diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.spec.ts b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.spec.ts
index 9849cb67c2be..df0ab5469315 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.spec.ts
@@ -149,8 +149,58 @@ describe('outputs', () => {
                 this.someChange.next('clicked');
               }
 
+              someMethod() {
+                this.someChange.pipe();
+              }
+            }
+          `,
+        );
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('.complete migration', () => {
+      it('should remove .complete usage for migrated outputs', () => {
+        verify({
+          before: `
+          import {Directive, Output, EventEmitter} from '@angular/core';
+
+          @Directive()
+          export class TestDir {
+            @Output() someChange = new EventEmitter<string>();
+
+            ngOnDestroy() {
+              this.someChange.complete();
+            }
+          }
+        `,
+          after: `
+          import { Directive, output } from '@angular/core';
+
+          @Directive()
+          export class TestDir {
+            readonly someChange = output<string>();
+
+            ngOnDestroy() {
+              
+            }
+          }
+        `,
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should _not_ migrate .complete usage outside of expression statements', () => {
+        verifyNoChange(
+          `
+            import {Directive, Output, EventEmitter} from '@angular/core';
+
+            @Directive()
+            export class TestDir {
+              @Output() someChange = new EventEmitter<string>();
+
               ngOnDestroy() {
-                this.someChange.complete();
+                // play it safe and skip replacement for any .complete usage that are not
+                // trivial expression statements
+                (this.someChange.complete());
               }
             }
           `,
@@ -174,18 +224,18 @@ describe('outputs', () => {
           `);
       });
 
-      it('should _not_ migrate outputs that are used with .complete', () => {
+      it('should _not_ migrate outputs that are used with .pipe outside of a component class', () => {
         verifyNoChange(`
-            import {Directive, Output, EventEmitter, OnDestroy} from '@angular/core';
+            import {Directive, Output, EventEmitter} from '@angular/core';
 
             @Directive()
-            export class TestDir implements OnDestroy {
-              @Output() someChange = new EventEmitter<string>();
-
-              ngOnDestroy() {
-                this.someChange.complete();
-              }
+            export class TestDir {
+              @Output() someChange = new EventEmitter();
             }
+
+            let instance: TestDir;
+
+            instance.someChange.pipe();
           `);
       });
     });
diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.ts b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.ts
index 0f7c6d5d784b..697442796704 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-migration.ts
@@ -24,13 +24,15 @@ import {
   getUniqueIdForProperty,
   isTargetOutputDeclaration,
   extractSourceOutputDefinition,
-  isPotentialProblematicEventEmitterUsage,
+  isPotentialCompleteCallUsage,
   isPotentialNextCallUsage,
+  isPotentialPipeCallUsage,
 } from './output_helpers';
 import {
   calculateImportReplacements,
-  calculateDeclarationReplacements,
+  calculateDeclarationReplacement,
   calculateNextFnReplacement,
+  calculateCompleteCallReplacement,
 } from './output-replacements';
 
 interface OutputMigrationData {
@@ -73,11 +75,11 @@ export class OutputMigration extends TsurgeFunnelMigration<
           const relativePath = projectRelativePath(node.getSourceFile(), projectDirAbsPath);
 
           filesWithOutputDeclarations.add(relativePath);
-          addOutputReplacements(
+          addOutputReplacement(
             outputFieldReplacements,
             outputDef.id,
             relativePath,
-            calculateDeclarationReplacements(projectDirAbsPath, node, outputDef.aliasParam),
+            calculateDeclarationReplacement(projectDirAbsPath, node, outputDef.aliasParam),
           );
         }
       }
@@ -93,16 +95,43 @@ export class OutputMigration extends TsurgeFunnelMigration<
         if (propertyDeclaration !== null) {
           const id = getUniqueIdForProperty(projectDirAbsPath, propertyDeclaration);
           const relativePath = projectRelativePath(node.getSourceFile(), projectDirAbsPath);
-          addOutputReplacements(outputFieldReplacements, id, relativePath, [
+          addOutputReplacement(
+            outputFieldReplacements,
+            id,
+            relativePath,
             calculateNextFnReplacement(projectDirAbsPath, node.expression.name),
-          ]);
+          );
+        }
+      }
+
+      // detect .complete usages that should be removed
+      if (isPotentialCompleteCallUsage(node) && ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(node.expression)) {
+        const propertyDeclaration = isTargetOutputDeclaration(
+          node.expression.expression,
+          checker,
+          reflector,
+          dtsReader,
+        );
+        if (propertyDeclaration !== null) {
+          const id = getUniqueIdForProperty(projectDirAbsPath, propertyDeclaration);
+          const relativePath = projectRelativePath(node.getSourceFile(), projectDirAbsPath);
+          if (ts.isExpressionStatement(node.parent)) {
+            addOutputReplacement(
+              outputFieldReplacements,
+              id,
+              relativePath,
+              calculateCompleteCallReplacement(projectDirAbsPath, node.parent),
+            );
+          } else {
+            problematicUsages[id] = true;
+          }
         }
       }
 
       // detect unsafe access of the output property
-      if (isPotentialProblematicEventEmitterUsage(node)) {
+      if (isPotentialPipeCallUsage(node) && ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(node.expression)) {
         const propertyDeclaration = isTargetOutputDeclaration(
-          node.expression,
+          node.expression.expression,
           checker,
           reflector,
           dtsReader,
@@ -202,19 +231,19 @@ export class OutputMigration extends TsurgeFunnelMigration<
   }
 }
 
-function addOutputReplacements(
+function addOutputReplacement(
   outputFieldReplacements: Record<OutputID, OutputMigrationData>,
   outputId: OutputID,
   relativePath: ProjectRelativePath,
-  replacements: Replacement[],
+  replacement: Replacement,
 ): void {
   const existingReplacements = outputFieldReplacements[outputId];
   if (existingReplacements !== undefined) {
-    existingReplacements.replacements.push(...replacements);
+    existingReplacements.replacements.push(replacement);
   } else {
     outputFieldReplacements[outputId] = {
       path: relativePath,
-      replacements: replacements,
+      replacements: [replacement],
     };
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-replacements.ts b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-replacements.ts
index fc41e6dbcaf1..a869285d9a85 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-replacements.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output-replacements.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ import {applyImportManagerChanges} from '../../utils/tsurge/helpers/apply_import
 
 const printer = ts.createPrinter();
 
-export function calculateDeclarationReplacements(
+export function calculateDeclarationReplacement(
   projectDirAbsPath: AbsoluteFsPath,
   node: ts.PropertyDeclaration,
   aliasParam?: ts.Expression,
-): Replacement[] {
+): Replacement {
   const sf = node.getSourceFile();
   const payloadTypes =
     node.initializer !== undefined && ts.isNewExpression(node.initializer)
@@ -53,16 +53,11 @@ export function calculateDeclarationReplacements(
     outputCall,
   );
 
-  return [
-    new Replacement(
-      projectRelativePath(sf, projectDirAbsPath),
-      new TextUpdate({
-        position: node.getStart(),
-        end: node.getEnd(),
-        toInsert: printer.printNode(ts.EmitHint.Unspecified, updatedOutputDeclaration, sf),
-      }),
-    ),
-  ];
+  return prepareTextReplacement(
+    projectDirAbsPath,
+    node,
+    printer.printNode(ts.EmitHint.Unspecified, updatedOutputDeclaration, sf),
+  );
 }
 
 export function calculateImportReplacements(
@@ -103,6 +98,21 @@ export function calculateImportReplacements(
 export function calculateNextFnReplacement(
   projectDirAbsPath: AbsoluteFsPath,
   node: ts.MemberName,
+): Replacement {
+  return prepareTextReplacement(projectDirAbsPath, node, 'emit');
+}
+
+export function calculateCompleteCallReplacement(
+  projectDirAbsPath: AbsoluteFsPath,
+  node: ts.ExpressionStatement,
+): Replacement {
+  return prepareTextReplacement(projectDirAbsPath, node, '');
+}
+
+function prepareTextReplacement(
+  projectDirAbsPath: AbsoluteFsPath,
+  node: ts.Node,
+  replacement: string,
 ): Replacement {
   const sf = node.getSourceFile();
   return new Replacement(
@@ -110,7 +120,7 @@ export function calculateNextFnReplacement(
     new TextUpdate({
       position: node.getStart(),
       end: node.getEnd(),
-      toInsert: 'emit',
+      toInsert: replacement,
     }),
   );
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output_helpers.ts b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output_helpers.ts
index c570c5c403bf..c3cbe43cea6f 100644
--- a/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output_helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/core/schematics/migrations/output-migration/output_helpers.ts
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ export interface ExtractedOutput {
   aliasParam?: ts.Expression;
 }
 
-const PROBLEMATIC_OUTPUT_USAGES = new Set(['complete', 'pipe']);
-
 /**
  * Determines if the given node refers to a decorator-based output, and
  * returns its resolved metadata if possible.
@@ -60,29 +58,28 @@ function isOutputDeclarationEligibleForMigration(node: ts.PropertyDeclaration) {
   );
 }
 
-export function isPotentialProblematicEventEmitterUsage(
-  node: ts.Node,
-): node is ts.PropertyAccessExpression {
-  return (
-    ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(node) &&
-    ts.isIdentifier(node.name) &&
-    PROBLEMATIC_OUTPUT_USAGES.has(node.name.text)
-  );
-}
-
-export function isPotentialNextCallUsage(node: ts.Node): node is ts.CallExpression {
+function isPotentialOutputCallUsage(node: ts.Node, name: string): node is ts.CallExpression {
   if (
     ts.isCallExpression(node) &&
     ts.isPropertyAccessExpression(node.expression) &&
     ts.isIdentifier(node.expression.name)
   ) {
-    const methodName = node.expression.name.text;
-    if (methodName === 'next') {
-      return true;
-    }
+    return node.expression?.name.text === name;
+  } else {
+    return false;
   }
+}
+
+export function isPotentialPipeCallUsage(node: ts.Node): node is ts.CallExpression {
+  return isPotentialOutputCallUsage(node, 'pipe');
+}
+
+export function isPotentialNextCallUsage(node: ts.Node): node is ts.CallExpression {
+  return isPotentialOutputCallUsage(node, 'next');
+}
 
-  return false;
+export function isPotentialCompleteCallUsage(node: ts.Node): node is ts.CallExpression {
+  return isPotentialOutputCallUsage(node, 'complete');
 }
 
 export function isTargetOutputDeclaration(