diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 1a8fbe8..240e53f 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -472,16 +472,33 @@ nvm() {
 
       VERSION=`nvm_remote_version $provided_version`
       ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS=''
+      local PROVIDED_COPY_PACKAGES_FROM
+      local COPY_PACKAGES_FROM
 
       while [ $# -ne 0 ]
       do
-        ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS="$ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS $1"
+        if [ "~$(echo "$1" | cut -c 1-21)" = "~--copy-packages-from=" ]; then
+          PROVIDED_COPY_PACKAGES_FROM="$(echo "$1" | cut -c 22-)"
+          COPY_PACKAGES_FROM="$(nvm_version "$PROVIDED_COPY_PACKAGES_FROM")"
+        else
+          ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS="$ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS $1"
+        fi
         shift
       done
 
+      if [ "~$(nvm_format_version "$PROVIDED_COPY_PACKAGES_FROM")" = "~$VERSION" ]; then
+        echo "You can't copy global packages from the same version of node you're installing." >&2
+        return 4
+      elif [ ! -z "$PROVIDED_COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" ] && [ "~$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" = "~N/A" ]; then
+        echo "If --copy-packages-from is provided, it must point to an installed version of node." >&2
+        return 5
+      fi
+
       if [ -d "$(nvm_version_path "$VERSION")" ]; then
         echo "$VERSION is already installed." >&2
-        nvm use "$VERSION"
+        if nvm use "$VERSION" && [ ! -z "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" ] && [ "~$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" != "~N/A" ]; then
+          nvm copy-packages "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM"
+        fi
         return $?
       fi
 
@@ -511,7 +528,9 @@ nvm() {
               mv "$tmpdir" "$(nvm_version_path "$VERSION")"
               )
             then
-              nvm use $VERSION
+              if nvm use "$VERSION" && [ ! -z "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" ] && [ "~$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" != "~N/A" ]; then
+                nvm copy-packages "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM"
+              fi
               return $?
             else
               echo "Binary download failed, trying source." >&2
@@ -555,7 +574,9 @@ nvm() {
         $make $MAKE_CXX install
         )
       then
-        nvm use $VERSION
+        if nvm use "$VERSION" && [ ! -z "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" ] && [ "~$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM" != "~N/A" ]; then
+          nvm copy-packages "$COPY_PACKAGES_FROM"
+        fi
         if ! nvm_has "npm" ; then
           echo "Installing npm..."
           if nvm_version_greater 0.2.0 "$VERSION"; then
@@ -574,6 +595,8 @@ nvm() {
         echo "nvm: install $VERSION failed!" >&2
         return 1
       fi
+
+      return $?
     ;;
     "uninstall" )
       [ $# -ne 2 ] && nvm help && return
diff --git "a/test/fast/Running \"nvm install\" with \"--copy-packages-from\" requires a valid version" "b/test/fast/Running \"nvm install\" with \"--copy-packages-from\" requires a valid version"
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bbd7cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/test/fast/Running \"nvm install\" with \"--copy-packages-from\" requires a valid version"	
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo $@ ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+cleanup () {
+  rm -rf ../../v0.10.4
+}
+
+mkdir ../../v0.10.4
+
+. ../../nvm.sh
+
+nvm deactivate >/dev/null 2>&1
+
+INSTALL_ERROR_MSG="$(nvm install v0.10.5 --copy-packages-from=0.11 2>&1)"
+EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG="If --copy-packages-from is provided, it must point to an installed version of node."
+[ "~$INSTALL_ERROR_MSG" = "~$EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG" ] \
+  || die ""nvm install --copy-packages" should fail when given an uninstalled version: expected '$EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG', got '$INSTALL_ERROR_MSG'"
+
+INSTALL_EXIT_CODE="$(nvm install v0.10.5 --copy-packages-from=0.11 >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $?)"
+[ "~$INSTALL_EXIT_CODE" = "~5" ] \
+  || die ""nvm install --copy-packages" should exit with code 5 when given an uninstalled version, got $INSTALL_EXIT_CODE"
+
+INSTALL_ERROR_MSG="$(nvm install v0.10.5 --copy-packages-from=0.10.5 2>&1)"
+EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG="You can't copy global packages from the same version of node you're installing."
+[ "~$INSTALL_ERROR_MSG" = "~$EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG" ] \
+  || die ""nvm install --copy-packages" should fail when given the same version: expected '$EXPECTED_ERROR_MSG', got '$INSTALL_ERROR_MSG'"
+
+INSTALL_EXIT_CODE="$(nvm install v0.10.5 --copy-packages-from=0.10.5 >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $?)"
+[ "~$INSTALL_EXIT_CODE" = "~4" ] \
+  || die ""nvm install --copy-packages" should exit with code 4 when given the same version, got $INSTALL_EXIT_CODE"
+
diff --git a/test/installation/install while copying packages b/test/installation/install while copying packages
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..45cafb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/installation/install while copying packages	
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo $@ ; exit 1; }
+
+. ../../nvm.sh
+
+# Remove the stuff we're clobbering.
+[ -e ../../v0.9.7 ] && rm -R ../../v0.9.7
+[ -e ../../v0.9.12 ] && rm -R ../../v0.9.12
+
+# Install from binary
+nvm install 0.9.7
+
+# Check
+[ -d ../../v0.9.7 ] || die "nvm install 0.9.7 didn't install"
+
+nvm use 0.9.7
+
+node --version | grep v0.9.7 > /dev/null || die "nvm use 0.9.7 failed"
+
+npm install -g is-nan@1.0.1 || die "npm install -g is-nan failed"
+npm list --global | grep is-nan > /dev/null || die "is-nan isn't installed"
+
+nvm ls 0.9 | grep v0.9.7 > /dev/null || die "nvm ls 0.9 didn't show v0.9.7"
+
+nvm install 0.9.12 --copy-packages-from=0.9 || die "nvm install 0.9.12 --copy-packages-from=0.9 failed"
+
+[ -d ../../v0.9.12 ] || die "nvm install 0.9.12 didn't install"
+
+nvm use 0.9
+node --version | grep v0.9.12 > /dev/null || die "nvm ls 0.9 didn't use v0.9.12"
+
+npm list --global | grep is-nan > /dev/null || die "is-nan isn't installed"
+