diff --git a/src/poetry/console/application.py b/src/poetry/console/application.py
index 511f76f4f08..f0305a5042c 100644
--- a/src/poetry/console/application.py
+++ b/src/poetry/console/application.py
@@ -626,7 +626,9 @@ def _load_plugins(self, io: IO) -> None:
 
         self._disable_plugins = io.input.has_parameter_option("--no-plugins")
 
-        if not self._disable_plugins:
+        if not self._disable_plugins and not io.input.has_parameter_option(
+            ["--version", "-V"], only_params=True
+        ):
             from poetry.plugins.application_plugin import ApplicationPlugin
             from poetry.plugins.plugin_manager import PluginManager
 
diff --git a/tests/console/test_application.py b/tests/console/test_application.py
index 2fc8546bb3c..f8e9fa50655 100644
--- a/tests/console/test_application.py
+++ b/tests/console/test_application.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 from cleo.testers.application_tester import ApplicationTester
 
+from poetry.__version__ import __version__
 from poetry.console.application import Application
 from poetry.console.commands.command import Command
 from poetry.plugins.application_plugin import ApplicationPlugin
@@ -83,6 +84,24 @@ def test_application_execute_plugin_command(with_add_command_plugin: None) -> No
     assert tester.status_code == 0
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("flag", ["--version", "-V"])
+def test_application_with_plugins_skipped_for_version(
+    flag: str, with_add_command_plugin: None, mocker: MockerFixture
+) -> None:
+    app = Application()
+
+    manager_mock = mocker.patch(
+        "poetry.plugins.plugin_manager.PluginManager", autospec=True
+    )
+
+    tester = ApplicationTester(app)
+    tester.execute(flag)
+
+    assert tester.status_code == 0
+    assert __version__ in tester.io.fetch_output()
+    manager_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+
 def test_application_execute_plugin_command_with_plugins_disabled(
     with_add_command_plugin: None,
 ) -> None: