Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/Version.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/Version.java	(revision 4258)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/Version.java	(revision 4259)
@@ -66,5 +66,5 @@
 
     private int version;
-    private String revision;
+    private String releaseDescription;
     private String time;
     private boolean isLocalBuild;
@@ -96,5 +96,5 @@
     protected void initFromRevisionInfo(String revisionInfo) {
         if (revisionInfo == null) {
-            this.revision = tr("UNKNOWN");
+            this.releaseDescription = tr("UNKNOWN");
             this.version = JOSM_UNKNOWN_VERSION;
             this.time = null;
@@ -137,5 +137,5 @@
             sb.append(property.getKey()).append(":").append(property.getValue()).append("\n");
         }
-        revision = sb.toString();
+        releaseDescription = sb.toString();
     }
 
@@ -145,9 +145,8 @@
             System.err.println(tr("Warning: the revision file ''/REVISION'' is missing."));
             version = 0;
-            revision = "";
+            releaseDescription = "";
             return;
         }
         initFromRevisionInfo(loadResourceFile(u));
-        System.out.println(revision);
     }
 
@@ -168,5 +167,5 @@
      */
     public String getReleaseAttributes() {
-        return revision;
+        return releaseDescription;
     }
 
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MainApplication.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MainApplication.java	(revision 4258)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MainApplication.java	(revision 4259)
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.AutosaveTask;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.Preferences;
+import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.Version;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.preferences.server.OAuthAccessTokenHolder;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.progress.ProgressMonitor;
@@ -122,4 +123,6 @@
             if ("-h".equals(arg) || "-?".equals(arg)) {
                 arg = "--help";
+            } else if ("-v".equals(arg)) {
+                arg = "--version";
             }
             // handle simple arguments like file names, URLs, bounds
@@ -172,9 +175,16 @@
         // initialize the platform hook, and
         Main.determinePlatformHook();
-        // call the really early hook before we anything else
+        // call the really early hook before we do anything else
         Main.platform.preStartupHook();
 
         // construct argument table
         final Map<String, Collection<String>> args = buildCommandLineArgumentMap(argArray);
+
+        if (args.containsKey("version")) {
+            System.out.println(Version.getInstance().getAgentString());
+            System.exit(0);
+        } else {
+            System.out.println(Version.getInstance().getReleaseAttributes());
+        }
 
         Main.pref.init(args.containsKey("reset-preferences"));