diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_main.c b/apps/backend/backend_main.c
index 7671a7b4..e46ba2bc 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_main.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_main.c
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ main(int    argc,
     if (print_version){
         if (clixon_plugin_version_all(h, stdout) < 0)
             goto done;
-        exit(0);
+        goto ok;
     }
     /* Load Yang modules
      * 1. Load a yang module as a specific absolute filename */
diff --git a/apps/cli/cli_main.c b/apps/cli/cli_main.c
index 69a29e17..36af6ffe 100644
--- a/apps/cli/cli_main.c
+++ b/apps/cli/cli_main.c
@@ -786,7 +786,8 @@ main(int    argc,
     if (print_version){
         if (clixon_plugin_version_all(h, stdout) < 0)
             goto done;
-        exit(0);
+        retval = 0;
+        goto done;
     }
     /* Add (hardcoded) netconf features in case ietf-netconf loaded here
      * Otherwise it is loaded in netconf_module_load below
diff --git a/apps/netconf/netconf_main.c b/apps/netconf/netconf_main.c
index 8f0e13bc..556a272a 100644
--- a/apps/netconf/netconf_main.c
+++ b/apps/netconf/netconf_main.c
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ main(int    argc,
     if (print_version){
         if (clixon_plugin_version_all(h, stdout) < 0)
             goto done;
-        exit(0);
+        goto ok;
     }
     /* Load Yang modules
      * 1. Load a yang module as a specific absolute filename */
diff --git a/apps/restconf/restconf_main_fcgi.c b/apps/restconf/restconf_main_fcgi.c
index 69dd409b..7d05e114 100644
--- a/apps/restconf/restconf_main_fcgi.c
+++ b/apps/restconf/restconf_main_fcgi.c
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ main(int    argc,
     if (print_version){
         if (clixon_plugin_version_all(h, stdout) < 0)
             goto done;
-        exit(0);
+        goto ok;
     }
     /* Create a pseudo-plugin to create extension callback to set the ietf-routing
      * yang-data extension for api-root top-level restconf function.
diff --git a/apps/restconf/restconf_main_native.c b/apps/restconf/restconf_main_native.c
index b479461c..3edbb2df 100644
--- a/apps/restconf/restconf_main_native.c
+++ b/apps/restconf/restconf_main_native.c
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ restconf_clixon_init(clixon_handle h,
     if (print_version){
         if (clixon_plugin_version_all(h, stdout) < 0)
             goto done;
-        exit(0);
+        goto ok;
     }
     /* Create a pseudo-plugin to create extension callback to set the ietf-routing
      * yang-data extension for api-root top-level restconf function.
@@ -1068,6 +1068,7 @@ restconf_clixon_init(clixon_handle h,
         if (ret == 0)
             goto fail;
     }
+ ok:
     retval = 1;
  done:
     if (xerr)
diff --git a/apps/snmp/snmp_main.c b/apps/snmp/snmp_main.c
index 61874ddd..0c78fb7b 100644
--- a/apps/snmp/snmp_main.c
+++ b/apps/snmp/snmp_main.c
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ main(int    argc,
     int            zap = 0;
     int           config_dump = 0;
     enum format_enum config_dump_format = FORMAT_XML;
+    int              print_version = 0;
 
     /* Create handle */
     if ((h = clixon_handle_init()) == NULL)
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@ main(int    argc,
             break;
         case 'V': /* version */
             cligen_output(stdout, "Clixon version: %s\n", CLIXON_VERSION_STRING);
-            exit(0);
+            print_version++; /* plugins may also print versions w ca-version callback */
             break;
         case 'D' : { /* debug */
             int d = 0;
@@ -408,7 +409,8 @@ main(int    argc,
                 goto done;
             break;
         }
-
+    if (print_version)
+        goto ok;
     /*
      * Logs, error and debug to stderr or syslog, set debug level
      */