diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index d5d4c088..d2e7f680 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -218,6 +218,52 @@ nvm_is_version_installed() {
   return 1
 }
 
+# Sanity-check an installed version's layout: a non-empty, executable bin/node
+# and, if present, an npm entry that resolves. nvm_is_version_installed only
+# tests the bin/node exec bit, which a zero-byte binary and a dangling npm
+# symlink both pass; this catches those, so a partial install is not reported
+# as a success. It deliberately does NOT execute node: a correctly installed
+# binary can still fail to run on an incompatible host (e.g. a newer node on an
+# older glibc), which is not a broken install - and a corrupt download is
+# already rejected by the checksum check before extraction.
+nvm_validate_install() {
+  local VERSION
+  VERSION="${1-}"
+  if [ -z "${VERSION}" ]; then
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  local VERSION_PATH
+  VERSION_PATH="$(nvm_version_path "${VERSION}" 2>/dev/null)"
+  if [ -z "${VERSION_PATH}" ] || [ ! -d "${VERSION_PATH}" ]; then
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  local NVM_NODE_BINARY
+  NVM_NODE_BINARY='node'
+  if [ "_$(nvm_get_os)" = '_win' ]; then
+    NVM_NODE_BINARY='node.exe'
+  fi
+
+  local NVM_NODE_PATH
+  NVM_NODE_PATH="${VERSION_PATH}/bin/${NVM_NODE_BINARY}"
+  # A zero-byte file with the exec bit set still passes `[ -x ]` (the shell
+  # would run it as an empty script), so require a non-empty executable.
+  if [ ! -s "${NVM_NODE_PATH}" ] || [ ! -x "${NVM_NODE_PATH}" ]; then
+    nvm_err "The installed node binary at ${NVM_NODE_PATH} is missing or empty."
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  # npm ships with every supported node/io.js version; if its entry is a
+  # symlink it must resolve (one pointing at a removed target counts as broken).
+  if [ -h "${VERSION_PATH}/bin/npm" ] && [ ! -e "${VERSION_PATH}/bin/npm" ]; then
+    nvm_err "npm for ${VERSION} is a dangling symlink."
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  return 0
+}
+
 nvm_print_npm_version() {
   if nvm_has "npm"; then
     local NPM_VERSION
@@ -3817,7 +3863,7 @@ nvm() {
 
       EXIT_CODE=0
 
-      if nvm_is_version_installed "${VERSION}"; then
+      if nvm_is_version_installed "${VERSION}" && nvm_validate_install "${VERSION}"; then
         nvm_err "${VERSION} is already installed."
         nvm use "${VERSION}"
         EXIT_CODE=$?
@@ -3919,6 +3965,11 @@ nvm() {
         fi
       fi
 
+      if [ $EXIT_CODE -eq 0 ] && ! nvm_validate_install "${VERSION}"; then
+        nvm_err "The install of ${VERSION} reported success but failed verification; not activating it."
+        EXIT_CODE=1
+      fi
+
       if [ $EXIT_CODE -eq 0 ]; then
         if nvm_use_if_needed "${VERSION}" && nvm_install_npm_if_needed "${VERSION}"; then
           if [ -n "${LTS-}" ]; then
@@ -4789,7 +4840,7 @@ nvm() {
         nvm_echo nvm_err nvm_grep nvm_cd \
         nvm_die_on_prefix nvm_get_make_jobs nvm_get_minor_version \
         nvm_has_solaris_binary nvm_is_merged_node_version \
-        nvm_is_natural_num nvm_is_version_installed \
+        nvm_is_natural_num nvm_is_version_installed nvm_validate_install \
         nvm_list_aliases nvm_make_alias nvm_print_alias_path \
         nvm_print_default_alias nvm_print_formatted_alias nvm_resolve_local_alias \
         nvm_sanitize_path nvm_has_colors nvm_process_parameters \
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm install verifies the installed version b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm install verifies the installed version
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..8ac87399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm install verifies the installed version	
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+cleanup() {
+  [ -n "${NVM_DIR}" ] && [ -d "${NVM_DIR}" ] && rm -rf "${NVM_DIR}"
+  unset -f die cleanup make_healthy make_broken \
+    nvm_remote_version nvm_has_executable nvm_binary_available \
+    nvm_install_binary nvm_install_source nvm_use_if_needed \
+    nvm_install_npm_if_needed nvm_install_default_packages nvm_ensure_default_set
+  unset NVM_DIR version version_path REINSTALL_MARKER OUTPUT EXIT_CODE
+}
+
+die() { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+
+: nvm.sh
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+unset npm_config_prefix NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX
+
+NVM_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+[ -n "${NVM_DIR}" ] || die 'unable to create temp NVM_DIR'
+
+version='v20.0.0'
+version_path="${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/${version}"
+REINSTALL_MARKER="${NVM_DIR}/reinstalled"
+
+# Stay offline and keep the post-install activation path inert; only the
+# verification behaviour is under test here.
+nvm_remote_version() { nvm_echo "${version}"; }
+nvm_has_executable() { return 0; }
+nvm_binary_available() { return 0; }
+nvm_install_source() { return 1; }
+nvm_use_if_needed() { return 0; }
+nvm_install_npm_if_needed() { return 0; }
+nvm_install_default_packages() { return 0; }
+nvm_ensure_default_set() { return 0; }
+
+make_healthy() {
+  mkdir -p "${version_path}/bin"
+  printf '#!/bin/sh\necho "%s"\n' "${version}" > "${version_path}/bin/node"
+  chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+}
+make_broken() {
+  mkdir -p "${version_path}/bin"
+  : > "${version_path}/bin/node" # zero-byte but +x: passes nvm_is_version_installed
+  chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+}
+
+# 1) An install that reports success but leaves a broken node must fail loudly
+#    and must not be activated.
+rm -rf "${version_path}"
+nvm_install_binary() { make_broken; return 0; }
+OUTPUT="$(nvm install -b "${version}" 2>&1)"; EXIT_CODE=$?
+[ "${EXIT_CODE}" != "0" ] || die "a broken install should fail; got exit 0, output >${OUTPUT}<"
+case "${OUTPUT}" in
+  *'failed verification'*) ;;
+  *) die "expected a verification-failure message; got >${OUTPUT}<" ;;
+esac
+
+# 2) An already-present but broken version must not short-circuit as "already
+#    installed"; it must be reinstalled.
+rm -rf "${version_path}"
+make_broken
+nvm_install_binary() { command touch "${REINSTALL_MARKER}"; make_healthy; return 0; }
+OUTPUT="$(nvm install -b "${version}" 2>&1)"; EXIT_CODE=$?
+case "${OUTPUT}" in
+  *'is already installed'*) die "a broken version should not be treated as already installed: >${OUTPUT}<" ;;
+esac
+[ -f "${REINSTALL_MARKER}" ] || die 'a broken already-present version was not reinstalled'
+[ "${EXIT_CODE}" = "0" ] || die "the healing reinstall should succeed; got ${EXIT_CODE}, output >${OUTPUT}<"
+
+cleanup
diff --git a/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_validate_install b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_validate_install
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..d3a2e9c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fast/Unit tests/nvm_validate_install	
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+cleanup() {
+  [ -n "${NVM_DIR}" ] && [ -d "${NVM_DIR}" ] && rm -rf "${NVM_DIR}"
+  unset -f die cleanup
+  unset NVM_DIR version version_path
+}
+
+die() { echo "$@" ; cleanup ; exit 1; }
+
+: nvm.sh
+\. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+type nvm_validate_install > /dev/null 2>&1 || die 'nvm_validate_install is not available'
+
+NVM_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+[ -n "${NVM_DIR}" ] || die 'Unable to create temporary folder'
+
+version='v20.0.0'
+version_path="${NVM_DIR}/versions/node/${version}"
+
+# No version directory at all: not valid.
+nvm_validate_install "${version}" 2>/dev/null && die 'a missing version dir should not validate'
+
+# A healthy install: a non-empty node plus an npm symlink that resolves.
+# (validation checks layout, not execution, so bin/node need not be a real
+# runnable binary here - just non-empty and executable.)
+mkdir -p "${version_path}/bin" "${version_path}/lib/node_modules/npm/bin" || die 'setup mkdir failed'
+printf '#!/bin/sh\necho "%s"\n' "${version}" > "${version_path}/bin/node"
+chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+echo 'npm-cli' > "${version_path}/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js"
+( cd "${version_path}/bin" && ln -s ../lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js npm )
+nvm_validate_install "${version}" 2>/dev/null || die 'a healthy install should validate'
+
+# A binary that is correctly installed but cannot run on this host (e.g. a
+# newer node on an older glibc) must STILL validate: whether it runs is the
+# host's concern, not a broken install.
+printf '#!/bin/sh\nexit 1\n' > "${version_path}/bin/node"
+chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+nvm_validate_install "${version}" 2>/dev/null || die 'a non-runnable but present binary should still validate'
+
+# A zero-byte but executable node: passes `[ -x ]` but must not validate.
+: > "${version_path}/bin/node"
+chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+nvm_validate_install "${version}" 2>/dev/null && die 'a zero-byte node should not validate'
+
+# A non-empty node again, but with a dangling npm symlink: must not validate.
+printf '#!/bin/sh\necho "%s"\n' "${version}" > "${version_path}/bin/node"
+chmod +x "${version_path}/bin/node"
+rm -f "${version_path}/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js"
+nvm_validate_install "${version}" 2>/dev/null && die 'a dangling npm symlink should not validate'
+
+cleanup