diff --git a/.changeset/rotten-pumpkins-search.md b/.changeset/rotten-pumpkins-search.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11e723c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rotten-pumpkins-search.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"fnm": patch
+---
+
+fix: return default version if canonicalize fails
diff --git a/src/default_version.rs b/src/default_version.rs
index dc42eb9..b4da872 100644
--- a/src/default_version.rs
+++ b/src/default_version.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ use crate::version::Version;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
 pub fn find_default_version(config: &FnmConfig) -> Option<Version> {
-    let version_path = config.default_version_dir().canonicalize().ok()?;
-    let file_name = version_path.parent()?.file_name()?;
-    Version::from_str(file_name.to_str()?).ok()?.into()
+    if let Ok(version_path) = config.default_version_dir().canonicalize() {
+        let file_name = version_path.parent()?.file_name()?;
+        Version::from_str(file_name.to_str()?).ok()?.into()
+    } else {
+        Some(Version::Alias("default".into()))
+    }
 }