diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index b2f0c3bb8b..38eb5b5750 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -3657,6 +3657,8 @@ nvm() {
       local provided_version
       local has_checked_nvmrc
       has_checked_nvmrc=0
+      local IS_VERSION_FROM_NVMRC
+      IS_VERSION_FROM_NVMRC=0
       # run given version of node
 
       local NVM_SILENT
@@ -3702,7 +3704,9 @@ nvm() {
             if [ $has_checked_nvmrc -ne 1 ]; then
               NVM_SILENT="${NVM_SILENT:-0}" nvm_rc_version && has_checked_nvmrc=1
             fi
-            VERSION="$(nvm_version "${NVM_RC_VERSION}")" ||:
+            provided_version="${NVM_RC_VERSION}"
+            IS_VERSION_FROM_NVMRC=1
+            VERSION="$(nvm_version "${provided_version}")" ||:
             unset NVM_RC_VERSION
           else
             shift
@@ -3724,7 +3728,7 @@ nvm() {
         VERSION=''
       fi
       if [ "_${VERSION}" = "_N/A" ]; then
-        nvm_ensure_version_installed "${provided_version}"
+        nvm_ensure_version_installed "${provided_version}" "${IS_VERSION_FROM_NVMRC}"
       elif [ "${NVM_IOJS}" = true ]; then
         nvm exec "${NVM_SILENT_ARG-}" "${LTS_ARG-}" "${VERSION}" iojs "$@"
       else
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm run/Running 'nvm run' should pick up .nvmrc version b/test/slow/nvm run/Running 'nvm run' should pick up .nvmrc version
index 3273ea04a7..afd0a372f9 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm run/Running 'nvm run' should pick up .nvmrc version	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm run/Running 'nvm run' should pick up .nvmrc version	
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ die () { echo "$@" ; exit 1; }
 
 echo "0.10.7" > .nvmrc
 
-[ "$(nvm run --version | tail -1)" = "v0.10.7" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to run with the .nvmrc version"
-
 [ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .nvmrc\" message"
+
+
+# running nvm run with .nvmrc should not print the version information when not installed
+OUTPUT="$(nvm run --version 2>&1)"
+EXIT_CODE=$?
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT="Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>
+N/A: version \"v0.10.7\" is not yet installed.
+
+You need to run \`nvm install\` to install and use the node version specified in \`.nvmrc\`."
+[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "expected 'nvm use' with nvmrc to give $EXPECTED_OUTPUT, got $OUTPUT"
+[ "_$EXIT_CODE" = "_1" ] || die "expected 'nvm use' with nvmrc to exit with 1, got $EXIT_CODE"
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with npmrc containing not intalled version b/test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with nvmrc containing not intalled version
similarity index 91%
rename from test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with npmrc containing not intalled version
rename to test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with nvmrc containing not intalled version
index 3b7aa0f386..122aa96d37 100644
--- a/test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with npmrc containing not intalled version	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm use/Running 'nvm use' with nvmrc containing not intalled version	
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ nvm deactivate 2>&1 >/dev/null || die 'deactivate failed'
 
 echo "foo" > .nvmrc
 
-# running nvm use should not print the version information
+# running nvm use with .nvmrc should not print the version information
 OUTPUT="$(nvm use 2>&1)"
 EXIT_CODE=$?
 EXPECTED_OUTPUT="Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <foo>