diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c2af643..10942cf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ tools that do one thing well.
 
 ### rbenv _does…_
 
-* Let you **change the default Ruby version** on a per-user basis.
+* Let you **change the global Ruby version** on a per-user basis.
 * Provide support for **per-project Ruby versions**.
 * Allow you to **override the Ruby version** with an environment
   variable.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ tools that do one thing well.
    * [1 How It Works](#section_1)
    * [2 Installation](#section_2)
    * [3 Usage](#section_3)
-      * [3.1 default](#section_3.1)
+      * [3.1 global](#section_3.1)
       * [3.2 local](#section_3.2)
       * [3.3 versions](#section_3.3)
       * [3.4 version](#section_3.4)
@@ -122,26 +122,26 @@ when installing a gem that provides a binary).
 Like `git`, the `rbenv` command delegates to subcommands based on its
 first argument. The most common subcommands are:
 
-### <a name="section_3.1"></a> 3.1 default
+### <a name="section_3.1"></a> 3.1 global
 
-Sets the default version of Ruby to be used in all shells by writing
-the version name to the `~/.rbenv/default` file. This version can be
+Sets the global version of Ruby to be used in all shells by writing
+the version name to the `~/.rbenv/global` file. This version can be
 overridden by a per-project `.rbenv-version` file, or by setting the
 `RBENV_VERSION` environment variable.
 
-    $ rbenv default 1.9.2-p290
+    $ rbenv global 1.9.2-p290
 
 The special version name `system` tells rbenv to use the system Ruby
 (detected by searching your `$PATH`).
 
-When run without a version number, `rbenv default` reports the
-currently configured default version.
+When run without a version number, `rbenv global` reports the
+currently configured global version.
 
 ### <a name="section_3.2"></a> 3.2 local
 
 Sets a local per-project Ruby version by writing the version name to
 an `.rbenv-version` file in the current directory. This version
-overrides the default, and can be overridden itself by setting the
+overrides the global, and can be overridden itself by setting the
 `RBENV_VERSION` environment variable.
 
     $ rbenv local rbx-1.2.4
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ the currently active version.
     $ rbenv versions
       1.8.7-p352
       1.9.2-p290
-    * 1.9.3-preview1 (set by /Users/sam/.rbenv/default)
+    * 1.9.3-preview1 (set by /Users/sam/.rbenv/global)
       jruby-1.6.3
       rbx-1.2.4
       ree-1.8.7-2011.03
diff --git a/completions/rbenv.bash b/completions/rbenv.bash
index 493a6a7..8d3bbd7 100644
--- a/completions/rbenv.bash
+++ b/completions/rbenv.bash
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ _rbenv() {
   local prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
 
   case "$prev" in
-  set-* | default | local | prefix )
+  set-* | global | local | prefix )
     _rbenv_versions
     ;;
   * )
diff --git a/completions/rbenv.zsh b/completions/rbenv.zsh
index efaebe4..105239c 100644
--- a/completions/rbenv.zsh
+++ b/completions/rbenv.zsh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ _rbenv_versions() {
 
 _rbenv() {
   case "$words[2]" in
-    set-* | default | local | prefix ) _rbenv_versions ;;
+    set-* | global | local | prefix ) _rbenv_versions ;;
     * ) _rbenv_commands ;;
   esac
 }
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-default b/libexec/rbenv-default
deleted file mode 100755
index d176e0c..0000000
--- a/libexec/rbenv-default
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -e
-
-RBENV_VERSION="$1"
-RBENV_VERSION_FILE="${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
-
-if [ -n "$RBENV_VERSION" ]; then
-  rbenv-version-file-write "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" "$RBENV_VERSION"
-else
-  rbenv-version-file-read "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" || echo system
-fi
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-global b/libexec/rbenv-global
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..42cedda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-global
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+RBENV_VERSION="$1"
+RBENV_VERSION_FILE="${HOME}/.rbenv/global"
+
+if [ -n "$RBENV_VERSION" ]; then
+  rbenv-version-file-write "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" "$RBENV_VERSION"
+else
+  rbenv-version-file-read "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" ||
+  rbenv-version-file-read "${HOME}/.rbenv/default" ||
+  echo system
+fi
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-help b/libexec/rbenv-help
index 4acb7dc..36fcf26 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-help
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-help
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ case "$1" in
 Some useful rbenv commands are:
    commands      List all commands
    rehash        Rehash rbenv shims (run this after installing binaries)
-   default       Set or show the default Ruby version
+   global        Set or show the global Ruby version
    local         Set or show the local directory-specific Ruby version
    version       Show the current Ruby version
    versions      List all Ruby versions known by rbenv
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ Some useful rbenv commands are:
 See 'rbenv help <command>' for more information on a specific command.
 For more information, see: https://github.com/sstephenson/rbenv#readme"
 ;;
-default) echo "usage: rbenv default <version>
+global) echo "usage: rbenv global <version>
 
-Sets the default Ruby version. You can override the default at any time
-by setting a directory-specific version with \`rbenv local' or by
-setting the RBENV_VERSION environment variable.
+Sets the global Ruby version. You can override the global version at
+any time by setting a directory-specific version with \`rbenv local'
+or by setting the RBENV_VERSION environment variable.
 
 $(print_set_version)"
 ;;
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ name to a file named '.rbenv-version'.
 
 When you run a Ruby command, rbenv will look for an '.rbenv-version'
 file in the current directory and each parent directory. If no such
-file is found in the tree, rbenv will use the default Ruby version
-specified with \`rbenv default', or the version specified in the
+file is found in the tree, rbenv will use the global Ruby version
+specified with \`rbenv global', or the version specified in the
 RBENV_VERSION environment variable.
 
 $(print_set_version)"
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-set-default b/libexec/rbenv-set-default
index cf68d57..a1fec3d 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-set-default
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-set-default
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -e
 
-{ echo "rbenv: warning: \`set-default' has been renamed to \`default'"
+{ echo "rbenv: warning: \`set-default' has been renamed to \`global'"
   echo "       and will be removed in v0.3.0"
   echo
 } >&2
 
-exec rbenv-default "$@"
+exec rbenv-global "$@"
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-version-file b/libexec/rbenv-version-file
index bb4da5b..a0c8720 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-version-file
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-version-file
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -e
 
-DEFAULT_PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
-
 root="$(pwd)"
 while [ -n "$root" ]; do
   if [ -e "${root}/.rbenv-version" ]; then
@@ -12,4 +10,13 @@ while [ -n "$root" ]; do
   root="${root%/*}"
 done
 
-echo "$DEFAULT_PATH"
+GLOBAL_PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/global"
+DEFAULT_PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
+
+if [ -e "$GLOBAL_PATH" ]; then
+  echo "$GLOBAL_PATH"
+elif [ -e "$DEFAULT_PATH" ]; then
+  echo "$DEFAULT_PATH"
+else
+  echo "$GLOBAL_PATH"
+fi
diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-version-name b/libexec/rbenv-version-name
index a9c0d1a..4782de7 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-version-name
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-version-name
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -e
 
-DEFAULT_PATH="${HOME}/.rbenv/default"
-
 if [ -z "$RBENV_VERSION" ]; then
   RBENV_VERSION_FILE="$(rbenv-version-file)"
   RBENV_VERSION="$(rbenv-version-file-read "$RBENV_VERSION_FILE" || true)"