diff --git a/briar-desktop/src/main/kotlin/org/briarproject/briar/desktop/Main.kt b/briar-desktop/src/main/kotlin/org/briarproject/briar/desktop/Main.kt
index f0eb6e3fe2b496e2b72d9e6705be0a517ed228b9..11bd96ef9e23d81094f14ed89a640ca80b979d20 100644
--- a/briar-desktop/src/main/kotlin/org/briarproject/briar/desktop/Main.kt
+++ b/briar-desktop/src/main/kotlin/org/briarproject/briar/desktop/Main.kt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
 import java.util.logging.Level.ALL
 import java.util.logging.Level.INFO
 import java.util.logging.Level.WARNING
+import kotlin.system.exitProcess
 
 @NonNls
 private val DEFAULT_DATA_DIR = getProperty("user.home") + separator + ".briar" + separator + "desktop"
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ private class Main : CliktCommand(
         private val LOG = KotlinLogging.logger {}
     }
 
+    private val version by option(
+        "--version", // NON-NLS
+        help = i18n("main.help.version")
+    ).flag(default = false)
     private val debug by option(
         "--debug", "-d", // NON-NLS
         help = i18n("main.help.debug")
@@ -110,6 +115,8 @@ private class Main : CliktCommand(
         if (BuildData.GIT_BRANCH == null && BuildData.GIT_TAG == null)
             LOG.i { "  Neither branch nor tag detected" }
 
+        if (version) exitProcess(0)
+
         val dataDir = getDataDir()
         val app =
             DaggerBriarDesktopApp.builder().desktopCoreModule(
diff --git a/briar-desktop/src/main/resources/strings/BriarDesktop.properties b/briar-desktop/src/main/resources/strings/BriarDesktop.properties
index 2351baaed2d3abb89d9202e8bfc8814fd7b0fde6..76edac5b197bba5effa6b36c311dc9e1fe06da23 100644
--- a/briar-desktop/src/main/resources/strings/BriarDesktop.properties
+++ b/briar-desktop/src/main/resources/strings/BriarDesktop.properties
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ peer.trust.stranger=Stranger
 
 # Main
 main.help.title=Briar Desktop Client
+main.help.version=Print version and exit
 main.help.debug=Enable printing of debug messages
 main.help.verbose=Print verbose log messages
 main.help.data=The directory where Briar will store its files. Default: {0}