diff --git a/libs/argparse/argparse.h b/libs/argparse/argparse.h
index d207591..490c755 100644
--- a/libs/argparse/argparse.h
+++ b/libs/argparse/argparse.h
@@ -440,11 +440,15 @@ namespace argparse {
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Entry>>                     arg_entries;
     std::map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<SubcommandEntry>> subcommand_entries;
     bool&                                                   _help = flag("?,help", "print help");
+    bool&                                                   _version = flag("version", "print version");
 
   public:
     std::string program_name;
     bool        is_valid = false;
 
+    bool        help_requested() const { return _help; }
+    bool        version_requested() const { return _version; }
+
     virtual ~Args()      = default;
 
     /* Add a positional argument, the order in which it is defined equals the order in which they are being read.
@@ -693,8 +697,7 @@ namespace argparse {
         }
       }
 
-      if (_help) {
-        // help();
+      if (_help || _version) {
         return true;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/green/params/except.h b/src/green/params/except.h
index a6ace89..6c24d81 100644
--- a/src/green/params/except.h
+++ b/src/green/params/except.h
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ namespace green::params {
   public:
     explicit params_empty_name_error(const std::string& string) : runtime_error(string) {}
   };
+
+  class params_reserved_name_error : public std::runtime_error {
+  public:
+    explicit params_reserved_name_error(const std::string& string) : runtime_error(string) {}
+  };
 }  // namespace green::params
 
 #endif  // GREEN_PARAMS_EXCEPT_H
diff --git a/src/green/params/params.h b/src/green/params/params.h
index 6fa430c..b2fd4cd 100644
--- a/src/green/params/params.h
+++ b/src/green/params/params.h
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ namespace green::params {
      *
      * @param description - name of the parameters (used for printing)
      */
-    params(const std::string& description = "") : parsed_(false), built_(false), description_(description), inifile_(nullptr) {
+    params(const std::string& description = "", const std::string& version = "")
+        : parsed_(false), built_(false), description_(description), version_(version), inifile_(nullptr) {
       inifile_ = &args_.arg_t<std::string>("Parameters INI File").set_default("");
     }
 
@@ -190,6 +191,10 @@ namespace green::params {
       if (name.empty()) {
         throw params_empty_name_error("Can not define parameter with an empty name");
       }
+      for (const std::string& n : argparse::split(name)) {
+        if (n == "help" || n == "?" || n == "version")
+          throw params_reserved_name_error("Parameter name '" + n + "' is reserved for a built-in flag (--help/--version)");
+      }
       built_                              = false;
       auto [names, redefinied, old_entry] = check_redefiniton<T>(argparse::split(name));
       argparse::Entry* entry              = redefinied ? old_entry : &args_.kwarg_t<T>(name, descr);
@@ -223,6 +228,21 @@ namespace green::params {
      */
     std::string  description() const { return description_; }
 
+    /**
+     * @return the release version string reported by the `--version` flag
+     */
+    std::string  version() const { return version_; }
+
+    /**
+     * @return true if --help was passed on the command line. Meaningful after parse()/build().
+     */
+    bool         help_requested() const { return args_.help_requested(); }
+
+    /**
+     * @return true if --version was passed on the command line. Meaningful after parse()/build().
+     */
+    bool         version_requested() const { return args_.version_requested(); }
+
     /**
      * Subscript operator to access parameter by name. Can be assigned to any type that can accomodate the parameter value.
      *
@@ -287,7 +307,8 @@ namespace green::params {
     /**
      * Parse command line arguments represented as a string. As usual, the first parameter should be program name.
      * @param s - string with command line arguments
-     * @return false if help requested, true otherwise
+     * @return false if the caller should stop — an informational flag (--help/--version) was
+     *         requested, or arguments were supplied before any parameters were defined; true otherwise
      */
     bool parse(const std::string& s) {
       std::string to_parse = s;
@@ -300,15 +321,16 @@ namespace green::params {
      *
      * @param argc - number of command line arguments
      * @param argv - values of command line arguments
-     * @return false if help requested, true otherwise
+     * @return false if the caller should stop — an informational flag (--help/--version) was
+     *         requested, or arguments were supplied before any parameters were defined; true otherwise
      */
     bool parse(int argc, char* argv[]) {
       args_.parse(argc, argv, false);
       parsed_ = true;
       if (parameters_map_.empty() && argc > 2)
         return false;  // we provided command line parameters but haven't defined any them yet
-      bool help_requested = build();
-      return !help_requested;
+      build();
+      return !help_requested() && !version_requested();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -326,6 +348,7 @@ namespace green::params {
 #endif
       if (!built_) build();
       std::cout << description_ << std::endl;
+      if (!version_.empty()) std::cout << "Version: " << version_ << std::endl;
       args_.print();
     }
 
@@ -338,9 +361,23 @@ namespace green::params {
 #endif
       if (!built_) build();
       std::cout << description_ << std::endl;
+      if (!version_.empty()) std::cout << "Version: " << version_ << std::endl;
       args_.help();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Print the informational message that made parse() return false: the release string for
+     * --version, otherwise the help text. Call this on the rank that owns console output. Future
+     * informational flags should be handled here so callers can stay agnostic to the specific flag.
+     */
+    void help_or_version() {
+      if (version_requested()) {
+        std::cout << version_ << std::endl;
+        return;
+      }
+      help();
+    }
+
     [[nodiscard]] const std::unordered_set<std::shared_ptr<params_item>>& params_set() const { return params_set_; }
 
   private:
@@ -351,10 +388,13 @@ namespace green::params {
     std::unordered_set<std::shared_ptr<params_item>>              params_set_;
     std::string                                                   description_;
     argparse::Entry*                                              inifile_;
+    std::string                                                   version_      = "";
 
     inline bool                                                   build_internal() {
-      bool help_requested = args_.build(false);
-      if (help_requested) return true;
+      bool info = args_.build(false);  // true on --help or --version
+      // Short-circuit before INI handling so informational flags are honored regardless of other
+      // (possibly invalid) arguments.
+      if (info) return true;
       if (inifile_->has_value() && !inifile_->string_value().value().empty() &&
           std::filesystem::exists(inifile_->string_value().value())) {
         INI::File ft;
diff --git a/test/params_test.cpp b/test/params_test.cpp
index 4235992..9056d28 100644
--- a/test/params_test.cpp
+++ b/test/params_test.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 #include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 using namespace std::string_literals;
 
 enum myenum { GREEN, BLACK, YELLOW };
@@ -16,6 +18,49 @@ TEST_CASE("Params") {
     REQUIRE(p.description() == "DESCR");
   }
 
+  SECTION("Version string from constructor") {
+    auto p_default = green::params::params("DESCR");
+    REQUIRE(p_default.version().empty());
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    REQUIRE(p.version() == "v1.2.3");
+  }
+
+  SECTION("Version flag is reported as a stop signal") {
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(p.parse("test --version"s));  // false => caller should stop
+    REQUIRE(p.version_requested());
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(p.help_requested());
+
+    std::ostringstream out;
+    std::streambuf*    old = std::cout.rdbuf(out.rdbuf());
+    p.help_or_version();
+    std::cout.rdbuf(old);
+    REQUIRE(out.str() == "v1.2.3\n");
+  }
+
+  SECTION("Help flag is reported as a stop signal, not version") {
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(p.parse("test --help"s));
+    REQUIRE(p.help_requested());
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(p.version_requested());
+  }
+
+  SECTION("Version flag works with parameters defined and extra args") {
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    p.define<int>("alpha", "an integer parameter", 0);
+    REQUIRE_FALSE(p.parse("test --alpha 5 --version"s));
+    REQUIRE(p.version_requested());
+  }
+
+  SECTION("Reserved flag names cannot be defined as parameters") {
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(p.define<int>("version", "collides with built-in"), green::params::params_reserved_name_error);
+    REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(p.define<int>("help", "collides with built-in"), green::params::params_reserved_name_error);
+    REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(p.define<int>("?", "collides with built-in"), green::params::params_reserved_name_error);
+    // a reserved name as an alias in a comma-separated definition is also rejected
+    REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(p.define<int>("vsn,version", "collides via alias"), green::params::params_reserved_name_error);
+  }
+
   SECTION("String parser") {
     SECTION("SIMPLE") {
       std::string args  = "test --a 33";
@@ -337,4 +382,22 @@ TEST_CASE("Params") {
     std::vector<myenum> a;
     REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(a = p["a"], green::params::params_value_error);
   }
+
+  SECTION("print emits Version line when set, omits when empty") {
+    auto p = green::params::params("DESCR", "v1.2.3");
+    p.parse("test"s);
+    std::ostringstream out;
+    std::streambuf*    old = std::cout.rdbuf(out.rdbuf());
+    p.print();
+    std::cout.rdbuf(old);
+    REQUIRE(out.str().find("Version: v1.2.3") != std::string::npos);
+
+    auto p_empty = green::params::params("DESCR");
+    p_empty.parse("test"s);
+    std::ostringstream out2;
+    old = std::cout.rdbuf(out2.rdbuf());
+    p_empty.print();
+    std::cout.rdbuf(old);
+    REQUIRE(out2.str().find("Version:") == std::string::npos);
+  }
 }