diff --git a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
@@ -35,19 +35,20 @@ class CmdLineTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_site_flag(self):
         self.verify_valid_flag('-S')
 
     def test_usage(self):
         rc, out, err = assert_python_ok('-h')
         self.assertIn(b'usage', out)
 
     def test_version(self):
-        version = ('Python %d.%d' % sys.version_info[:2]).encode("ascii")
-        rc, out, err = assert_python_ok('-V')
-        self.assertTrue(err.startswith(version))
+        version = ('Python %d.%d' % sys.version_info[:2]).encode('ascii')
+        for cmd in ('-V', '--version'):
+            output = assert_python_ok(cmd)[1]
+            self.assertTrue(output.startswith(version))
 
     def test_verbose(self):
         # -v causes imports to write to stderr.  If the write to
         # stderr itself causes an import to happen (for the output
         # codec), a recursion loop can occur.
         rc, out, err = assert_python_ok('-v')
         self.assertNotIn(b'stack overflow', err)
         rc, out, err = assert_python_ok('-vv')
diff --git a/Modules/main.c b/Modules/main.c
--- a/Modules/main.c
+++ b/Modules/main.c
@@ -495,17 +495,17 @@ Py_Main(int argc, wchar_t **argv)
 
         }
     }
 
     if (help)
         return usage(0, argv[0]);
 
     if (version) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Python %s\n", PY_VERSION);
+        fprintf(stdout, "Python %s\n", PY_VERSION);
         return 0;
     }
 
     if (!Py_InspectFlag &&
         (p = Py_GETENV("PYTHONINSPECT")) && *p != '\0')
         Py_InspectFlag = 1;
     if (!saw_unbuffered_flag &&
         (p = Py_GETENV("PYTHONUNBUFFERED")) && *p != '\0')