diff --git a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
index bb1883c4ae..af9d072987 100644
--- a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
+++ b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
@@ -633,6 +633,7 @@ src_tex2lyx_copied_files = Split('''
     ModuleList.cpp
     Spacing.cpp
     TextClass.cpp
+    version.cpp
     insets/InsetLayout.cpp
 ''')
 
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tex2lyx/CMakeLists.txt
index 49d39c4bd4..0debbeb022 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ set(LINKED_sources ${TOP_SRC_DIR}/src/lengthcommon.cpp)
 set(LINKED_headers)
 
 foreach(_src insets/InsetLayout Color Counters
-	Encoding FloatList Floating
+	Encoding FloatList Floating FontInfo
 	Layout LayoutFile LayoutModuleList Lexer ModuleList TextClass
-	FontInfo Spacing)
+	Spacing version)
 	list(APPEND LINKED_sources ${TOP_SRC_DIR}/src/${_src}.cpp)
 	list(APPEND LINKED_headers ${TOP_SRC_DIR}/src/${_src}.h)
 endforeach(_src)
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/Makefile.am b/src/tex2lyx/Makefile.am
index ac38c8025b..fc39503b90 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/Makefile.am
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ LINKED_FILES = \
 	../ModuleList.cpp \
 	../Spacing.cpp \
 	../TextClass.cpp \
-	../TextClass.h
+	../TextClass.h \
+	../version.cpp
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = $(PCH_FILE)
 
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.cpp b/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.cpp
index 8ba2c4ddec..d5538d8c36 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.cpp
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 // {[(
 
 #include <config.h>
+#include <version.h>
 
 #include "tex2lyx.h"
 
@@ -464,13 +465,33 @@ int parse_help(string const &, string const &)
 		"\t-n                 translate a noweb (aka literate programming) file.\n"
 		"\t-roundtrip         re-export created .lyx file infile.lyx.lyx to infile.lyx.tex.\n"
 		"\t-s syntaxfile      read additional syntax file.\n"
-		"\t-sysdir dir        Set system directory to DIR.\n"
-		"\t-userdir DIR       Set user directory to DIR."
+		"\t-sysdir SYSDIR     Set system directory to SYSDIR.\n"
+		"\t                   Default: " << package().system_support() << "\n"
+		"\t-userdir USERDIR   Set user directory to USERDIR.\n"
+		"\t                   Default: " << package().user_support() << "\n"
+		"\t-version           Summarize version and build info.\n"
+		"Paths:\n"
+		"\tThe program searches for the files \"encodings\", \"lyxmodules.lst\",\n"
+		"\t\"textclass.lst\", \"syntax.default\", and \"unicodesymbols\", first in\n"
+		"\t\"USERDIR\", then in \"SYSDIR\". The subdirectories \"USERDIR/layouts\"\n"
+		"\tand \"SYSDIR/layouts\" are searched for layout and module files.\n"
+		"Check the tex2lyx man page for more details."
 	     << endl;
 	exit(error_code);
 }
 
 
+int parse_version(string const &, string const &)
+{
+	lyxerr << "tex2lyx " << lyx_version
+	       << " (" << lyx_release_date << ")" << endl;
+	lyxerr << "Built on " << __DATE__ << ", " << __TIME__ << endl;
+
+	lyxerr << lyx_version_info << endl;
+	exit(error_code);
+}
+
+
 void error_message(string const & message)
 {
 	cerr << "tex2lyx: " << message << "\n\n";
@@ -555,12 +576,14 @@ void easyParse(int & argc, char * argv[])
 {
 	map<string, cmd_helper> cmdmap;
 
+	cmdmap["-help"] = parse_help;
+	cmdmap["--help"] = parse_help;
+	cmdmap["-version"] = parse_version;
+	cmdmap["--version"] = parse_version;
 	cmdmap["-c"] = parse_class;
 	cmdmap["-e"] = parse_encoding;
 	cmdmap["-f"] = parse_force;
 	cmdmap["-s"] = parse_syntaxfile;
-	cmdmap["-help"] = parse_help;
-	cmdmap["--help"] = parse_help;
 	cmdmap["-n"] = parse_noweb;
 	cmdmap["-sysdir"] = parse_sysdir;
 	cmdmap["-userdir"] = parse_userdir;
@@ -766,6 +789,15 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 
 	os::init(argc, argv);
 
+	try {
+		init_package(internal_path(os::utf8_argv(0)), string(), string());
+	} catch (ExceptionMessage const & message) {
+		cerr << to_utf8(message.title_) << ":\n"
+		     << to_utf8(message.details_) << endl;
+		if (message.type_ == ErrorException)
+			return EXIT_FAILURE;
+	}
+
 	easyParse(argc, argv);
 
 	if (argc <= 1)