diff --git a/cli/src/index.ts b/cli/src/index.ts
index 0fd549d8..cb21cdac 100644
--- a/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,39 @@ function toArray(val: string | string[] | undefined): string[] | undefined {
   return Array.isArray(val) ? val : [val]
 }
 
+/** Read a string option before cac/mri coerces numeric-looking values to numbers. */
+function rawStringOption(argv: string[], name: string): string | undefined {
+  const optionWithEquals = `${name}=`
+  const end = argv.indexOf('--')
+  const args = end === -1 ? argv : argv.slice(0, end)
+  let value: string | undefined
+  let occurrences = 0
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < args.length; index += 1) {
+    const argument = args[index]!
+    if (argument === name) {
+      occurrences += 1
+      const candidate = args[index + 1]
+      if (candidate === undefined || candidate.startsWith('-')) {
+        throw new CliError(`option "${name}" value is missing`, EXIT.usage)
+      }
+      value = candidate
+      index += 1
+    } else if (argument.startsWith(optionWithEquals)) {
+      occurrences += 1
+      value = argument.slice(optionWithEquals.length)
+      if (!value) {
+        throw new CliError(`option "${name}" value is missing`, EXIT.usage)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (occurrences > 1) {
+    throw new CliError(`option "${name}" cannot be repeated`, EXIT.usage)
+  }
+  return value
+}
+
 async function runCommand(action: () => Promise<string>, json = false): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const output = await action()
@@ -246,7 +279,11 @@ cli
   .option('--token <token>', 'API token')
   .option('--json', 'Output JSON')
   .action((slug: string, options: InstallCommandOptions & { agent?: string | string[] }) => {
-    return runCommand(() => installCommand(slug, { ...options, agent: toArray(options.agent) }), Boolean(options.json))
+    return runCommand(() => installCommand(slug, {
+      ...options,
+      version: rawStringOption(process.argv.slice(2), '--version'),
+      agent: toArray(options.agent)
+    }), Boolean(options.json))
   })
 
 cli
@@ -262,7 +299,11 @@ cli
   .option('--json', 'Output JSON')
   .action((action: string, coordinate: string, options: SuiteCommandOptions & { agent?: string | string[] }) => {
     return runCommand(
-      () => suiteCommand(action, coordinate, { ...options, agent: toArray(options.agent) }),
+      () => suiteCommand(action, coordinate, {
+        ...options,
+        version: rawStringOption(process.argv.slice(2), '--version'),
+        agent: toArray(options.agent)
+      }),
       Boolean(options.json)
     )
   })
diff --git a/cli/test/integration/version-option.test.ts b/cli/test/integration/version-option.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a5d6fab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/test/integration/version-option.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+import { mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test'
+import { strToU8, zipSync } from 'fflate'
+import { createTempHome } from '../helpers/temp-env'
+import { startFakeRegistry } from '../helpers/fake-registry'
+import { runCli } from '../helpers/run-cli'
+
+const TIMESTAMP_VERSION = '20260910.021100'
+
+let stopServer: (() => void) | undefined
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  stopServer?.()
+  stopServer = undefined
+})
+
+describe('--version parsing', () => {
+  test('install preserves trailing zeros in a numeric-looking version', async () => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const registry = await startFakeRegistry({
+      token: 'sk_ok',
+      skills: [{
+        namespace: 'global',
+        slug: 'timestamped',
+        version: TIMESTAMP_VERSION,
+        zipBytes: zipSync({ 'SKILL.md': strToU8('# timestamped') })
+      }]
+    })
+    stopServer = registry.stop
+    const installDir = join(env.cwd, 'skills')
+    await mkdir(installDir, { recursive: true })
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'install', '@global/timestamped',
+      '--version', TIMESTAMP_VERSION,
+      '--dir', installDir,
+      '--registry', registry.url,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok'
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0)
+    expect(registry.received.resolve?.version).toBe(TIMESTAMP_VERSION)
+  })
+
+  test('install preserves trailing zeros with the --version=value form', async () => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const registry = await startFakeRegistry({
+      token: 'sk_ok',
+      skills: [{
+        namespace: 'global',
+        slug: 'timestamped-equals',
+        version: TIMESTAMP_VERSION,
+        zipBytes: zipSync({ 'SKILL.md': strToU8('# timestamped equals') })
+      }]
+    })
+    stopServer = registry.stop
+    const installDir = join(env.cwd, 'skills-equals')
+    await mkdir(installDir, { recursive: true })
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'install', '@global/timestamped-equals',
+      `--version=${TIMESTAMP_VERSION}`,
+      '--dir', installDir,
+      '--registry', registry.url,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok'
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0)
+    expect(registry.received.resolve?.version).toBe(TIMESTAMP_VERSION)
+  })
+
+  test('install preserves an ordinary text version', async () => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const registry = await startFakeRegistry({
+      token: 'sk_ok',
+      skills: [{
+        namespace: 'global',
+        slug: 'text-version',
+        version: 'release-a',
+        zipBytes: zipSync({ 'SKILL.md': strToU8('# text version') })
+      }]
+    })
+    stopServer = registry.stop
+    const installDir = join(env.cwd, 'skills-text-version')
+    await mkdir(installDir, { recursive: true })
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'install', '@global/text-version',
+      '--version', 'release-a',
+      '--dir', installDir,
+      '--registry', registry.url,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok'
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0)
+    expect(registry.received.resolve?.version).toBe('release-a')
+  })
+
+  test('ignores --version after the option terminator', async () => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const registry = await startFakeRegistry({
+      token: 'sk_ok',
+      skills: [{
+        namespace: 'global',
+        slug: 'latest',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        zipBytes: zipSync({ 'SKILL.md': strToU8('# latest') })
+      }]
+    })
+    stopServer = registry.stop
+    const installDir = join(env.cwd, 'skills-latest')
+    await mkdir(installDir, { recursive: true })
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'install', '@global/latest',
+      '--dir', installDir,
+      '--registry', registry.url,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok',
+      '--', '--version', TIMESTAMP_VERSION
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0)
+    expect(registry.received.resolve?.version).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  test.each(['separate', 'equals'])('suite install preserves trailing zeros with %s syntax', async syntax => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const received = { version: null as string | null }
+    const server = Bun.serve({
+      port: 0,
+      fetch(request) {
+        const url = new URL(request.url)
+        if (url.pathname === '/.well-known/clawhub.json') {
+          return Response.json({ apiBase: '/api/v1', capabilities: ['skill-suite-v1'] })
+        }
+        if (url.pathname === '/api/v1/suites/global/starter-pack/install-plan') {
+          received.version = url.searchParams.get('version')
+          return Response.json({ code: 404, message: 'stop after capturing version' }, { status: 404 })
+        }
+        return Response.json({ code: 404, message: 'not found' }, { status: 404 })
+      }
+    })
+    stopServer = () => server.stop(true)
+    const installDir = join(env.cwd, 'suite-skills')
+    await mkdir(installDir, { recursive: true })
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'suite', 'install', '@global/starter-pack',
+      ...(syntax === 'equals' ? [`--version=${TIMESTAMP_VERSION}`] : ['--version', TIMESTAMP_VERSION]),
+      '--dir', installDir,
+      '--registry', `http://localhost:${server.port}`,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok'
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).not.toBe(0)
+    expect(received.version).toBe(TIMESTAMP_VERSION)
+  })
+
+  test.each([
+    ['a missing value', ['--version']],
+    ['a missing repeated value', ['--version', '1.0.0', '--version']],
+    ['repeated values', ['--version', '1.0.0', '--version', '2.0.0']],
+    ['an empty equals value', ['--version=']]
+  ])('rejects %s before contacting the registry', async (_description, versionArgs) => {
+    const env = await createTempHome()
+    const registry = await startFakeRegistry({
+      token: 'sk_ok',
+      skills: [{
+        namespace: 'global',
+        slug: 'rejected',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        zipBytes: zipSync({ 'SKILL.md': strToU8('# rejected') })
+      }]
+    })
+    stopServer = registry.stop
+
+    const result = await runCli([
+      'install', '@global/rejected',
+      ...versionArgs,
+      '--json',
+      '--registry', registry.url,
+      '--token', 'sk_ok'
+    ], { HOME: env.home, USERPROFILE: env.home })
+
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(5)
+    expect(registry.received.resolves).toBe(0)
+  })
+})