diff --git a/nvm.sh b/nvm.sh
index 2cf767d251..0837a2c01d 100644
--- a/nvm.sh
+++ b/nvm.sh
@@ -1663,7 +1663,8 @@ nvm_print_versions() {
     NVM_HAS_COLORS=1
   fi
 
-  awk -v _input="${1-}" -v _nvm_ls="$(nvm_ls)" -v current="$NVM_CURRENT" \
+  command awk -v remote_versions="$(printf '%s' "${1-}" | tr '\n' '|')" \
+    -v installed_versions="$(nvm_ls | tr '\n' '|')" -v current="$NVM_CURRENT" \
     -v installed_color="$INSTALLED_COLOR" -v system_color="$SYSTEM_COLOR" \
     -v current_color="$CURRENT_COLOR" -v default_color="$DEFAULT_COLOR" \
     -v old_lts_color="$LTS_COLOR" -v has_colors="$NVM_HAS_COLORS" '
@@ -1679,14 +1680,13 @@ BEGIN {
   fmt_aux[1]     = "   ";
   fmt_aux[2]     = " * ";
 
-  split(_input, lines, "\n");
-  split(_nvm_ls, installed, "\n");
-  total = length(lines);
+  split(remote_versions, lines, "|");
+  split(installed_versions, installed, "|");
+  rows = length(lines);
 
-  for (n = 1; n <= total; n++) {
-    split(lines[n], fields, /\s+/);
-
-    len = length(fields);
+  for (n = 1; n <= rows; n++) {
+    split(lines[n], fields, "[[:blank:]]+");
+    cols = length(fields);
     version = fields[1];
     is_installed = 0;
 
@@ -1707,18 +1707,18 @@ BEGIN {
     }
 
     aux = (!has_colors && is_installed) + 1;
-    if (len == 1) {
+    if (cols == 1) {
       formatted = sprintf(fmt_version, version);
-    } else if (len == 2) {
+    } else if (cols == 2) {
       formatted = sprintf((fmt_version fmt_aux[aux] fmt_old_lts), version, fields[2]);
-    } else if (len == 3 && fields[3] == "*") {
+    } else if (cols == 3 && fields[3] == "*") {
       formatted = sprintf((fmt_version fmt_aux[aux] fmt_latest_lts), version, fields[2]);
     }
 
     output[n] = formatted;
   }
 
-  for (n = 1; n <= total; n++) {
+  for (n = 1; n <= rows; n++) {
     print output[n]
   }