diff --git a/scripts/cli b/scripts/cli
index 423a867d4c..e5d69365a1 100755
--- a/scripts/cli
+++ b/scripts/cli
@@ -645,12 +645,18 @@ rvm()
 
   fi
 
-  # Check that this is the current version.
+  if [[ $# -gt 0 ]] ; then next_token="$1" ; shift ; else next_token="" ; fi
+
+  __rvm_cleanse_variables
+
+  __rvm_load_rvmrc
+
+  __rvm_initialize
+
+  # Check that this is the current version, after rvm_path has been determined.
   disk_version=$(cat "$rvm_path/VERSION")
   disk_version="${disk_version/%.}"
 
-  if [[ $# -gt 0 ]] ; then next_token="$1" ; shift ; else next_token="" ; fi
-
   if [[ -n "${rvm_version:-""}" && "${rvm_version:-""}" != "${disk_version:-""}" \
     && "reload" != "${next_token:-""}" ]] ; then
 
@@ -660,12 +666,6 @@ rvm()
 
   fi
 
-  __rvm_cleanse_variables
-
-  __rvm_load_rvmrc
-
-  __rvm_initialize
-
   __rvm_parse_args "$@"
 
   if [[ $? -gt 0 ]] ; then
diff --git a/scripts/rvm b/scripts/rvm
index b4bf17d68b..be7afffcae 100755
--- a/scripts/rvm
+++ b/scripts/rvm
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-rvm_path=
-rvm_prefix=
-
 # rvm : Ruby enVironment Manager
 # http://rvm.beginrescueend.com
 # http://github.com/wayneeseguin/rvm
@@ -50,7 +47,7 @@ if ! declare -f rvm > /dev/null || [[ ${rvm_reload_flag:-0} -eq 1 ]] ; then
 
   fi
 
-  if [[ -z "$rvm_prefix" ]] ; then
+  if [[ -z "${rvm_prefix:-""}" ]] ; then
 
     if [[ "${rvm_selfcontained:-0}" = "0" ]] ; then