diff --git a/pkg/version/flag/flag.go b/pkg/version/flag/flag.go
index e467a80ca5f..4833f8f0cde 100644
--- a/pkg/version/flag/flag.go
+++ b/pkg/version/flag/flag.go
@@ -21,18 +21,72 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/version"
 )
 
+type versionValue int
+
+const (
+	VersionFalse versionValue = 0
+	VersionTrue  versionValue = 1
+	VersionRaw   versionValue = 2
+)
+
+const strRawVersion string = "raw"
+
+func (v *versionValue) IsBoolFlag() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+func (v *versionValue) Get() interface{} {
+	return versionValue(*v)
+}
+
+func (v *versionValue) Set(s string) error {
+	if s == strRawVersion {
+		*v = VersionRaw
+		return nil
+	}
+	boolVal, err := strconv.ParseBool(s)
+	if boolVal {
+		*v = VersionTrue
+	} else {
+		*v = VersionFalse
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+func (v *versionValue) String() string {
+	if *v == VersionRaw {
+		return strRawVersion
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%v", bool(*v == VersionTrue))
+}
+
+func VersionVar(p *versionValue, name string, value versionValue, usage string) {
+	*p = value
+	flag.Var(p, name, usage)
+}
+
+func Version(name string, value versionValue, usage string) *versionValue {
+	p := new(versionValue)
+	VersionVar(p, name, value, usage)
+	return p
+}
+
 var (
-	versionFlag = flag.Bool("version", false, "Print version information and quit")
+	versionFlag = Version("version", VersionFalse, "Print version information and quit")
 )
 
 // PrintAndExitIfRequested will check if the -version flag was passed
 // and, if so, print the version and exit.
 func PrintAndExitIfRequested() {
-	if *versionFlag {
+	if *versionFlag == VersionRaw {
+		fmt.Printf("%#v\n", version.Get())
+		os.Exit(0)
+	} else if *versionFlag == VersionTrue {
 		fmt.Printf("Kubernetes %s\n", version.Get())
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}