diff --git a/docs/reference/gio/glib-compile-resources.xml b/docs/reference/gio/glib-compile-resources.xml
index c2c1989c3..f5a1e6257 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gio/glib-compile-resources.xml
+++ b/docs/reference/gio/glib-compile-resources.xml
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ Print help and exit
 </para></listitem>
 </varlistentry>
 
+<varlistentry>
+<term><option>--version</option></term>
+<listitem><para>
+Print program version and exit
+</para></listitem>
+</varlistentry>
+
 <varlistentry>
 <term><option>--target=<replaceable>TARGET</replaceable></option></term>
 <listitem><para>
diff --git a/gio/glib-compile-resources.c b/gio/glib-compile-resources.c
index c497f1a52..05d73340d 100644
--- a/gio/glib-compile-resources.c
+++ b/gio/glib-compile-resources.c
@@ -603,6 +603,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   GHashTable *table;
   GHashTable *files;
   gchar *srcfile;
+  gboolean show_version_and_exit = FALSE;
   gchar *target = NULL;
   gchar *binary_target = NULL;
   gboolean generate_automatic = FALSE;
@@ -617,6 +618,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
   const char *linkage = "extern";
   GOptionContext *context;
   GOptionEntry entries[] = {
+    { "version", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &show_version_and_exit, N_("Show program version and exit"), NULL },
     { "target", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &target, N_("name of the output file"), N_("FILE") },
     { "sourcedir", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME_ARRAY, &sourcedirs, N_("The directories where files are to be read from (default to current directory)"), N_("DIRECTORY") },
     { "generate", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &generate_automatic, N_("Generate output in the format selected for by the target filename extension"), NULL },
@@ -666,6 +668,12 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   g_option_context_free (context);
 
+  if (show_version_and_exit)
+    {
+      g_print (PACKAGE_VERSION "\n");
+      return 0;
+    }
+
   if (argc != 2)
     {
       g_printerr (_("You should give exactly one file name\n"));