diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9e47e0147e..88bc69194d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
   - [Set default node version](#set-default-node-version)
   - [Use a mirror of node binaries](#use-a-mirror-of-node-binaries)
   - [.nvmrc](#nvmrc)
+  - [.node-version](#node-version)
   - [Deeper Shell Integration](#deeper-shell-integration)
     - [Calling `nvm use` automatically in a directory with a `.nvmrc` file](#calling-nvm-use-automatically-in-a-directory-with-a-nvmrc-file)
       - [bash](#bash)
@@ -565,6 +566,16 @@ Now using node v5.9.1 (npm v3.7.3)
 
 The contents of a `.nvmrc` file **must** be the `<version>` (as described by `nvm --help`) followed by a newline. No trailing spaces are allowed, and the trailing newline is required.
 
+### .node-version
+
+For a little compatability with other node version managers, nvm will also sniff for `.node-version` files, defaulting to `.nvmrc` if both are found in the same folder.
+
+```
+$ echo "5.9" > .node-version
+```
+
+Unlike `.nvmrc`, `.node-version` cannot contain a "versionish" (an alias, like `node`, `iojs`, or a custom alias you’ve defined). `.node-version` can only have versions in the format of v1, v1.2, or v1.2.3 (the `v` is optional).
+
 ### Deeper Shell Integration
 
 You can use [`avn`](https://github.com/wbyoung/avn) to deeply integrate into your shell and automatically invoke `nvm` when changing directories. `avn` is **not** supported by the `nvm` maintainers. Please [report issues to the `avn` team](https://github.com/wbyoung/avn/issues/new).
diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 2e4378f2d2..d9ab0f7e08 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -452,19 +452,27 @@ nvm_find_project_dir() {
 # Traverse up in directory tree to find containing folder
 nvm_find_up() {
   local path_
+  local file
   path_="${PWD}"
-  while [ "${path_}" != "" ] && [ "${path_}" != '.' ] && [ ! -f "${path_}/${1-}" ]; do
-    path_=${path_%/*}
+
+  # Iterate through the multiple files
+  while [ $# -ne 0 ]; do
+    # Look for files in turn in this path_
+    while [ "${path_}" != "" ] && [ "${path_}" != '.' ]; do
+      # Is the file here?
+      if [ -f "${path_}/${1-}" ]; then
+        file="${path_}/${1-}"
+        echo "${file}"
+        break 2
+      fi
+      path_=${path_%/*}
+    done
+    shift
   done
-  nvm_echo "${path_}"
 }
 
 nvm_find_nvmrc() {
-  local dir
-  dir="$(nvm_find_up '.nvmrc')"
-  if [ -e "${dir}/.nvmrc" ]; then
-    nvm_echo "${dir}/.nvmrc"
-  fi
+  nvm_echo "$(nvm_find_up '.nvmrc' '.node-version')"
 }
 
 # Obtain nvm version from rc file
@@ -474,19 +482,20 @@ nvm_rc_version() {
   NVMRC_PATH="$(nvm_find_nvmrc)"
   if [ ! -e "${NVMRC_PATH}" ]; then
     if [ "${NVM_SILENT:-0}" -ne 1 ]; then
-      nvm_err "No .nvmrc file found"
+      nvm_err "No .nvmrc or .node-version file found"
     fi
     return 1
   fi
+  NVMRC_BASENAME="$(command basename "$NVMRC_PATH")"
   NVM_RC_VERSION="$(command head -n 1 "${NVMRC_PATH}" | command tr -d '\r')" || command printf ''
   if [ -z "${NVM_RC_VERSION}" ]; then
     if [ "${NVM_SILENT:-0}" -ne 1 ]; then
-      nvm_err "Warning: empty .nvmrc file found at \"${NVMRC_PATH}\""
+      nvm_err "Warning: empty '${NVMRC_BASENAME}' file found at \"${NVMRC_PATH}\""
     fi
     return 2
   fi
   if [ "${NVM_SILENT:-0}" -ne 1 ]; then
-    nvm_echo "Found '${NVMRC_PATH}' with version <${NVM_RC_VERSION}>"
+    nvm_echo "Found '${NVMRC_BASENAME}' with version <${NVM_RC_VERSION}>"
   fi
 }
 
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir b/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir
index 7921742733..5f728e433a 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir	
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@ nvm install --lts
 if [ -f ".nvmrc" ]; then
   mv .nvmrc .nvmrc.bak
 fi
+
+if [ -f ".node-version" ]; then
+  mv .node-version .node-version.bak
+fi
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir b/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir
index b16b41695a..d1955c40d9 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir	
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@ nvm uninstall v1.0.0
 nvm uninstall --lts
 
 rm .nvmrc
+rm .node-version
 
 if [ -f ".nvmrc.bak" ]; then
   mv .nvmrc.bak .nvmrc
 fi
+
+if [ -f ".node-version.bak" ]; then
+  mv .node-version.bak .node-version
+fi
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 a34968954d..37454887e4 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	
@@ -12,6 +12,21 @@ echo "0.10.7" > .nvmrc
 [ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .nvmrc\" message"
 
 
+echo "0.12.0" > .node-version
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | tail -1)" = "v0.10.7" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to run with the .nvmrc version"
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .nvmrc\" message"
+
+rm .nvmrc
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | tail -1)" = "v0.12.0" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to run with the .node-version version"
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.node-version' with version <0.12.0>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .node-version\" message"
+
+rm .node-version
+
+
 echo "foo" > .nvmrc
 
 # running nvm run with .nvmrc should not print the version information when not installed