diff --git a/libexec/rbenv-which b/libexec/rbenv-which
index 8019be21..f4d46245 100755
--- a/libexec/rbenv-which
+++ b/libexec/rbenv-which
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ done
 
 if [ -x "$RBENV_COMMAND_PATH" ]; then
   echo "$RBENV_COMMAND_PATH"
-elif ! [ -d "${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/${RBENV_VERSION}" ]; then
+elif [ "$RBENV_VERSION" != "system" ] && [ ! -d "${RBENV_ROOT}/versions/${RBENV_VERSION}" ]; then
   echo "rbenv: version \`$RBENV_VERSION' is not installed (set by $(rbenv-version-origin))" >&2
   exit 1
 else
diff --git a/test/which.bats b/test/which.bats
index bf10effe..25c80528 100644
--- a/test/which.bats
+++ b/test/which.bats
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ create_executable() {
   assert_failure "rbenv: rake: command not found"
 }
 
+@test "no executable found for system version" {
+  export PATH="$(path_without "rake")"
+  RBENV_VERSION=system run rbenv-which rake
+  assert_failure "rbenv: rake: command not found"
+}
+
 @test "executable found in other versions" {
   create_executable "1.8" "ruby"
   create_executable "1.9" "rspec"