diff --git a/darshan-gen-cc.pl.in b/darshan-gen-cc.pl.in
index a979e6c0b1adafd582c34792f51ad7951c3e5d04..4188fdbbecb708bfc402d8d0759030c3e7033435 100644
--- a/darshan-gen-cc.pl.in
+++ b/darshan-gen-cc.pl.in
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ if (!($link_cmd))
     exit(1);
 }
 
+# we just want the first line of output from the mpi script's -v argument;
+# the rest we assume will be generated by the underlying compiler
+my $version_out = `$input_file -v 2>/dev/null |head -n 1`;
+if (!($version_out))
+{
+    printf STDERR "Error: failed to invoke $input_file with -v\n";
+    exit(1);
+}
+
 # check command lines for accuracy
 if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 {
@@ -45,6 +54,7 @@ if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 }
 chomp($compile_cmd);
 chomp($link_cmd);
+chomp($version_out);
 
 #
 # Incomprehensible re to eat the leading path of the compiler command
@@ -128,6 +138,18 @@ for arg in "$@" ; do
     # The compiler links by default
     linking=no
     ;;
+    -v)
+    # Pass this argument to the compiler as well.
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<"EOF";
+    echo "$version_out"
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<'EOF';
+    # if there is only 1 argument, it must be -v.
+    if [ "$#" -eq "1" ] ; then
+        linking=no
+    fi
+    ;;
     -show)
     addarg=no
     Show=echo
diff --git a/darshan-gen-cxx.pl.in b/darshan-gen-cxx.pl.in
index 48d8234d84df6ef96a45e516e80f430b24f97abd..b423b1d42da7f7fe77ff09a91016d17af1559d70 100644
--- a/darshan-gen-cxx.pl.in
+++ b/darshan-gen-cxx.pl.in
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ if (!($link_cmd))
     exit(1);
 }
 
+# we just want the first line of output from the mpi script's -v argument;
+# the rest we assume will be generated by the underlying compiler
+my $version_out = `$input_file -v 2>/dev/null |head -n 1`;
+if (!($version_out))
+{
+    printf STDERR "Error: failed to invoke $input_file with -v\n";
+    exit(1);
+}
+
 # check command lines for accuracy
 if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 {
@@ -45,6 +54,7 @@ if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 }
 chomp($compile_cmd);
 chomp($link_cmd);
+chomp($version_out);
 
 #
 # Incomprehensible re to eat the leading path of the compiler command
@@ -128,6 +138,18 @@ for arg in "$@" ; do
     # The compiler links by default
     linking=no
     ;;
+    -v)
+    # Pass this argument to the compiler as well.
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<"EOF";
+    echo "$version_out"
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<'EOF';
+    # if there is only 1 argument, it must be -v.
+    if [ "$#" -eq "1" ] ; then
+        linking=no
+    fi
+    ;;
     -show)
     addarg=no
     Show=echo
diff --git a/darshan-gen-fortran.pl.in b/darshan-gen-fortran.pl.in
index 7b33bddda7a3376be8b64022eaa7da13fccf16ee..e8cfce1bb617b90a9602ce1c1fadc4f36e28483b 100644
--- a/darshan-gen-fortran.pl.in
+++ b/darshan-gen-fortran.pl.in
@@ -37,6 +37,15 @@ if (!($link_cmd))
     exit(1);
 }
 
+# we just want the first line of output from the mpi script's -v argument;
+# the rest we assume will be generated by the underlying compiler
+my $version_out = `$input_file -v 2>/dev/null |head -n 1`;
+if (!($version_out))
+{
+    printf STDERR "Error: failed to invoke $input_file with -v\n";
+    exit(1);
+}
+
 # check command lines for accuracy
 if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 {
@@ -45,6 +54,7 @@ if(!($compile_cmd =~ /-c foo.c/) || !($link_cmd =~ /foo.o -o foo/))
 }
 chomp($compile_cmd);
 chomp($link_cmd);
+chomp($version_out);
 
 #
 # Incomprehensible re to eat the leading path of the compiler command
@@ -128,6 +138,18 @@ for arg in "$@" ; do
     # The compiler links by default
     linking=no
     ;;
+    -v)
+    # Pass this argument to the compiler as well.
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<"EOF";
+    echo "$version_out"
+EOF
+print OUTPUT<<'EOF';
+    # if there is only 1 argument, it must be -v.
+    if [ "$#" -eq "1" ] ; then
+        linking=no
+    fi
+    ;;
     -show)
     addarg=no
     Show=echo