diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index ef91bef9..72f6bdbb 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ static int set_runlevel(int lvl)
 
 int show_version(void)
 {
-	return banner();
+	puts("v" VERSION);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int show_status(void)
diff --git a/finit.c b/finit.c
index dfb6f045..7a83d3ff 100644
--- a/finit.c
+++ b/finit.c
@@ -60,11 +60,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	if (getpid() != 1)
 		return client(argc, argv);
 
-	/*
-	 * Hello world.
-	 */
-	banner();
-
 	/*
 	 * Initial setup of signals, ignore all until we're up.
 	 */
@@ -95,6 +90,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	 */
 	parse_kernel_cmdline();
 
+	/*
+	 * Hello world.
+	 */
+	banner();
+
 	/*
 	 * Populate /dev and prepare for runtime events from kernel.
 	 */
diff --git a/helpers.c b/helpers.c
index 9507244a..5b7a0e52 100644
--- a/helpers.c
+++ b/helpers.c
@@ -172,14 +172,15 @@ char *runlevel_string(int levels)
  */
 int banner(void)
 {
-	if (getpid() == 1 && !verbose)
+	if (!verbose)
 		return 0;
 
 	delline();
 #ifdef INIT_HEADING
 	echo("%s", INIT_HEADING);
 #else
-	echo("Finit version " VERSION " (" WHOAMI ") " __DATE__ " " __TIME__);
+	echo("Finit v" VERSION);
+	echo("===================================================================");
 #endif
 	return 0;
 }