diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 2d503d7a..e4576577 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -2479,10 +2479,15 @@ nvm_ls() {
       *-*) NVM_PRERELEASE_PATTERN="${PATTERN}" ;;
     esac
     if [ -n "${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH1}${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH2}${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH3}" ]; then
+      # the directories are matched literally, so escape characters that are special in sed
+      local NVM_DIR_SED
+      NVM_DIR_SED="$(nvm_echo "${NVM_DIR}" | command sed 's/[][\.*^$#]/\\&/g')"
+      local NVM_VERSION_DIR_IOJS_SED
+      NVM_VERSION_DIR_IOJS_SED="$(nvm_echo "${NVM_VERSION_DIR_IOJS}" | command sed 's/[][\.*^$#]/\\&/g')"
       VERSIONS="$(command find "${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH1}"/* "${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH2}"/* "${NVM_DIRS_TO_SEARCH3}"/* -name . -o -type d -prune -o -path "${PATTERN}*" \
         | command sed -e "
-            s#${NVM_VERSION_DIR_IOJS}/#versions/${NVM_IOJS_PREFIX}/#;
-            s#^${NVM_DIR}/##;
+            s#${NVM_VERSION_DIR_IOJS_SED}/#versions/${NVM_IOJS_PREFIX}/#;
+            s#^${NVM_DIR_SED}/##;
             \\#^[^v]# d;
             \\#^versions\$# d;
             s#^versions/##;
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_ls matches NVM_DIR literally b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_ls matches NVM_DIR literally
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0b7a65db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_ls matches NVM_DIR literally	
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+
+cleanup() {
+  rm -rf "${TEST_DIR-}"
+  unset TEST_DIR NVM_DIR DIR
+}
+
+: nvm.sh
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+\. ../../common.sh
+
+TEST_DIR="${PWD}/nvm_ls_literal_nvm_dir_tmp"
+
+# each of these made sed match no installed versions, or fail to compile
+for DIR in 'nvm\test' 'a[x]b' 'h#sh' 'st*r'; do
+  NVM_DIR="${TEST_DIR}/${DIR}"
+  for VERSION in versions/node/v24.11.0 v0.10.5 versions/io.js/v1.0.0; do
+    mkdir -p "${NVM_DIR}/${VERSION}/bin" || die "failed to create ${VERSION} dir under ${NVM_DIR}"
+    make_echo "${NVM_DIR}/${VERSION}/bin/node" "${VERSION##*/}" || die "failed to create ${VERSION} node binary under ${NVM_DIR}"
+  done
+
+  # one version per layout; no pattern, or `v`, would also list a system node
+  try nvm_ls 0.10
+  [ "_${CAPTURED_STDOUT}" = '_v0.10.5' ] || die "\`nvm_ls 0.10\` under \`${NVM_DIR}\` should output >v0.10.5<; got >${CAPTURED_STDOUT}<"
+
+  try nvm_ls 24
+  [ "_${CAPTURED_STDOUT}" = '_v24.11.0' ] || die "\`nvm_ls 24\` under \`${NVM_DIR}\` should output >v24.11.0<; got >${CAPTURED_STDOUT}<"
+
+  try nvm_ls iojs
+  [ "_${CAPTURED_STDOUT}" = '_iojs-v1.0.0' ] || die "\`nvm_ls iojs\` under \`${NVM_DIR}\` should output >iojs-v1.0.0<; got >${CAPTURED_STDOUT}<"
+done
+unset VERSION
+
+cleanup