diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCSSLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCSSLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCSSLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCSSLintLinter.php
@@ -37,9 +37,7 @@
     return 'csslint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^v(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@
     return 'coffeelint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCppcheckLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCppcheckLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCppcheckLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCppcheckLinter.php
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@
     return 'cppcheck';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^Cppcheck (?P<version>\d+\.\d+)$/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
@@ -379,6 +379,43 @@
       nonempty($this->flags, $this->getDefaultFlags()));
   }
 
+  public function getVersion() {
+    // If the `parseVersionOutput` method is not implemented in the subclass,
+    // fallback to the old behavior. Ideally, all `ArcanistExternalLinters`
+    // subclasses should implement `parseVersionOutput` and should override
+    // `getVersion` if the external linter is not versioned.
+    $reflector = new ReflectionMethod($this, 'parseVersionOutput');
+    if ($reflector->getDeclaringClass()->getName() === __CLASS__) {
+      return parent::getVersion();
+    }
+
+    $future = new ExecFuture(
+      '%C %Ls',
+      $this->getExecutableCommand(),
+      $this->getVersionFlags());
+
+    if ($this->shouldExpectVersionErrors()) {
+      list($err, $stdout, $stderr) = $future->resolve();
+    } else {
+      list($stdout, $stderr) = $future->resolvex();
+      $err = 0;
+    }
+
+    return $this->parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr);
+  }
+
+  protected function getVersionFlags() {
+    return array('--version');
+  }
+
+  public function shouldExpectVersionErrors() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
+    throw new PhutilMethodNotImplementedException();
+  }
+
   public function getCacheVersion() {
     try {
       $this->checkBinaryConfiguration();
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
@@ -33,9 +33,7 @@
     return 'flake8';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?)\b/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistHLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistHLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistHLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistHLintLinter.php
@@ -37,10 +37,7 @@
     return array('--json');
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout, $stderr) = execx(
-      '%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = null;
     if (preg_match('@HLint v(.*),@', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches[1];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSHintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSHintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSHintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSHintLinter.php
@@ -49,12 +49,8 @@
     return 'jshint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     // NOTE: `jshint --version` emits version information on stderr, not stdout.
-    list($stdout, $stderr) = execx(
-      '%C --version',
-      $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^jshint v(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stderr, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
@@ -29,12 +29,11 @@
     return 'jsonlint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    // NOTE: `jsonlint --version` returns a non-zero exit status.
-    list($err, $stdout) = exec_manual(
-      '%C --version',
-      $this->getExecutableCommand());
+  public function shouldExpectVersionErrors() {
+    return true;
+  }
 
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@
     return 'jscs';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
@@ -87,9 +87,7 @@
     return 'lessc';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^lessc (?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\b/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@
     return 'pep8';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?)\b/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpLinter.php
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@
     return 'php';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx(
-      '%C --run %s',
-      $this->getExecutableCommand(),
-      'echo phpversion();');
+  protected function getVersionFlags() {
+    return array('--run', 'echo phpversion();');
+  }
+
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     return $stdout;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpcsLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpcsLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpcsLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPhpcsLinter.php
@@ -69,9 +69,7 @@
     return 'phpcs';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^PHP_CodeSniffer version (?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\b/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@
     return 'puppet-lint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^puppet-lint (?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
@@ -31,11 +31,9 @@
     return 'pyflakes';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
-    if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/', $stdout, $matches)) {
+    if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\b/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
     } else {
       return false;
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@
     return 'pylint';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^pylint (?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRuboCopLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRuboCopLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRuboCopLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRuboCopLinter.php
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@
     return 'rubocop';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     if (preg_match('/^(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$/', $stdout, $matches)) {
       return $matches['version'];
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
@@ -31,9 +31,7 @@
     return 'ruby';
   }
 
-  public function getVersion() {
-    list($stdout) = execx('%C --version', $this->getExecutableCommand());
-
+  protected function parseVersionOutput($err, $stdout, $stderr) {
     $matches = array();
     $regex = '/^ruby (?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)+/';
     if (preg_match($regex, $stdout, $matches)) {