diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 54a0d376..6af2eb1f 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -3292,28 +3292,41 @@ nvm_print_implicit_alias() {
       LAST_TWO=$($NVM_COMMAND | nvm_grep -e '^v' | command cut -c2- | command cut -d . -f 1,2 | uniq)
     ;;
   esac
-  local MINOR
   local STABLE
   STABLE=''
   local UNSTABLE
   UNSTABLE=''
-  local MOD
-  local NORMALIZED_VERSION
-
-  nvm_is_zsh && setopt local_options shwordsplit
-  for MINOR in $LAST_TWO; do
-    NORMALIZED_VERSION="$(nvm_normalize_version "$MINOR")"
-    if [ "_0${NORMALIZED_VERSION#?}" != "_$NORMALIZED_VERSION" ]; then
-      STABLE="$MINOR"
+  local NVM_CLASSIFIED
+  NVM_CLASSIFIED=''
+  if [ -n "${LAST_TWO}" ]; then
+    NVM_CLASSIFIED=$(command awk -v requested="$2" '
+    NF {
+      split($0, parts, /\./);
+      normalized = sprintf("%d%06d%06d", parts[1], parts[2], parts[3]);
+      if (substr(normalized, 1, 1) != "0") {
+        stable = $0;
+      } else {
+        parity = int(normalized / 1000000) % 2;
+        if (parity == 0) { stable = $0; }
+        else if (parity == 1) { unstable = $0; }
+      }
+    }
+    END {
+      selected = requested == "stable" ? stable : unstable;
+      if (selected != "") { print "v" selected; }
+    }
+  ' <<EOF
+${LAST_TWO}
+EOF
+    )
+  fi
+  if [ -n "${NVM_CLASSIFIED}" ]; then
+    if [ "_$2" = '_stable' ]; then
+      STABLE="${NVM_CLASSIFIED#v}"
     else
-      MOD="$(awk 'BEGIN { print int(ARGV[1] / 1000000) % 2 ; exit(0) }' "${NORMALIZED_VERSION}")"
-      if [ "${MOD}" -eq 0 ]; then
-        STABLE="${MINOR}"
-      elif [ "${MOD}" -eq 1 ]; then
-        UNSTABLE="${MINOR}"
-      fi
+      UNSTABLE="${NVM_CLASSIFIED#v}"
     fi
-  done
+  fi
 
   if [ "_$2" = '_stable' ]; then
     nvm_echo "${STABLE}"
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_print_implicit_alias classification b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_print_implicit_alias classification
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..31d46ae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_print_implicit_alias classification	
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo "$@"; exit 1; }
+\. ../../../nvm.sh --no-use
+
+nvm_ls() { printf '%s\n' "${VERSIONS}"; }
+nvm_ls_remote() { printf '%s\n' "${VERSIONS}"; }
+
+VERSIONS='v0.2.3
+v0.3.4
+v0.4.6
+v0.5.7
+v1.0.0
+v1.1.0
+v20.9.1
+v20.9.2'
+for MODE in local remote; do
+  [ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias "${MODE}" stable)" = '20.9' ] || die "${MODE} stable"
+  [ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias "${MODE}" unstable)" = '0.5' ] || die "${MODE} unstable"
+done
+VERSIONS='v0.1.0
+v0.3.1'
+[ -z "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local stable)" ] || die 'odd-only stable'
+[ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local unstable)" = '0.3' ] || die 'odd-only unstable'
+VERSIONS='v0.2.0
+v0.4.1'
+[ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local stable)" = '0.4' ] || die 'even-only stable'
+[ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local unstable)" = 'N/A' ] || die 'even-only unstable'
+VERSIONS=''
+[ -z "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local stable)" ] || die 'empty stable'
+[ "$(nvm_print_implicit_alias local unstable)" = 'N/A' ] || die 'empty unstable'
+
+# Count actual awk launches, without timing-dependent assertions or provider calls.
+COUNT_DIR=$(mktemp -d) || die 'temporary directory'
+trap 'rm -f "${COUNT_DIR}/awk" "${COUNT_DIR}/calls"; rmdir "${COUNT_DIR}"' EXIT HUP INT TERM
+REAL_AWK=$(command -v awk)
+export REAL_AWK COUNT_DIR
+printf '%s\n' '#!/bin/sh' 'echo called >> "${COUNT_DIR}/calls"' 'exec "${REAL_AWK}" "$@"' > "${COUNT_DIR}/awk"
+chmod +x "${COUNT_DIR}/awk"
+VERSIONS='v1.0.1
+v1.1.1
+v1.2.1
+v1.3.1
+v1.4.1
+v1.5.1'
+RESULT=$(PATH="${COUNT_DIR}:${PATH}" nvm_print_implicit_alias local stable)
+[ "${RESULT}" = '1.5' ] || die 'latest minor classification'
+CALLS=$(wc -l < "${COUNT_DIR}/calls")
+[ "${CALLS}" -le 1 ] || die "classification launched ${CALLS} awk processes for six minors"
+
+VERSIONS=''
+: > "${COUNT_DIR}/calls"
+RESULT=$(PATH="${COUNT_DIR}:${PATH}" nvm_print_implicit_alias local unstable)
+[ "${RESULT}" = 'N/A' ] || die 'empty unstable classification'
+CALLS=$(wc -l < "${COUNT_DIR}/calls")
+[ "${CALLS}" -eq 0 ] || die "empty classification launched ${CALLS} awk processes"