diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e1593c771..2bb597383 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Usage: sbt [options]
 
   -h | -help         print this message
   -v | -verbose      this runner is chattier
+  -V | -version      print the version of mothership sbt
   -d | -debug        set sbt log level to debug
   -no-colors         disable ANSI color codes
   -sbt-create        start sbt even if current directory contains no sbt project
diff --git a/src/linux/usr/share/man/man1/sbt.1 b/src/linux/usr/share/man/man1/sbt.1
index 6dc5d7211..04e9dfa29 100644
--- a/src/linux/usr/share/man/man1/sbt.1
+++ b/src/linux/usr/share/man/man1/sbt.1
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ The current directory is assumed to be the project.
 Show help options.
 .IP "-v, -verbose"
 turn up the noise
+.IP "-V, -version"
+print the version of mothership sbt
 .IP "-d, -debug"
 set sbt log level to debug
 .IP -no-colors
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt b/src/universal/bin/sbt
index 3c9414d63..4670a899f 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ Usage: `basename "$0"` [options]
 
   -h | --help         print this message
   -v | --verbose      this runner is chattier
+  -V | --version      print the version of mothership sbt
   -d | --debug        set sbt log level to debug
   --no-colors         disable ANSI color codes
   --color=auto|always|true|false|never
@@ -512,6 +513,7 @@ process_args () {
     case "$1" in
        -h|-help) usage; exit 1 ;;
     -v|-verbose) verbose=1 && shift ;;
+    -V|-version) addSbt "sbtVersion" && shift ;;
       -d|-debug) debug=1 && addSbt "-debug" && shift ;;
 
            -ivy) require_arg path "$1" "$2" && addJava "-Dsbt.ivy.home=$2" && shift 2 ;;