diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 5194234..3fb0e8b 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -16,5 +16,15 @@ For pull requests:
 
 Even if you don't have all of these items covered, please still feel free to submit a PR/issue! Someone else may be inspired and volunteer to complete it for you.
 
-Thanks again!
+## Running the test suite
 
+The most important part of any contribution is running the test suite to make sure the thing you did actually worked!
+
+```
+npm install
+make test
+```
+
+You might be asked for your password for some tests that require a few extra privileges. If you don't want to enter it, feel free not to, but the related tests will fail.
+
+Thanks again!
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3d0f07d..76640a4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
   - [System version of node](#system-version-of-node)
   - [Listing versions](#listing-versions)
   - [.nvmrc](#nvmrc)
+  - [.node-version](#node-version)
   - [Deeper Shell Integration](#deeper-shell-integration)
     - [zsh](#zsh)
       - [Calling `nvm use` automatically in a directory with a `.nvmrc` file](#calling-nvm-use-automatically-in-a-directory-with-a-nvmrc-file)
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ If you're running a system without prepackaged binary available, which means you
  - [bass](https://github.com/edc/bass) allows you to use utilities written for Bash in fish shell
  - [fast-nvm-fish](https://github.com/brigand/fast-nvm-fish) only works with version numbers (not aliases) but doesn't significantly slow your shell startup
  - [plugin-nvm](https://github.com/derekstavis/plugin-nvm) plugin for [Oh My Fish](https://github.com/oh-my-fish/oh-my-fish), which makes nvm and its completions available in fish shell
- - [fnm](https://github.com/fisherman/fnm) - [fisherman](https://github.com/fisherman/fisherman)-based version manager for fish 
+ - [fnm](https://github.com/fisherman/fnm) - [fisherman](https://github.com/fisherman/fisherman)-based version manager for fish
 
 **Note:** We still have some problems with FreeBSD, because there is no official pre-built binary for FreeBSD, and building from source may need [patches](https://www.freshports.org/www/node/files/patch-deps_v8_src_base_platform_platform-posix.cc); see the issue ticket:
  - [[#900] [Bug] nodejs on FreeBSD may need to be patched ](https://github.com/creationix/nvm/issues/900)
@@ -343,6 +344,17 @@ Found '/path/to/project/.nvmrc' with version <5.9>
 Now using node v5.9.1 (npm v3.7.3)
 ```
 
+### .node-version
+
+For a little compatability with other node version managers, nvm will also sniff for `.node-version` files, defaulting to `.nvmrc` if both are found in the same folder.
+
+```
+$ echo "5.9" > .node-version
+```
+
+Unlike `.nvmrc`, `.node-version` cannot contain a "versionish" (an alias, like `node`, `iojs`, or a custom alias you’ve defined). `.node-version` can only have versions in the format of v1, v1.2, or v1.2.3 (the `v` is optional).
+
+
 ### Deeper Shell Integration
 
 You can use [`avn`](https://github.com/wbyoung/avn) to deeply integrate into your shell and automatically invoke `nvm` when changing directories. `avn` is **not** supported by the `nvm` development team. Please [report issues to the `avn` team](https://github.com/wbyoung/avn/issues/new).
diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 472b20d..a4901d1 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -274,37 +274,43 @@ nvm_tree_contains_path() {
 # Traverse up in directory tree to find containing folder
 nvm_find_up() {
   local path
+  local file
   path="${PWD}"
-  while [ "${path}" != "" ] && [ ! -f "${path}/${1-}" ]; do
-    path=${path%/*}
-  done
-  nvm_echo "${path}"
-}
 
+  # Iterate through the multiple files
+  while [ $# -ne 0 ]; do
+    # Look for files in turn in this path
+    while [ "${path}" != "" ]; do
+      # Is the file here?
+      if [ ! -f "${path}/${1}" ]; then
+        file="${path}/${1}"
+        nvm_echo $file
+        break 2
+      fi
+    done
+    shift
+  done
+}
 
 nvm_find_nvmrc() {
-  local dir
-  dir="$(nvm_find_up '.nvmrc')"
-  if [ -e "${dir}/.nvmrc" ]; then
-    nvm_echo "${dir}/.nvmrc"
-  fi
+  nvm_echo "$(nvm_find_up '.nvmrc' '.node-version')"
 }
 
-# Obtain nvm version from rc file
 nvm_rc_version() {
   export NVM_RC_VERSION=''
   local NVMRC_PATH
   NVMRC_PATH="$(nvm_find_nvmrc)"
   if [ ! -e "${NVMRC_PATH}" ]; then
-    nvm_err "No .nvmrc file found"
+    nvm_err "No .nvmrc or .node-version file found"
     return 1
   fi
+  NVMRC_BASENAME="$(command basename "$NVMRC_PATH")"
   read -r NVM_RC_VERSION < "${NVMRC_PATH}" || printf ''
   if [ ! -n "${NVM_RC_VERSION}" ]; then
-    nvm_err "Warning: empty .nvmrc file found at \"${NVMRC_PATH}\""
+    nvm_err "Warning: empty \"${NVMRC_BASENAME}\" file found at \"${NVMRC_PATH}\""
     return 2
   fi
-  nvm_echo "Found '${NVMRC_PATH}' with version <${NVM_RC_VERSION}>"
+  nvm_echo "Found \"${NVMRC_BASENAME}\" with version <${NVM_RC_VERSION}>"
 }
 
 nvm_clang_version() {
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir b/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir
index e7853d8..5f728e4 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm exec/setup_dir	
@@ -9,3 +9,6 @@ if [ -f ".nvmrc" ]; then
   mv .nvmrc .nvmrc.bak
 fi
 
+if [ -f ".node-version" ]; then
+  mv .node-version .node-version.bak
+fi
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir b/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir
index ab6c7fc..b9d6274 100755
--- a/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir	
+++ b/test/slow/nvm exec/teardown_dir	
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@ nvm uninstall v1.0.0
 nvm uninstall --lts
 
 rm .nvmrc
+rm .node-version
 
 if [ -f ".nvmrc.bak" ]; then
   mv .nvmrc.bak .nvmrc
 fi
-
+if [ -f ".node-version.bak" ]; then
+  mv .node-version.bak .node-version
+fi
diff --git "a/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run\" should pick up .nvmrc version" "b/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run\" should pick up .nvmrc version"
index c3cb81e..93f0493 100755
--- "a/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run\" should pick up .nvmrc version"	
+++ "b/test/slow/nvm run/Running \"nvm run\" should pick up .nvmrc version"	
@@ -11,3 +11,14 @@ echo "0.10.7" > .nvmrc
 
 [ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .nvmrc\" message"
 
+echo "0.12.0" > .node-version
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | tail -1)" = "v0.10.7" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to run with the .nvmrc version"
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.nvmrc' with version <0.10.7>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .nvmrc\" message"
+
+rm .nvmrc
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | tail -1)" = "v0.12.0" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to run with the .node-version version"
+
+[ "$(nvm run --version | head -1)" = "Found '$PWD/.node-version' with version <0.12.0>" ] || die "\`nvm run\` failed to print out the \"found in .node-version\" message"