This paper proposes a method to overcome the singularity problem of terminal sliding-mode control systems. The system behaviors in both the reaching phase and the ideal sliding-mode are analyzed. A global nonsingular terminal sliding-mode control strategy for nonlinear systems is developed and it is shown that the proposed control strategy can eliminate the singularity, while guaranteeing the finite-time reachability of the systems to the terminal sliding-mode surface and the finite-time convergence of the systems towards the origin along the terminal sliding-mode surface. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.