diff --git a/coconut/command/command.py b/coconut/command/command.py
index b35a9e3f6..64f426d16 100644
--- a/coconut/command/command.py
+++ b/coconut/command/command.py
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ def start(self, run=False):
 
     def cmd(self, args=None, argv=None, interact=True, default_target=None, use_dest=None):
         """Process command-line arguments."""
+        result = None
         with self.handling_exceptions():
             if args is None:
                 parsed_args = arguments.parse_args()
@@ -396,7 +397,8 @@ def execute_args(self, args, interact=True, original_args=None):
             if args.profile:
                 print_timing_info()
 
-        return filepaths
+            # make sure to return inside handling_exceptions to ensure filepaths is available
+            return filepaths
 
     def process_source_dest(self, source, dest, args):
         """Determine the correct source, dest, package mode to use for the given source, dest, and args."""
diff --git a/coconut/root.py b/coconut/root.py
index 3b83f03eb..b6b8cff64 100644
--- a/coconut/root.py
+++ b/coconut/root.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 VERSION = "3.0.2"
 VERSION_NAME = None
 # False for release, int >= 1 for develop
-DEVELOP = 22
+DEVELOP = 23
 ALPHA = False  # for pre releases rather than post releases
 
 assert DEVELOP is False or DEVELOP >= 1, "DEVELOP must be False or an int >= 1"
diff --git a/coconut/tests/main_test.py b/coconut/tests/main_test.py
index a9825a2ff..857aaf581 100644
--- a/coconut/tests/main_test.py
+++ b/coconut/tests/main_test.py
@@ -710,6 +710,9 @@ def comp_runnable(args=[]):
 @add_test_func_names
 class TestShell(unittest.TestCase):
 
+    def test_version(self):
+        call(["coconut", "--version"])
+
     def test_code(self):
         call(["coconut", "-s", "-c", coconut_snip], assert_output=True)