diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/core_version.yml b/changelogs/fragments/core_version.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0575a9b3f96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/core_version.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+- CLI version displays clarified as core version
diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
index 043b7b5d489..733645b02cb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/arguments/option_helpers.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def _gitinfo():
 def version(prog=None):
     """ return ansible version """
     if prog:
-        result = [" ".join((prog, __version__))]
+        result = ["{0} [core {1}] ".format(prog, __version__)]
     else:
         result = [__version__]
 
diff --git a/test/units/cli/arguments/test_optparse_helpers.py b/test/units/cli/arguments/test_optparse_helpers.py
index 894f3bf8c81..082c9be4dc9 100644
--- a/test/units/cli/arguments/test_optparse_helpers.py
+++ b/test/units/cli/arguments/test_optparse_helpers.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ VERSION_OUTPUT = opt_help.version(prog=FAKE_PROG)
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'must_have', [
-        FAKE_PROG + u' %s' % ansible_version,
+        FAKE_PROG + u' [core %s]' % ansible_version,
         u'config file = %s' % C.CONFIG_FILE,
         u'configured module search path = %s' % cpath,
         u'ansible python module location = %s' % ':'.join(ansible_path),
diff --git a/test/units/cli/test_adhoc.py b/test/units/cli/test_adhoc.py
index 75cbc32713f..bb2ed165275 100644
--- a/test/units/cli/test_adhoc.py
+++ b/test/units/cli/test_adhoc.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def test_ansible_version(capsys, mocker):
         version_lines = version[0].splitlines()
 
     assert len(version_lines) == 9, 'Incorrect number of lines in "ansible --version" output'
-    assert re.match('ansible [0-9.a-z]+(?: .*)?$', version_lines[0]), 'Incorrect ansible version line in "ansible --version" output'
+    assert re.match(r'ansible \[core [0-9.a-z]+\]', version_lines[0]), 'Incorrect ansible version line in "ansible --version" output'
     assert re.match('  config file = .*$', version_lines[1]), 'Incorrect config file line in "ansible --version" output'
     assert re.match('  configured module search path = .*$', version_lines[2]), 'Incorrect module search path in "ansible --version" output'
     assert re.match('  ansible python module location = .*$', version_lines[3]), 'Incorrect python module location in "ansible --version" output'