diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/main.rs b/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
index 4d1189ea..0b474ea4 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/main.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,40 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         return ceremony::run();
     }
 
+    // Plain CLI flags must never boot the daemon (a stray `--version` used to
+    // start a second instance next to the systemd one). Handled before any
+    // tracing/state init so stdout stays clean.
+    match std::env::args().nth(1).as_deref() {
+        Some("--version") | Some("-V") => {
+            println!(
+                "archipelago {}-{}",
+                env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
+                option_env!("GIT_HASH").unwrap_or("dev")
+            );
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        Some("--help") | Some("-h") => {
+            println!("Archipelago Bitcoin Node OS");
+            println!();
+            println!("Usage: archipelago [COMMAND]");
+            println!();
+            println!("Running with no arguments starts the node daemon.");
+            println!();
+            println!("Commands:");
+            println!("  ceremony <gen|pubkey|sign|verify>  Release-root signing ceremony");
+            println!();
+            println!("Options:");
+            println!("  -V, --version  Print version and exit");
+            println!("  -h, --help     Print this help and exit");
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        Some(other) if other.starts_with('-') => {
+            eprintln!("archipelago: unknown option '{other}' (see --help)");
+            std::process::exit(2);
+        }
+        _ => {}
+    }
+
     let startup_start = std::time::Instant::now();
     crash_recovery::init_start_time();