diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-version-file-read b/libexec/rbenv-version-file-read
index cde0ca75..03d2db0c 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-version-file-read
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-version-file-read
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ VERSION_FILE="$1"
 if [ -e "$VERSION_FILE" ]; then
   # Read the first non-whitespace word from the specified version file.
   # Be careful not to load it whole in case there's something crazy in it.
+  IFS="${IFS}"$'\r'
   words=( $(cut -b 1-1024 "$VERSION_FILE") )
   version="${words[0]}"
 
diff --git a/test/version-file-read.bats b/test/version-file-read.bats
index 66bd46fa..bf7bf910 100644
--- a/test/version-file-read.bats
+++ b/test/version-file-read.bats
@@ -64,3 +64,9 @@ IN
   run rbenv-version-file-read my-version
   assert_success "1.8.7"
 }
+
+@test "ignores carriage returns" {
+  cat > my-version <<< $'1.9.3\r'
+  run rbenv-version-file-read my-version
+  assert_success "1.9.3"
+}