diff --git a/lib/renovate.spec.ts b/lib/renovate.spec.ts
index 8df4490309a..21829a2f75d 100644
--- a/lib/renovate.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/renovate.spec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import * as renovateWorker from './workers/global/index.ts';
 vi.mock('./instrumentation/index.ts');
 vi.mock('./proxy.ts');
 vi.mock('./workers/global/index.ts');
+vi.mock('./workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts');
 
 describe('renovate', () => {
   it('starts', async () => {
diff --git a/lib/renovate.ts b/lib/renovate.ts
index c6e929c8962..f7bed3cf460 100644
--- a/lib/renovate.ts
+++ b/lib/renovate.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import 'source-map-support/register.js';
 import './punycode.cjs';
 
 void (async (): Promise<void> => {
+  // prints and exits the process if --version or --help is passed
+  const { parseEarlyFlags } =
+    await import('./workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts');
+  parseEarlyFlags();
+
   // has to be imported before logger and other libraries which are instrumentalised
   const otel = await import('./instrumentation/index.ts');
   otel.init();
diff --git a/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.spec.ts b/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.spec.ts
index d66e447f2ff..9cb9e9602b5 100644
--- a/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.spec.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { pkg } from '../../../../expose.ts';
 import { DockerDatasource } from '../../../../modules/datasource/docker/index.ts';
 import getArgv from './__fixtures__/argv.ts';
 import * as cli from './cli.ts';
@@ -206,4 +207,23 @@ describe('workers/global/config/parse/cli', () => {
       expect(cli.getConfig(argv)).toEqual({ requireConfig: 'optional' });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('.parseEarlyFlags(argv)', () => {
+    it('prints version and exits when --version is passed', () => {
+      const exitSpy = vi
+        .spyOn(process, 'exit')
+        .mockImplementation((() => undefined) as never);
+      const stdoutSpy = vi.spyOn(process.stdout, 'write').mockReturnValue(true);
+
+      cli.parseEarlyFlags([...argv, '--version']);
+
+      expect(stdoutSpy).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(
+        expect.stringContaining(pkg.version),
+      );
+      expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(0);
+
+      stdoutSpy.mockRestore();
+      exitSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts b/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts
index a02c574b506..fbc2651360f 100644
--- a/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/global/config/parse/cli.ts
@@ -15,39 +15,9 @@ export function getCliName(option: ParseConfigOptions): string {
   return `--${nameWithHyphens.toLowerCase()}`;
 }
 
-export function getConfig(input: string[]): AllConfig {
-  // massage migrated configuration keys
-  const argv = input
-    .map((a) =>
-      a
-        .replace(
-          '--allow-post-upgrade-command-templating',
-          '--allow-command-templating',
-        )
-        .replace('--allowed-post-upgrade-commands', '--allowed-commands')
-        .replace('--endpoints=', '--host-rules=')
-        .replace('--expose-env=true', '--trust-level=high')
-        .replace('--expose-env', '--trust-level=high')
-        .replace('--renovate-fork', '--include-forks')
-        .replace('"platform":"', '"hostType":"')
-        .replace('"endpoint":"', '"matchHost":"')
-        .replace('"host":"', '"matchHost":"')
-        .replace('--azure-auto-complete', '--platform-automerge') // migrate: azureAutoComplete
-        .replace('--git-lab-automerge', '--platform-automerge') // migrate: gitLabAutomerge
-        .replace(/^--dry-run$/, '--dry-run=true')
-        .replace(/^--require-config$/, '--require-config=true')
-        .replace('--aliases', '--registry-aliases')
-        .replace('--include-forks=true', '--fork-processing=enabled')
-        .replace('--include-forks', '--fork-processing=enabled')
-        .replace('--recreate-closed=false', '--recreate-when=auto')
-        .replace('--recreate-closed=true', '--recreate-when=always')
-        .replace('--recreate-closed', '--recreate-when=always'),
-    )
-    .filter((a) => !a.startsWith('--git-fs'));
+function createProgram(): Command<[string[]]> {
   const options = getOptions();
 
-  const config: Record<string, any> = {};
-
   let program = new Command().arguments('[repositories...]');
 
   options.forEach((option) => {
@@ -78,9 +48,49 @@ export function getConfig(input: string[]): AllConfig {
     /* oxlint-enable no-console */
   }
 
-  program = program
+  return program
     .version(pkg.version, '-v, --version')
-    .on('--help', helpConsole)
+    .on('--help', helpConsole);
+}
+
+export function parseEarlyFlags(input: string[] = process.argv): void {
+  createProgram().allowUnknownOption().allowExcessArguments().parse(input);
+}
+
+export function getConfig(input: string[]): AllConfig {
+  // massage migrated configuration keys
+  const argv = input
+    .map((a) =>
+      a
+        .replace(
+          '--allow-post-upgrade-command-templating',
+          '--allow-command-templating',
+        )
+        .replace('--allowed-post-upgrade-commands', '--allowed-commands')
+        .replace('--endpoints=', '--host-rules=')
+        .replace('--expose-env=true', '--trust-level=high')
+        .replace('--expose-env', '--trust-level=high')
+        .replace('--renovate-fork', '--include-forks')
+        .replace('"platform":"', '"hostType":"')
+        .replace('"endpoint":"', '"matchHost":"')
+        .replace('"host":"', '"matchHost":"')
+        .replace('--azure-auto-complete', '--platform-automerge') // migrate: azureAutoComplete
+        .replace('--git-lab-automerge', '--platform-automerge') // migrate: gitLabAutomerge
+        .replace(/^--dry-run$/, '--dry-run=true')
+        .replace(/^--require-config$/, '--require-config=true')
+        .replace('--aliases', '--registry-aliases')
+        .replace('--include-forks=true', '--fork-processing=enabled')
+        .replace('--include-forks', '--fork-processing=enabled')
+        .replace('--recreate-closed=false', '--recreate-when=auto')
+        .replace('--recreate-closed=true', '--recreate-when=always')
+        .replace('--recreate-closed', '--recreate-when=always'),
+    )
+    .filter((a) => !a.startsWith('--git-fs'));
+  const options = getOptions();
+
+  const config: Record<string, any> = {};
+
+  createProgram()
     .action((repositories: string[], opts: Record<string, unknown>) => {
       if (repositories?.length) {
         config.repositories = repositories;