diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index b8ffb0d..a74414d 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -339,10 +339,12 @@ nvm_ensure_version_prefix() {
 nvm_format_version() {
   local VERSION
   VERSION="$(nvm_ensure_version_prefix "$1")"
-  if [ "_$(nvm_num_version_groups "$VERSION")" != "_3" ]; then
+  local NUM_GROUPS
+  NUM_GROUPS="$(nvm_num_version_groups "$VERSION")"
+  if [ $NUM_GROUPS -lt 3 ]; then
     nvm_format_version "${VERSION%.}.0"
   else
-    echo "$VERSION"
+    echo "$VERSION" | cut -f1-3 -d.
   fi
 }
 
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_format_version b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_format_version
index 134ca75..e77b3da 100755
--- a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_format_version	
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_format_version	
@@ -4,11 +4,18 @@ die () { echo $@ ; exit 1; }
 
 . ../../../nvm.sh
 
-OUTPUT="$(nvm_format_version 0.1.2)"
+INPUT="0.1.2"
+OUTPUT="$(nvm_format_version "$INPUT")"
 EXPECTED_OUTPUT="v0.1.2"
-[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "nvm_format_version 0.1.2 did not return $EXPECTED_OUTPUT; got $OUTPUT"
+[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "nvm_format_version $INPUT did not return $EXPECTED_OUTPUT; got $OUTPUT"
 
-OUTPUT="$(nvm_format_version 0.1)"
+INPUT="0.1"
+OUTPUT="$(nvm_format_version "$INPUT")"
 EXPECTED_OUTPUT="v0.1.0"
-[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "nvm_format_version 0.1.0 did not return $EXPECTED_OUTPUT; got $OUTPUT"
+[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "nvm_format_version $INPUT did not return $EXPECTED_OUTPUT; got $OUTPUT"
+
+INPUT="1.2.3.4.5"
+OUTPUT="$(nvm_format_version "$INPUT")"
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT="v1.2.3"
+[ "_$OUTPUT" = "_$EXPECTED_OUTPUT" ] || die "nvm_format_version $INPUT did not return $EXPECTED_OUTPUT; got $OUTPUT"