diff --git a/__tests__/index.js b/__tests__/index.js
index f0f5a7b494..911d9c1756 100644
--- a/__tests__/index.js
+++ b/__tests__/index.js
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ test.concurrent('should run -h command with add option', async () => {
   expectHelpOutputAsSubcommand(stdout);
 });
 
+test.concurrent('should show version of yarn with -v', async () => {
+  const stdout = await execCommand('-v', [], 'run-version');
+  expect(stdout[0]).toEqual(pkg.version);
+});
+
 test.concurrent('should run version command', async () => {
   await expectAnErrorMessage(execCommand('version', [], 'run-version'), "Can't answer a question unless a user TTY");
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/index.js b/src/cli/index.js
index 73d8a8cc8a..cec1547f4f 100644
--- a/src/cli/index.js
+++ b/src/cli/index.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const endArgs = doubleDashIndex === -1 ? [] : process.argv.slice(doubleDashIndex
 // set global options
 commander.version(version, '--version');
 commander.usage('[command] [flags]');
-commander.option('--verbose', 'output verbose messages on internal operations');
+commander.option('-v, --verbose', 'output verbose messages on internal operations');
 commander.option('--offline', 'trigger an error if any required dependencies are not available in local cache');
 commander.option('--prefer-offline', 'use network only if dependencies are not available in local cache');
 commander.option('--strict-semver');
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ commander.option('--scripts-prepend-node-path [bool]', 'prepend the node executa
 // get command name
 let commandName: string = args.shift() || 'install';
 
+// if -v is the first command, then always exit after returning the version
+if (commandName === '-v') {
+  console.log(version.trim());
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
 if (commandName === '--help' || commandName === '-h') {
   commandName = 'help';
 }