diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 168d522d8fd..2a572a60384 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Provider/HTTP: treat HTTP 503 as failover-eligible for LLM provider errors. (#21086) Thanks @Protocol-zero-0.
 - Slack: pass `recipient_team_id` / `recipient_user_id` through Slack native streaming calls so `chat.startStream`/`appendStream`/`stopStream` work reliably across DMs and Slack Connect setups, and disable block streaming when native streaming is active. (#20988) Thanks @Dithilli. Earlier recipient-ID groundwork was contributed in #20377 by @AsserAl1012.
 - CLI/Config: add canonical `--strict-json` parsing for `config set` and keep `--json` as a legacy alias to reduce help/behavior drift. (#21332) thanks @adhitShet.
+- CLI: keep `openclaw -v` as a root-only version alias so subcommand `-v, --verbose` flags (for example ACP/hooks/skills) are no longer intercepted globally. (#21303) thanks @adhitShet.
 
 - Discord/Gateway: handle close code 4014 (missing privileged gateway intents) without crashing the gateway. Thanks @thewilloftheshadow.
 - Security/Net: strip sensitive headers (`Authorization`, `Proxy-Authorization`, `Cookie`, `Cookie2`) on cross-origin redirects in `fetchWithSsrFGuard` to prevent credential forwarding across origin boundaries. (#20313) Thanks @afurm.
diff --git a/src/cli/acp-cli.ts b/src/cli/acp-cli.ts
index 130c9ab3b07..c4c7b09aeaf 100644
--- a/src/cli/acp-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/acp-cli.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export function registerAcpCli(program: Command) {
     .option("--require-existing", "Fail if the session key/label does not exist", false)
     .option("--reset-session", "Reset the session key before first use", false)
     .option("--no-prefix-cwd", "Do not prefix prompts with the working directory", false)
-    .option("--verbose, -v", "Verbose logging to stderr", false)
+    .option("-v, --verbose", "Verbose logging to stderr", false)
     .addHelpText(
       "after",
       () => `\n${theme.muted("Docs:")} ${formatDocsLink("/cli/acp", "docs.openclaw.ai/cli/acp")}\n`,
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export function registerAcpCli(program: Command) {
     .option("--server <command>", "ACP server command (default: openclaw)")
     .option("--server-args <args...>", "Extra arguments for the ACP server")
     .option("--server-verbose", "Enable verbose logging on the ACP server", false)
-    .option("--verbose, -v", "Verbose client logging", false)
+    .option("-v, --verbose", "Verbose client logging", false)
     .action(async (opts, command) => {
       const inheritedVerbose = inheritOptionFromParent<boolean>(command, "verbose");
       try {
diff --git a/src/cli/argv.test.ts b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
index 0b7a9d66931..19e431a04f9 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,31 @@ describe("argv helpers", () => {
       argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
       expected: false,
     },
+    {
+      name: "root -v alias",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "-v"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "root -v alias with profile",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--profile", "work", "-v"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "subcommand -v should not be treated as version",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "acp", "-v"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "root -v alias with equals profile",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--profile=work", "-v"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "subcommand path after global root flags should not be treated as version",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--dev", "skills", "list", "-v"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
   ])("detects help/version flags: $name", ({ argv, expected }) => {
     expect(hasHelpOrVersion(argv)).toBe(expected);
   });
diff --git a/src/cli/argv.ts b/src/cli/argv.ts
index 1489cec4fc3..a3e20d3e4c0 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 const HELP_FLAGS = new Set(["-h", "--help"]);
-const VERSION_FLAGS = new Set(["-v", "-V", "--version"]);
+const VERSION_FLAGS = new Set(["-V", "--version"]);
+const ROOT_VERSION_ALIAS_FLAG = "-v";
+const ROOT_BOOLEAN_FLAGS = new Set(["--dev", "--no-color"]);
+const ROOT_VALUE_FLAGS = new Set(["--profile"]);
 const FLAG_TERMINATOR = "--";
 
 export function hasHelpOrVersion(argv: string[]): boolean {
-  return argv.some((arg) => HELP_FLAGS.has(arg) || VERSION_FLAGS.has(arg));
+  return (
+    argv.some((arg) => HELP_FLAGS.has(arg) || VERSION_FLAGS.has(arg)) || hasRootVersionAlias(argv)
+  );
 }
 
 function isValueToken(arg: string | undefined): boolean {
@@ -40,6 +45,42 @@ export function hasFlag(argv: string[], name: string): boolean {
   return false;
 }
 
+export function hasRootVersionAlias(argv: string[]): boolean {
+  const args = argv.slice(2);
+  let hasAlias = false;
+  for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i += 1) {
+    const arg = args[i];
+    if (!arg) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (arg === FLAG_TERMINATOR) {
+      break;
+    }
+    if (arg === ROOT_VERSION_ALIAS_FLAG) {
+      hasAlias = true;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (ROOT_BOOLEAN_FLAGS.has(arg)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (arg.startsWith("--profile=")) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (ROOT_VALUE_FLAGS.has(arg)) {
+      const next = args[i + 1];
+      if (isValueToken(next)) {
+        i += 1;
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (arg.startsWith("-")) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+  return hasAlias;
+}
+
 export function getFlagValue(argv: string[], name: string): string | null | undefined {
   const args = argv.slice(2);
   for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i += 1) {
diff --git a/src/cli/banner.ts b/src/cli/banner.ts
index 629a1f24c95..2417566548b 100644
--- a/src/cli/banner.ts
+++ b/src/cli/banner.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { resolveCommitHash } from "../infra/git-commit.js";
 import { visibleWidth } from "../terminal/ansi.js";
 import { isRich, theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
+import { hasRootVersionAlias } from "./argv.js";
 import { pickTagline, type TaglineOptions } from "./tagline.js";
 
 type BannerOptions = TaglineOptions & {
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ const hasJsonFlag = (argv: string[]) =>
   argv.some((arg) => arg === "--json" || arg.startsWith("--json="));
 
 const hasVersionFlag = (argv: string[]) =>
-  argv.some((arg) => arg === "--version" || arg === "-V" || arg === "-v");
+  argv.some((arg) => arg === "--version" || arg === "-V") || hasRootVersionAlias(argv);
 
 export function formatCliBannerLine(version: string, options: BannerOptions = {}): string {
   const commit = options.commit ?? resolveCommitHash({ env: options.env });
diff --git a/src/cli/program/build-program.version-alias.test.ts b/src/cli/program/build-program.version-alias.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d2ef41b8d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/program/build-program.version-alias.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import process from "node:process";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const { buildProgram } = await import("./build-program.js");
+
+describe("buildProgram version alias handling", () => {
+  let originalArgv: string[];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    originalArgv = [...process.argv];
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    process.argv = originalArgv;
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("exits with version output for root -v", () => {
+    process.argv = ["node", "openclaw", "-v"];
+    const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const exitSpy = vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation(((code?: number) => {
+      throw new Error(`process.exit:${String(code)}`);
+    }) as typeof process.exit);
+
+    expect(() => buildProgram()).toThrow("process.exit:0");
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
+  });
+
+  it("does not treat subcommand -v as root version alias", () => {
+    process.argv = ["node", "openclaw", "acp", "-v"];
+    const exitSpy = vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation(((code?: number) => {
+      throw new Error(`unexpected process.exit:${String(code)}`);
+    }) as typeof process.exit);
+
+    expect(() => buildProgram()).not.toThrow();
+    expect(exitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/program/help.ts b/src/cli/program/help.ts
index 8769a08db98..94bb5ac7a1e 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/help.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/help.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { Command } from "commander";
 import { formatDocsLink } from "../../terminal/links.js";
 import { isRich, theme } from "../../terminal/theme.js";
 import { escapeRegExp } from "../../utils.js";
+import { hasFlag, hasRootVersionAlias } from "../argv.js";
 import { formatCliBannerLine, hasEmittedCliBanner } from "../banner.js";
 import { replaceCliName, resolveCliName } from "../cli-name.js";
 import { getCoreCliCommandsWithSubcommands } from "./command-registry.js";
@@ -98,9 +99,9 @@ export function configureProgramHelp(program: Command, ctx: ProgramContext) {
   });
 
   if (
-    process.argv.includes("-V") ||
-    process.argv.includes("--version") ||
-    process.argv.includes("-v")
+    hasFlag(process.argv, "-V") ||
+    hasFlag(process.argv, "--version") ||
+    hasRootVersionAlias(process.argv)
   ) {
     console.log(ctx.programVersion);
     process.exit(0);
diff --git a/src/cli/run-main.test.ts b/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
index c86071f7d80..0884d05b65e 100644
--- a/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/run-main.test.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ describe("shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand", () => {
   it("skips eager primary registration for help/version invocations", () => {
     expect(shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand(["node", "openclaw", "status", "--help"])).toBe(false);
     expect(shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand(["node", "openclaw", "-V"])).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand(["node", "openclaw", "-v"])).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("keeps eager primary registration for regular command runs", () => {
     expect(shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand(["node", "openclaw", "status"])).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldRegisterPrimarySubcommand(["node", "openclaw", "acp", "-v"])).toBe(true);
   });
 });
 
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ describe("shouldEnsureCliPath", () => {
   it("skips path bootstrap for help/version invocations", () => {
     expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "--help"])).toBe(false);
     expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "-V"])).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "-v"])).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("skips path bootstrap for read-only fast paths", () => {
@@ -119,5 +122,6 @@ describe("shouldEnsureCliPath", () => {
   it("keeps path bootstrap for mutating or unknown commands", () => {
     expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "message", "send"])).toBe(true);
     expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "voicecall", "status"])).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldEnsureCliPath(["node", "openclaw", "acp", "-v"])).toBe(true);
   });
 });