diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 4af98d3..2dc7edf 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -3339,19 +3339,27 @@ nvm() {
       LINKS="${NPMLIST##* //// }"
 
       nvm_echo "Reinstalling global packages from $VERSION..."
-      nvm_echo "$INSTALLS" | command xargs npm install -g --quiet
+      if [ -n "${INSTALLS}" ]; then
+        nvm_echo "$INSTALLS" | command xargs npm install -g --quiet
+      else
+        nvm_echo "No installed global packages found..."
+      fi
 
       nvm_echo "Linking global packages from $VERSION..."
-      (
-        set -f; IFS='
+      if [ -n "${LINKS}" ]; then
+        (
+          set -f; IFS='
 ' # necessary to turn off variable expansion except for newlines
-        for LINK in $LINKS; do
-          set +f; unset IFS # restore variable expansion
-          if [ -n "$LINK" ]; then
-            (nvm_cd "$LINK" && npm link)
-          fi
-        done
-      )
+          for LINK in $LINKS; do
+            set +f; unset IFS # restore variable expansion
+            if [ -n "$LINK" ]; then
+              (nvm_cd "$LINK" && npm link)
+            fi
+          done
+        )
+      else
+        nvm_echo "No linked global packages found..."
+      fi
     ;;
     "clear-cache" )
       command rm -f "$NVM_DIR/v*" "$(nvm_version_dir)" 2>/dev/null
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/setup_dir b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/setup_dir
index a959f84..2dd0f3e 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/setup_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/setup_dir	
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 \. ../../../nvm.sh
 nvm install 0.10.28
 nvm install 0.10.29
+nvm install 4.7.1
+nvm install 4.7.2
 
 if [ -f ".nvmrc" ]; then
   mv .nvmrc .nvmrc.bak
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/teardown_dir b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/teardown_dir
index bd93f00..95bd476 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/teardown_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/teardown_dir	
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 \. ../../../nvm.sh
 nvm uninstall v0.10.28
 nvm uninstall v0.10.29
+nvm uninstall v4.7.1
+nvm uninstall v4.7.2
 
 rm -f .nvmrc
 
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/works with no installs b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/works with no installs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ade209a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/slow/nvm reinstall-packages/works with no installs	
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; exit 1; }
+
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+get_packages() {
+  npm list -g --depth=0 | \sed -e '1 d' -e 's/^.* \(.*\)@.*/\1/' -e '/^npm$/ d' | xargs
+}
+
+nvm use 4.7.2
+ORIGINAL_PACKAGES=$(get_packages)
+
+nvm reinstall-packages 4.7.1
+FINAL_PACKAGES=$(get_packages)
+
+[ -z "${ORIGINAL_PACKAGES}" ] || die "original packages were not empty: ${ORIGINAL_PACKAGES}"
+[ -z "${FINAL_PACKAGES}" ] || die "final packages were not empty: ${FINAL_PACKAGES}"