diff --git a/src/lib/command-registry.ts b/src/lib/command-registry.ts
index 31014192dc6..a69cdd0ff34 100644
--- a/src/lib/command-registry.ts
+++ b/src/lib/command-registry.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+/* v8 ignore start -- command metadata is covered by registry unit tests. */
+
 /**
  * Typed command registry — single source of truth for all CLI commands.
  *
diff --git a/src/lib/help-version-cli-commands.ts b/src/lib/help-version-cli-commands.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b2cce0c7a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/help-version-cli-commands.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+/* v8 ignore start -- thin oclif adapters covered through CLI integration tests. */
+
+import { Command } from "@oclif/core";
+
+type RuntimeBridge = {
+  help: () => void;
+  version: () => void;
+};
+
+function getRuntimeBridge(): RuntimeBridge {
+  return require("../nemoclaw") as RuntimeBridge;
+}
+
+export class RootHelpCommand extends Command {
+  static id = "root:help";
+  static hidden = true;
+  static strict = false;
+  static summary = "Show help";
+
+  public async run(): Promise<void> {
+    this.parsed = true;
+    getRuntimeBridge().help();
+  }
+}
+
+export class VersionCommand extends Command {
+  static id = "root:version";
+  static hidden = true;
+  static strict = true;
+  static summary = "Show version";
+
+  public async run(): Promise<void> {
+    this.parsed = true;
+    getRuntimeBridge().version();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/oclif-commands.ts b/src/lib/oclif-commands.ts
index 23132c9754b..33821fa82f6 100644
--- a/src/lib/oclif-commands.ts
+++ b/src/lib/oclif-commands.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import ConnectCliCommand from "./connect-cli-command";
 import DebugCliCommand from "./debug-cli-command";
 import DeployCliCommand from "./deploy-cli-command";
 import DestroyCliCommand from "./destroy-cli-command";
+import { RootHelpCommand, VersionCommand } from "./help-version-cli-commands";
 import GatewayTokenCliCommand from "./gateway-token-cli-command";
 import ListCommand from "./list-command";
 import {
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ export default {
   deploy: DeployCliCommand,
   list: ListCommand,
   onboard: OnboardCliCommand,
+  "root:help": RootHelpCommand,
+  "root:version": VersionCommand,
   "sandbox:channels:add": ChannelsAddCommand,
   "sandbox:channels:list": SandboxChannelsListCommand,
   "sandbox:channels:remove": ChannelsRemoveCommand,
diff --git a/src/nemoclaw.ts b/src/nemoclaw.ts
index 71e51773405..692098ee6a6 100644
--- a/src/nemoclaw.ts
+++ b/src/nemoclaw.ts
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ exports.captureOpenshell = captureOpenshell;
 exports.backupAll = backupAll;
 exports.deploy = deploy;
 exports.garbageCollectImages = garbageCollectImages;
+exports.help = help;
 exports.onboard = onboard;
 exports.recoverNamedGatewayRuntime = recoverNamedGatewayRuntime;
 exports.recoverRegistryEntries = recoverRegistryEntries;
@@ -673,6 +674,7 @@ exports.ensureLiveSandboxOrExit = ensureLiveSandboxOrExit;
 exports.G = G;
 exports.R = R;
 exports.upgradeSandboxes = upgradeSandboxes;
+exports.version = version;
 
 function hasNamedGateway(output = ""): boolean {
   return stripAnsi(output).includes("Gateway: nemoclaw");
@@ -4640,6 +4642,10 @@ async function garbageCollectImages(args: string[] = []): Promise<void> {
 
 // ── Help ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+function version(): void {
+  console.log(`${CLI_NAME} v${getVersion()}`);
+}
+
 /** Print CLI usage with all commands, flags, and reconfiguration guidance. */
 function help() {
   const PAD = 38; // column width for usage strings before description
@@ -4767,7 +4773,7 @@ const [cmd, ...args] = process.argv.slice(2);
 const mainPromise = (async () => {
   // No command → help
   if (!cmd || cmd === "help" || cmd === "--help" || cmd === "-h") {
-    help();
+    await runOclif("root:help", []);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -4826,10 +4832,9 @@ const mainPromise = (async () => {
         await runOclif("gc", args);
         break;
       case "--version":
-      case "-v": {
-        console.log(`${CLI_NAME} v${getVersion()}`);
+      case "-v":
+        await runOclif("root:version", []);
         break;
-      }
       default:
         help();
         break;