diff --git a/news/9456.bugfix.rst b/news/9456.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1134c33e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/9456.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Keep ``--version`` available only for pip and prevent its use in subcommands.
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py b/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
index 2b99c79c71..33e2a4d538 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cli/cmdoptions.py
@@ -1360,7 +1360,6 @@ def check_list_path_option(options: Values) -> None:
         require_virtualenv,
         python,
         verbose,
-        version,
         quiet,
         log,
         no_input,
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py b/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
index 903c891120..230028dd1c 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/cli/main_parser.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def create_main_parser() -> ConfigOptionParser:
     parser.disable_interspersed_args()
 
     parser.version = get_pip_version()
+    parser.add_option(cmdoptions.version())
 
     # add the general options
     gen_opts = cmdoptions.make_option_group(cmdoptions.general_group, parser)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_base_command.py b/tests/unit/test_base_command.py
index 6b44855312..10cefd2d5f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_base_command.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_base_command.py
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@
 
 from pip._internal.cli import base_command
 from pip._internal.cli.base_command import Command
-from pip._internal.cli.status_codes import BROKEN_STDOUT, SUCCESS, VIRTUALENV_NOT_FOUND
+from pip._internal.cli.status_codes import (
+    BROKEN_STDOUT,
+    SUCCESS,
+    UNKNOWN_ERROR,
+    VIRTUALENV_NOT_FOUND,
+)
 from pip._internal.commands import commands_dict, create_command
 from pip._internal.utils import temp_dir
 from pip._internal.utils.logging import BrokenStdoutLoggingError
@@ -256,3 +261,18 @@ def test_commands_ignore_require_virtualenv_is_explicit() -> None:
         assert not command_class.ignore_require_venv == (
             name in commands_that_require_venv
         )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("command_name", commands_dict)
+def test_commands_reject_version_option(
+    command_name: str,
+    capfd: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    cmd = create_command(command_name)
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as excinfo:
+        cmd.main(["--version"])
+    stderr = capfd.readouterr().err
+
+    assert excinfo.value.code == UNKNOWN_ERROR
+    assert "no such option: --version" in stderr