diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index fa38372e8..76b3d3ec6 100644
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const path = require('path');
 const config = require('config');
+const { version } = require('./package.json');
 
 function load(command = 'help') {
   const file = path.join(__dirname, 'lib', `${command}.js`);
@@ -14,8 +15,10 @@ function load(command = 'help') {
 }
 
 module.exports = function(cmd, args, opts = {}) {
+  if (opts.version && !cmd) return Promise.resolve(version);
+
   try {
-    const command = load(cmd);
+    const command = load(opts.help ? 'help' : cmd);
     return command.run({ args, opts });
   } catch(e) {
     return Promise.reject(e);
diff --git a/rdme.js b/rdme.js
index 6c5855122..f76a99f2f 100755
--- a/rdme.js
+++ b/rdme.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env node
 require('colors');
-const parseArgs = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2));
+
+const parseArgs = require('minimist')(process.argv.slice(2), {
+  alias: {
+    // Allows --version, -v, -V
+    v: 'version',
+    V: 'version',
+
+    // // Allows --help, -h, -H
+    h: 'help',
+    H: 'help',
+  }
+});
 
 require('./cli')(parseArgs._[0], parseArgs._.slice(1), parseArgs)
   .then(() => process.exit())
diff --git a/test/cli.test.js b/test/cli.test.js
index 3863adc69..9a65c1887 100644
--- a/test/cli.test.js
+++ b/test/cli.test.js
@@ -1,22 +1,33 @@
 const assert = require('assert');
+const minimist = require('minimist');
 
 const cli = require('../cli');
+const { version } = require('../package.json');
 
 describe('cli', () => {
-  let error;
-  beforeAll(() => {
-    error = { console };
-  });
-
-  afterAll(() => {
-    console.error = error;
-  });
-
   it('command not found', done =>
     cli('notARealCommand').catch(e => {
       assert.equal(e.message.includes('Command not found'), true)
       return done();
     }));
 
+  describe('--version', () => {
+    it('should return version from package.json', () =>
+      cli('', [], minimist(['--version'])).then(v => assert.equal(v, version)));
+
+    // This is necessary because we use --version for other commands like `docs`
+    it('should only return version if no command', () =>
+      cli('no-such-command', [], minimist(['--version'])).then(() => {
+        throw new Error('Should not get here');
+      }).catch(() => {
+        // This can be ignored as it's just going to be
+        // a command not found error
+      }));
+  });
+
+  describe('--help', () => {
+    it('should print help and not error', () =>
+      cli('', [], minimist(['--help']))
+    );
   });
 });