diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 0e1c9dc..926ca35 100755
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -1828,6 +1828,27 @@ nvm() {
         NVM_PREFIX="$(nvm_node_prefix)"
         NVM_SUCCESS_MSG="Uninstalled node $VERSION"
       fi
+
+      # Check version dir permissions
+      local PERMISSIONS_OK=true
+      check_file_permissions() {
+        for FILE in $1/* $1/.[!.]* $1/..?* ; do
+            if [ -d "$FILE" ]; then
+              check_file_permissions "$FILE"
+            elif [ -e "$FILE" ]; then
+              [ ! -w "$FILE" ] && PERMISSIONS_OK=false
+            fi
+        done
+      }
+      check_file_permissions "$VERSION_PATH"
+      if [ "$PERMISSIONS_OK" = false ]; then
+        >&2 echo 'Cannot uninstall, incorrect permissions on installation folder.'
+        >&2 echo 'This is usually caused by running `npm install -g` as root. Run the following command as root to fix the permissions and then try again.'
+        >&2 echo
+        >&2 echo "  chown -R $(whoami) \"$VERSION_PATH\""
+        return 1
+      fi
+
       # Delete all files related to target version.
       command rm -rf "$NVM_DIR/src/$NVM_PREFIX-$VERSION" \
              "$NVM_DIR/src/$NVM_PREFIX-$VERSION.tar.*" \
diff --git "a/test/fast/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely" "b/test/fast/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely"
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1fad640
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/test/fast/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely"	
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+cd ../..
+mkdir v0.0.1
+mkdir src/node-v0.0.1
+
+sudo touch v0.0.1/sudo
+
+. ./nvm.sh
+
+RETURN_MESSAGE="$(nvm uninstall v0.0.1 2>&1)"
+CHECK_FOR="Cannot uninstall, incorrect permissions on installation folder"
+
+test "${RETURN_MESSAGE#*$CHECK_FOR}" != "$RETURN_MESSAGE" || exit 1
diff --git "a/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall 0.12.6\" uninstalls v0.12.6" "b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall 0.12.6\" uninstalls v0.12.6"
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9af0171
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall 0.12.6\" uninstalls v0.12.6"	
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo $@ ; exit 1; }
+
+# Source nvm
+. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+# Version to install/uninstall
+NVM_TEST_VERSION=0.12.6
+
+# Make sure it's not already here
+[ -e ../../../$NVM_TEST_VERSION ] && rm -R ../../../$NVM_TEST_VERSION
+
+# Install it
+nvm install $NVM_TEST_VERSION
+
+# Make sure it installed
+nvm ls | grep "$NVM_TEST_VERSION" || die "Failed to install node"
+
+# Switch to another version so we can uninstall
+nvm use 0.12.7
+
+# Uninstall it
+nvm uninstall $NVM_TEST_VERSION
+
+# Make sure it uninstalled
+nvm ls | grep "$NVM_TEST_VERSION"
+[ "$?" != "0" ] || die "Failed to uninstall node"
diff --git "a/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely" "b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely"
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..eff2bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/Running \"nvm uninstall\" with incorrect file permissions fails nicely"	
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+die () { echo $@ ; exit 1; }
+
+# Source nvm
+. ../../../nvm.sh
+
+# Version to install/uninstall
+NVM_TEST_VERSION=5.10.1
+
+# Make sure it's not already here
+[ -e ../../../$NVM_TEST_VERSION ] && rm -R ../../../$NVM_TEST_VERSION
+
+# Install it
+nvm install $NVM_TEST_VERSION
+
+# Make sure it installed
+nvm ls | grep "$NVM_TEST_VERSION" || die "Failed to install node"
+
+# Install global module as root
+npm_path=$(which npm)
+sudo "$npm_path" install jspm -g
+
+# Switch to another version so we can uninstall
+nvm use 0.12.7
+
+# Attempt to uninstall it
+RETURN_MESSAGE="$(nvm uninstall $NVM_TEST_VERSION 2>&1)"
+CHECK_FOR="Cannot uninstall, incorrect permissions on installation folder"
+test "${RETURN_MESSAGE#*$CHECK_FOR}" != "$RETURN_MESSAGE" || die "Failed to show error message"
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm uninstall/setup_dir b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/setup_dir
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f385d98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/setup_dir	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+. ../../../nvm.sh
+nvm install 0.12.7
diff --git a/test/slow/nvm uninstall/teardown_dir b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/teardown_dir
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f505f21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/slow/nvm uninstall/teardown_dir	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+. ../../../nvm.sh
+nvm uninstall 0.12.7
+nvm deactivate