diff --git a/examples/pm b/examples/pm
index 534aac650..baac7816f 100755
--- a/examples/pm
+++ b/examples/pm
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ var program = require('..');
 
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
-  .command('install [name]', 'install one or more packages')
-  .command('search [query]', 'search with optional query')
+  .command('install [name]', 'install one or more packages').alias('i')
+  .command('search [query]', 'search with optional query').alias('s')
   .command('list', 'list packages installed')
-  .command('publish', 'publish the package')
+  .command('publish', 'publish the package').alias('p')
   .parse(process.argv);
 
 // here .command() is invoked with a description,
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index eb412e3d8..2f16a8489 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -459,8 +459,15 @@ Command.prototype.parse = function(argv) {
 
   // executable sub-commands
   var name = result.args[0];
+  var aliasCommand = this.commands.filter(function(command) {
+    var _alias = command.alias();
+    return _alias !== undefined && _alias === name;
+  })[0];
   if (this._execs[name] && typeof this._execs[name] != "function") {
     return this.executeSubCommand(argv, args, parsed.unknown);
+  } else if (aliasCommand !== undefined) {
+    args[0] = aliasCommand._name;
+    return this.executeSubCommand(argv, args, parsed.unknown);
   } else if (this.defaultExecutable) {
     // use the default subcommand
     args.unshift(name = this.defaultExecutable);
@@ -850,8 +857,14 @@ Command.prototype.description = function(str) {
  */
 
 Command.prototype.alias = function(alias) {
-  if (0 == arguments.length) return this._alias;
-  this._alias = alias;
+  var command = undefined;
+  if(this.commands.length == 0) {
+    command = this;
+  } else {
+    command = this.commands[this.commands.length - 1]
+  }
+  if (0 == arguments.length) return command._alias;
+  command._alias = alias;
   return this;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/pm b/test/fixtures/pm
index 28517e535..6f4345da4 100755
--- a/test/fixtures/pm
+++ b/test/fixtures/pm
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ var program = require('../../');
 
 program
   .version('0.0.1')
-  .command('install [name]', 'install one or more packages')
-  .command('search [query]', 'search with optional query')
-  .command('cache', 'actions dealing with the cache')
-  .command('list', 'list packages installed')
-  .command('publish', 'publish or update package')
+  .command('install [name]', 'install one or more packages').alias('i')
+  .command('search [query]', 'search with optional query').alias('s')
+  .command('cache', 'actions dealing with the cache').alias('c')
+  .command('list', 'list packages installed').alias('l')
+  .command('publish', 'publish or update package').alias('p')
   .command('default', 'default command', {noHelp: true, isDefault: true})
   .parse(process.argv);
diff --git a/test/test.command.executableSubcommandAlias.js b/test/test.command.executableSubcommandAlias.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e423ff0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.command.executableSubcommandAlias.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+var exec = require('child_process').exec
+  , path = require('path')
+  , should = require('should');
+
+
+
+var bin = path.join(__dirname, './fixtures/pm')
+// not exist
+exec(bin + ' l', function (error, stdout, stderr) {
+  //stderr.should.equal('\n  pm-list(1) does not exist, try --help\n\n');
+  // TODO error info are not the same in between <=v0.8 and later version
+  should.notEqual(0, stderr.length);
+});
+
+// success case
+exec(bin + ' i', function (error, stdout, stderr) {
+  stdout.should.equal('install\n');
+});
+
+// subcommand bin file with explicit extension
+exec(bin + ' p', function (error, stdout, stderr) {
+  stdout.should.equal('publish\n');
+});
+
+// spawn EACCES
+exec(bin + ' s', function (error, stdout, stderr) {
+  // TODO error info are not the same in between <v0.10 and v0.12
+  should.notEqual(0, stderr.length);
+});
+
+// when `bin` is a symbol link for mocking global install
+var bin = path.join(__dirname, './fixtures/pmlink')
+// success case
+exec(bin + ' i', function (error, stdout, stderr) {
+  stdout.should.equal('install\n');
+});