diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-init b/libexec/rbenv-init
index 9569e93f..f9de2858 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-init
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-init
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ if [ -z "$print" ]; then
 fi
 
 mkdir -p "${HOME}/.rbenv/{shims,versions}"
-[ -e "${HOME}/.rbenv/default" ] || echo system > "${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
 
 echo 'export PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/shims:${PATH}"'
 
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-version b/libexec/rbenv-version
index 2c9cae13..5e7e9940 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-version
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-version
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@ find_version_file() {
   return 1
 }
 
+DEFAULT_PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
+
 find_default_version_file() {
-  local default_path="$HOME/.rbenv/default"
-  if [ -e "$default_path" ]; then
-    echo "$default_path"
+  if [ -e "$DEFAULT_PATH" ]; then
+    echo "$DEFAULT_PATH"
     return 0
   fi
   return 1
@@ -31,8 +32,8 @@ if [ -z "$RBENV_VERSION" ]; then
   if [ -n "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" ]; then
     RBENV_VERSION="$(read_version_file "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE")"
   else
-    echo "rbenv: no default version specified" >&2
-    exit 1
+    echo system > "$DEFAULT_PATH"
+    RBENV_VERSION=system
   fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-versions b/libexec/rbenv-versions
index 94b878ea..e69c751f 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-versions
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-versions
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash -e
 
-RBENV_VERSION="$(rbenv-version 2>/dev/null || true)"
+RBENV_VERSION="$(rbenv-version)"
 
 hit_prefix="* "
 miss_prefix="  "