diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index f989b1c..84479f4 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -144,3 +144,6 @@ on Arch Linux and other systems using python3 by default, before running *instal
 
       export PYTHON=python2
 
+After the v0.8.6 release of node, nvm tries to install from binary packages. But in some systems, the official binary packages don't work due to incompatibility of shared libs. In such cases, use `-s` option to force install from source:
+
+    nvm install -s 0.8.6
diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 303925b..65a0462 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ nvm()
       echo
       echo "Usage:"
       echo "    nvm help                    Show this message"
-      echo "    nvm install <version>       Download and install a <version>"
+      echo "    nvm install [-s] <version>  Download and install a <version>"
       echo "    nvm uninstall <version>     Uninstall a version"
       echo "    nvm use <version>           Modify PATH to use <version>"
       echo "    nvm run <version> [<args>]  Run <version> with <args> as arguments"
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ nvm()
       local sum
       local tarball
       local shasum='shasum'
+      local nobinary
 
       if [ ! `which curl` ]; then
         echo 'NVM Needs curl to proceed.' >&2;
@@ -193,10 +194,20 @@ nvm()
         nvm help
         return
       fi
-      VERSION=`nvm_remote_version $2`
+
+      shift
+
+      nobinary=0
+      if [ "$1" = "-s" ]; then
+        nobinary=1
+        shift
+      fi
+
+      VERSION=`nvm_remote_version $1`
       ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS=''
+
       shift
-      shift
+
       while [ $# -ne 0 ]
       do
         ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS="$ADDITIONAL_PARAMETERS $1"
@@ -205,34 +216,37 @@ nvm()
 
       [ -d "$NVM_DIR/$VERSION" ] && echo "$VERSION is already installed." && return
 
-      # shortcut - try the binary if possible.
-      if [ -n "$os" ]; then
-        binavail=
-        # binaries started with node 0.8.6
-        case "$VERSION" in
-          v0.8.[012345]) binavail=0 ;;
-          v0.[1234567]) binavail=0 ;;
-          *) binavail=1 ;;
-        esac
-        if [ $binavail -eq 1 ]; then
-          t="$VERSION-$os-$arch"
-          url="http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/node-${t}.tar.gz"
-          sum=`curl -s http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/SHASUMS.txt.asc | grep node-${t}.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'`
-          if (
-            mkdir -p "$NVM_DIR/bin/node-${t}" && \
-            cd "$NVM_DIR/bin" && \
-            curl -C - --progress-bar $url -o "node-${t}.tar.gz" && \
-            nvm_checksum `${shasum} node-${t}.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'` $sum && \
-            tar -xzf "node-${t}.tar.gz" -C "node-${t}" --strip-components 1 && \
-            mv "node-${t}" "../$VERSION" && \
-            rm -f "node-${t}.tar.gz"
-            )
-          then
-            nvm use $VERSION
-            return;
-          else
-            echo "Binary download failed, trying source." >&2
-            cd "$NVM_DIR/bin" && rm -rf "node-${t}.tar.gz" "node-${t}"
+      # skip binary install if no binary option specified.
+      if [ $nobinary -ne 1 ]; then
+        # shortcut - try the binary if possible.
+        if [ -n "$os" ]; then
+          binavail=
+          # binaries started with node 0.8.6
+          case "$VERSION" in
+            v0.8.[012345]) binavail=0 ;;
+            v0.[1234567].*) binavail=0 ;;
+            *) binavail=1 ;;
+          esac
+          if [ $binavail -eq 1 ]; then
+            t="$VERSION-$os-$arch"
+            url="http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/node-${t}.tar.gz"
+            sum=`curl -s http://nodejs.org/dist/$VERSION/SHASUMS.txt | grep node-${t}.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'`
+            if (
+              mkdir -p "$NVM_DIR/bin/node-${t}" && \
+              cd "$NVM_DIR/bin" && \
+              curl -C - --progress-bar $url -o "node-${t}.tar.gz" && \
+              nvm_checksum `${shasum} node-${t}.tar.gz | awk '{print $1}'` $sum && \
+              tar -xzf "node-${t}.tar.gz" -C "node-${t}" --strip-components 1 && \
+              mv "node-${t}" "../$VERSION" && \
+              rm -f "node-${t}.tar.gz"
+              )
+            then
+              nvm use $VERSION
+              return;
+            else
+              echo "Binary download failed, trying source." >&2
+              cd "$NVM_DIR/bin" && rm -rf "node-${t}.tar.gz" "node-${t}"
+            fi
           fi
         fi
       fi
diff --git a/test/slow/install from binary b/test/slow/install from binary
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c22e0d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/slow/install from binary	
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+. ../../nvm.sh
+
+# Remove the stuff we're clobbering.
+[ -e ../../v0.8.6 ] && rm -R ../../v0.8.6
+
+# Install from binary
+nvm install 0.8.6
+
+# Check
+[ -d ../../v0.8.6 ]
+nvm run v0.8.6 --version | grep v0.8.6
diff --git a/test/slow/install from source b/test/slow/install from source
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d124b27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/slow/install from source	
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+. ../../nvm.sh
+
+# Remove the stuff we're clobbering.
+[ -e ../../v0.8.6 ] && rm -R ../../v0.8.6
+
+# Install from source
+nvm install -s 0.8.6
+
+# Check
+[ -d ../../v0.8.6 ]
+nvm run v0.8.6 --version | grep v0.8.6