diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 0f96c5d..4db7319 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -1846,7 +1846,7 @@ nvm() {
         fi
       fi
 
-      provided_version=$1
+      provided_version="$1"
       if [ -n "$provided_version" ]; then
         VERSION="$(nvm_version "$provided_version")"
         if [ "_$VERSION" = "_N/A" ] && ! nvm_is_valid_version "$provided_version"; then
@@ -1860,6 +1860,16 @@ nvm() {
         fi
       fi
 
+      if [ -n "$NVM_RC_VERSION" ]; then
+        nvm_ensure_version_installed "$NVM_RC_VERSION"
+      else
+        nvm_ensure_version_installed "$provided_version"
+      fi
+      EXIT_CODE=$?
+      if [ "$EXIT_CODE" != "0" ]; then
+        return $EXIT_CODE
+      fi
+
       local NVM_IOJS
       if nvm_is_iojs_version "$VERSION"; then
         NVM_IOJS=true
@@ -1876,10 +1886,7 @@ nvm() {
         ZHS_HAS_SHWORDSPLIT_UNSET=$(setopt | command grep shwordsplit > /dev/null ; echo $?)
         setopt shwordsplit
       fi
-      if [ "_$VERSION" = "_N/A" ]; then
-        echo "$(nvm_ensure_version_prefix "$provided_version") is not installed yet" >&2
-        EXIT_CODE=1
-      elif [ -z "$ARGS" ]; then
+      if [ -z "$ARGS" ]; then
         if [ "$NVM_IOJS" = true ]; then
           nvm exec "$VERSION" iojs
         else
diff --git "a/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run 0.x\" should error out sensibly when 0.x is not installed" "b/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run 0.x\" should error out sensibly when 0.x is not installed"
index 744ac81..bde5867 100755
--- "a/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run 0.x\" should error out sensibly when 0.x is not installed"	
+++ "b/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run 0.x\" should error out sensibly when 0.x is not installed"	
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ die () { echo $@ ; exit 1; }
 
 . ../../../nvm.sh
 
-[ "$(nvm run 0.2 --version 2>&1)" = "v0.2 is not installed yet" ] || die "\`nvm run\` with an uninstalled node version failed to error out correctly"
-[ "$(nvm run iojs-0.2 --version 2>&1)" = "iojs-v0.2 is not installed yet" ] || die "\`nvm run\` with an uninstalled iojs version failed to error out correctly"
+[ "$(nvm run 0.2 --version 2>&1)" = 'N/A: version "v0.2" is not yet installed' ] || die "\`nvm run\` with an uninstalled node version failed to error out correctly"
+[ "$(nvm run iojs-0.2 --version 2>&1)" = 'N/A: version "iojs-v0.2" is not yet installed' ] || die "\`nvm run\` with an uninstalled iojs version failed to error out correctly"