diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 8d3dd7d..4e8448e 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -758,6 +758,11 @@ nvm_version() {
     ;;
   esac
   VERSION="$(nvm_ls "${PATTERN}" | command tail -1)"
+  case "${VERSION}" in
+    system[[:blank:]]*)
+      VERSION='system'
+    ;;
+  esac
   if [ -z "${VERSION}" ] || [ "_${VERSION}" = "_N/A" ]; then
     nvm_echo "N/A"
     return 3
@@ -1462,6 +1467,18 @@ nvm_ls() {
       PATTERN="${PATTERN}-"
     ;;
     *)
+      local ALIAS_TARGET
+      ALIAS_TARGET="$(nvm_resolve_alias "${PATTERN}" 2>/dev/null || nvm_echo)"
+      if [ "_${ALIAS_TARGET}" = '_system' ] && (nvm_has_system_iojs || nvm_has_system_node); then
+        local SYSTEM_VERSION
+        SYSTEM_VERSION="$(nvm deactivate >/dev/null 2>&1 && node -v 2>/dev/null)"
+        if [ -n "${SYSTEM_VERSION}" ]; then
+          nvm_echo "system ${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+        else
+          nvm_echo "system"
+        fi
+        return
+      fi
       if nvm_resolve_local_alias "${PATTERN}"; then
         return
       fi
@@ -1565,13 +1582,24 @@ nvm_ls() {
   fi
 
   if [ "${NVM_ADD_SYSTEM-}" = true ]; then
+    local SYSTEM_VERSION
+    SYSTEM_VERSION="$(nvm deactivate >/dev/null 2>&1 && node -v 2>/dev/null)"
     case "${PATTERN}" in
       '' | v)
-        VERSIONS="${VERSIONS}
+        if [ -n "${SYSTEM_VERSION}" ]; then
+          VERSIONS="${VERSIONS}
+system ${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+        else
+          VERSIONS="${VERSIONS}
 system"
+        fi
       ;;
       system)
-        VERSIONS="system"
+        if [ -n "${SYSTEM_VERSION}" ]; then
+          VERSIONS="system ${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+        else
+          VERSIONS="system"
+        fi
       ;;
     esac
   fi
@@ -1913,6 +1941,7 @@ BEGIN {
 
   fmt_latest_lts = has_colors && latest_lts_color ? ("\033[" latest_lts_color " (Latest LTS: %s)\033[0m") : " (Latest LTS: %s)";
   fmt_old_lts = has_colors && old_lts_color ? ("\033[" old_lts_color " (LTS: %s)\033[0m") : " (LTS: %s)";
+  fmt_system_target = has_colors && system_color ? (" (\033[" system_color "-> %s\033[0m)") : " (-> %s)";
 
   split(remote_versions, lines, "|");
   split(installed_versions, installed, "|");
@@ -1944,6 +1973,8 @@ BEGIN {
 
     if (cols == 1) {
       formatted = sprintf(fmt_version, version);
+    } else if (version == "system" && cols >= 2) {
+      formatted = sprintf((fmt_version fmt_system_target), version, fields[2]);
     } else if (cols == 2) {
       formatted = sprintf((fmt_version padding fmt_old_lts), version, fields[2]);
     } else if (cols == 3 && fields[3] == "*") {
diff --git a/test/fast/Listing paths/Running 'nvm which' should respect alias pointing to system b/test/fast/Listing paths/Running 'nvm which' should respect alias pointing to system
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e50a270
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Listing paths/Running 'nvm which' should respect alias pointing to system	
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -ex
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+cleanup() {
+  rm -f "$(nvm_alias_path)/default"
+  if [ -n "${SYSTEM_DIR-}" ]; then
+    rm -rf "${SYSTEM_DIR}"
+  fi
+  if [ -n "${ORIG_PATH-}" ]; then
+    PATH="${ORIG_PATH}"
+  fi
+}
+
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+nvm_make_alias default system
+
+ORIG_PATH="${PATH}"
+SYSTEM_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+cat > "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/sh
+echo v0.0.0
+EOF
+chmod +x "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node"
+PATH="${SYSTEM_DIR}:${PATH}"
+export PATH
+
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT="$(command which node)"
+set +ex # since stderr is needed
+OUTPUT="$(nvm which default 2>&1)"
+set -ex
+[ "${OUTPUT}" = "${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}" ] || die "Could not use system via alias for nvm which. Got >${OUTPUT}<, expected >${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}<"
+
+cleanup
diff --git a/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls default' should show system version when available b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls default' should show system version when available
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1fb0166
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls default' should show system version when available	
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+cleanup () {
+  rm -f "$(nvm_alias_path)/default"
+  unset -f nvm_has_system_node node
+}
+
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+\. ../../common.sh
+
+nvm_make_alias default system
+nvm_has_system_node() { return 0; }
+node() { command printf 'v0.0.0'; }
+
+OUTPUT="$(nvm ls default | strip_colors)"
+echo "${OUTPUT}" | command grep -q 'system' \
+  || die "Could not list system via alias. Got >${OUTPUT}<"
+echo "${OUTPUT}" | command grep -q 'v0.0.0' \
+  || die "Could not list system version via alias. Got >${OUTPUT}<"
+
+cleanup
diff --git a/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should display all installed versions b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should display all installed versions
index f56846d..5fed306 100755
--- a/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should display all installed versions	
+++ b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should display all installed versions	
@@ -39,7 +39,13 @@ iojs-v0.10.2
 v0.12.9
 v0.12.87"
 if nvm_has_system_node || nvm_has_system_iojs; then
-  EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
+  SYSTEM_VERSION="$(nvm deactivate >/dev/null 2>&1 && node -v 2>/dev/null)"
+  if [ -n "${SYSTEM_VERSION}" ]; then
+    EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
+system ${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+  else
+    EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
 system"
+  fi
 fi
 [ "${OUTPUT-}" = "${EXPECTED_OUTPUT-}" ] || die "expected >${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}<; got >${OUTPUT}<"
diff --git a/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should not show a trailing slash b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should not show a trailing slash
index 7e891f3..e00db85 100755
--- a/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should not show a trailing slash	
+++ b/test/fast/Listing versions/Running 'nvm ls' should not show a trailing slash	
@@ -37,7 +37,13 @@ iojs-v0.10.2
 v0.12.9
 v0.12.87"
 if nvm_has_system_node || nvm_has_system_iojs; then
-  EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
+  SYSTEM_VERSION="$(nvm deactivate >/dev/null 2>&1 && node -v 2>/dev/null)"
+  if [ -n "${SYSTEM_VERSION}" ]; then
+    EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
+system ${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+  else
+    EXPECTED_OUTPUT="${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}
 system"
+  fi
 fi
 [ "${OUTPUT-}" = "${EXPECTED_OUTPUT-}" ] || die "expected >${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}<; got >${OUTPUT}<"
diff --git a/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect alias pointing to system b/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect alias pointing to system
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..97fbac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect alias pointing to system	
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -ex
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+cleanup () {
+  rm -f "$(nvm_alias_path)/default"
+  if [ -n "${SYSTEM_DIR-}" ]; then
+    rm -rf "${SYSTEM_DIR}"
+  fi
+  if [ -n "${ORIG_PATH-}" ]; then
+    PATH="${ORIG_PATH}"
+  fi
+  unset -f nvm_print_npm_version
+}
+
+\. ../../nvm.sh
+
+nvm_make_alias default system
+
+ORIG_PATH="${PATH}"
+SYSTEM_VERSION="v0.0.0"
+SYSTEM_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+cat > "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node" <<EOF
+#!/bin/sh
+command printf '%s\n' "${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+EOF
+chmod +x "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node"
+PATH="${SYSTEM_DIR}:${PATH}"
+nvm_print_npm_version() { command printf ' (npm v1.2.3)'; }
+
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT="Now using system version of node: ${SYSTEM_VERSION}$(nvm_print_npm_version)"
+set +ex # since stderr is needed
+OUTPUT="$(nvm use default 2>&1)"
+set -ex
+[ "${OUTPUT}" = "${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}" ] || die "Could not use system via alias. Got >${OUTPUT}<, expected >${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}<"
+
+cleanup
diff --git a/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect system in .nvmrc b/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect system in .nvmrc
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..03909b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Running 'nvm use' should respect system in .nvmrc	
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -ex
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+cleanup () {
+  rm -f .nvmrc
+  if [ -f .nvmrc.orig ]; then
+    mv .nvmrc.orig .nvmrc
+  fi
+  if [ -n "${SYSTEM_DIR-}" ]; then
+    rm -rf "${SYSTEM_DIR}"
+  fi
+  if [ -n "${ORIG_PATH-}" ]; then
+    PATH="${ORIG_PATH}"
+  fi
+  unset -f nvm_print_npm_version
+}
+
+\. ../../nvm.sh
+
+if [ -f .nvmrc ]; then mv .nvmrc .nvmrc.orig; fi
+printf 'system\n' > .nvmrc
+ORIG_PATH="${PATH}"
+SYSTEM_VERSION="v0.0.0"
+SYSTEM_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+cat > "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node" <<EOF
+#!/bin/sh
+command printf '%s\n' "${SYSTEM_VERSION}"
+EOF
+chmod +x "${SYSTEM_DIR}/node"
+PATH="${SYSTEM_DIR}:${PATH}"
+nvm_print_npm_version() { command printf ' (npm v1.2.3)'; }
+
+NVMRC_PATH="${PWD}/.nvmrc"
+EXPECTED_OUTPUT="Found '${NVMRC_PATH}' with version <system>
+Now using system version of node: ${SYSTEM_VERSION}$(nvm_print_npm_version)"
+set +ex # since stderr is needed
+OUTPUT="$(nvm use 2>&1)"
+set -ex
+[ "${OUTPUT}" = "${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}" ] || die "Could not use system via .nvmrc. Got >${OUTPUT}<, expected >${EXPECTED_OUTPUT}<"
+
+cleanup
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_version b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_version
index ce980de..49fc5d0 100755
--- a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_version	
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_version	
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ nvm_ls() {
 [ "_$(nvm_version node)" = "_pattern: stable" ] || die '"nvm_version node" did not pass "stable" to "nvm_ls"'
 [ "_$(nvm_version node-)" = "_pattern: stable" ] || die '"nvm_version node-" did not pass "stable" to "nvm_ls"'
 
+nvm_ls() { echo "system v20.0.0"; }
+[ "_$(nvm_version system)" = "_system" ] || die '"nvm_version system" did not return "system" when "nvm_ls" returns extra columns'
+
 nvm_ls() { echo "N/A"; }
 OUTPUT="$(nvm_version foo)"
 EXPECTED_OUTPUT="N/A"