diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 0b57f05..bee8456 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -1141,7 +1141,7 @@ nvm_alias() {
     return 2
   fi
 
-  command cat "${NVM_ALIAS_PATH}"
+  command awk 'NF' "${NVM_ALIAS_PATH}"
 }
 
 nvm_ls_current() {
diff --git a/test/fast/Aliases/'nvm alias' should ignore leading blank lines in the file b/test/fast/Aliases/'nvm alias' should ignore leading blank lines in the file
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3fe5784
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Aliases/'nvm alias' should ignore leading blank lines in the file	
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die() { echo "$@" ; exit 1; }
+
+export NVM_DIR="$(cd ../../.. && pwd)"
+
+\. "${NVM_DIR}/nvm.sh"
+\. ../../common.sh
+
+echo "
+
+v0.0.1
+" > ../../../alias/test-blank-lines
+
+EXPECTED='v0.0.1'
+ACTUAL="$(nvm_alias test-blank-lines)"
+EXIT_CODE="$(nvm_alias test-blank-lines 2>&1 >/dev/null; echo $?)"
+
+[ "${ACTUAL}" = "${EXPECTED}" ] || die "expected >${EXPECTED}<, got >${ACTUAL}<"
+[ "${EXIT_CODE}" = '0' ] || die "expected exit code 0, got ${EXIT_CODE}"
diff --git a/test/fast/Aliases/teardown b/test/fast/Aliases/teardown
index 005c729..33e1b02 100755
--- a/test/fast/Aliases/teardown
+++ b/test/fast/Aliases/teardown
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ rm -f "../../../alias/unstable"
 rm -f "../../../alias/node"
 rm -f "../../../alias/iojs"
 rm -f "../../../alias/default"
+rm -f "../../../alias/test-blank-lines"