriptCommand{executableCommand: executableCommand{name: "script"}}
+	assert.False(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+}
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsIsTrueForUndiscoveredExecutables(t *testing.T) {
+	// cache is nil: if HasSubcommands performed discovery, it would panic.
+	cmd := &executableCommand{name: "parent", discoverer: &discoverer{}}
+	assert.True(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+}
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsIsExactAfterDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := &executableCommand{name: "parent", discoverer: &discoverer{}, cmds: Commands{}}
+	assert.False(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+
+	cmd.cmds = Commands{&executableCommand{name: "child"}}
+	assert.True(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+}
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsIsTrueForUndiscoveredDirectories(t *testing.T) {
+	// path is empty: if HasSubcommands performed discovery, it would find nothing.
+	cmd := &directoryCommand{discoverer: &discoverer{}}
+	assert.True(t, HasSubcommands(cmd))
+}
+
+func TestHasSubcommandsFallsBackToSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.False(t, HasSubcommands(nullCommand{}))
+	assert.True(t, HasSubcommands(&builtinCommand{subcommands: Commands{nullCommand{}}}))
+}