diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
index 584215737..da0c95e62 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIOptions.hs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 module Hledger.UI.UIOptions
 where
+
 import Data.Default
 import Data.List (intercalate)
 import System.Environment
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ progname :: String
 progname = "hledger-ui"
 
 prognameandversion :: String
-prognameandversion = versionStringFor progname
+prognameandversion = versionStringForProgname progname
 
 uiflags = [
   -- flagNone ["debug-ui"] (setboolopt "rules-file") "run with no terminal output, showing console"
diff --git a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/WebOptions.hs b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/WebOptions.hs
index 5800b75a3..35a1ac348 100644
--- a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/WebOptions.hs
+++ b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/WebOptions.hs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ progname :: String
 progname = "hledger-web"
 
 prognameandversion :: String
-prognameandversion = versionStringFor  progname
+prognameandversion = versionStringForProgname progname
 
 
 webflags :: [Flag RawOpts]
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
index dee9e185c..fea48cfee 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 {-|
 
 Hledger.Cli re-exports the options, utilities and commands provided by
@@ -14,9 +15,13 @@ module Hledger.Cli (
                      module Hledger.Cli.Utils,
                      module Hledger.Cli.Version,
                      module Hledger,
-                     module System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit
+                     module System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit,
+                     prognameandversion,
+                     versionStringForProgname
               )
 where
+
+import GitHash (tGitInfoCwdTry)
 import System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit hiding (Name) -- don't clash with hledger-ui
 
 import Hledger
@@ -26,4 +31,9 @@ import Hledger.Cli.DocFiles
 import Hledger.Cli.Utils
 import Hledger.Cli.Version
 
+-- | The program name and the best version information we can obtain
+-- from git describe or build variables.
+prognameandversion = versionStringForProgname progname
+versionStringForProgname = versionStringFor $$tGitInfoCwdTry
+
 -- unit tests (tests_Hledger_Cli) are defined in Hledger.Cli.Commands
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands.hs
index bde4113ec..f2ef4d1a9 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Commands.hs
@@ -228,15 +228,15 @@ commandsFromCommandsList s =
   [w | c:l <- s, c `elem` [' ','+'], let w:_ = words l]
 
 knownCommands :: [String]
-knownCommands = sort . commandsFromCommandsList $ commandsList prognameandversion []
+knownCommands = sort . commandsFromCommandsList . drop 1 $ commandsList progname []  -- progname will not be seen
 
 -- | Print the commands list, modifying the template above based on
 -- the currently available addons. Missing addons will be removed, and
 -- extra addons will be added under Misc.
-printCommandsList :: [String] -> IO ()
-printCommandsList addonsFound =
+printCommandsList :: String -> [String] -> IO ()
+printCommandsList progversion addonsFound =
     putStr . unlines . concatMap adjustline $
-    commandsList prognameandversion (map ('+':) unknownCommandsFound)
+    commandsList progversion (map ('+':) unknownCommandsFound)
   where
     commandsFound = map (' ':) builtinCommandNames ++ map ('+':) addonsFound
     unknownCommandsFound = addonsFound \\ knownCommands
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
index 9bcfcc0de..ea9d92207 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Main.hs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ main = do
                                  = putStrLn prognameandversion
       -- \| (null externalcmd) && "binary-filename" `inRawOpts` rawopts = putStrLn $ binaryfilename progname
       -- \| "--browse-args" `elem` args     = System.Console.CmdArgs.Helper.execute "cmdargs-browser" mainmode' args >>= (putStr . show)
-      | isNullCommand            = dbgIO "" "no command, showing commands list" >> printCommandsList addons
+      | isNullCommand            = dbgIO "" "no command, showing commands list" >> printCommandsList prognameandversion addons
       | isBadCommand             = badCommandError
 
       -- builtin commands
@@ -265,4 +265,3 @@ flagstomove = inputflags ++ reportflags ++ helpflags
 noargflagstomove  = concatMap flagNames $ filter ((==FlagNone).flagInfo) flagstomove
 reqargflagstomove = -- filter (/= "debug") $
                     concatMap flagNames $ filter ((==FlagReq ).flagInfo) flagstomove
-
diff --git a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Version.hs b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Version.hs
index 102a4bd67..56aef68ae 100644
--- a/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Version.hs
+++ b/hledger/Hledger/Cli/Version.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP             #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 {-
 Version number-related utilities. See also the Makefile.
 -}
@@ -7,12 +6,11 @@ Version number-related utilities. See also the Makefile.
 module Hledger.Cli.Version (
   packageversion,
   progname,
-  prognameandversion,
   versionStringFor,
 )
 where
 
-import GitHash (giDescribe, tGitInfoCwdTry)
+import GitHash (GitInfo, giDescribe)
 import System.Info (os, arch)
 import Hledger.Utils
 
@@ -56,11 +54,6 @@ buildversion = prettify . splitAtElement '.' $ packageversion ++ patchlevel
 progname :: String
 progname = "hledger"
 
--- | The program name and the best version information we can obtain 
--- from git describe or build variables.
-prognameandversion :: String
-prognameandversion = versionStringFor progname
-
 -- | Given a program name, make a version string consisting of: 
 --
 -- * the program name
@@ -70,11 +63,11 @@ prognameandversion = versionStringFor progname
 -- * the platform (OS) name
 -- * the processor architecture name.
 --
-versionStringFor :: String -> String
-versionStringFor progname = concat [
+versionStringFor :: Either String GitInfo -> String -> String
+versionStringFor gitinfo progname = concat [
     progname
   , " "
-  , either (const buildversion) giDescribe $$tGitInfoCwdTry
+  , either (const buildversion) giDescribe gitinfo
   , ", "
   , os'
   , "-"