diff --git a/internal/app.go b/internal/app.go
index 85172e8a61..3ef05ffb6b 100644
--- a/internal/app.go
+++ b/internal/app.go
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 type VersionInfo struct {
-	Version         string      `json:",omitempty"`
-	VulnerabilityDB db.Metadata `json:",omitempty"`
+	Version         string       `json:",omitempty"`
+	VulnerabilityDB *db.Metadata `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 var (
@@ -247,40 +247,46 @@ OPTIONS:
 }
 
 func showVersion(cacheDir, outputFormat, version string, outputWriter io.Writer) {
-	db.Init(cacheDir)
-	metadata, err := db.Config{}.GetMetadata()
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(outputWriter, "unable to display current version: %s", err.Error())
-		return
-	}
-	switch outputFormat {
-	case "json":
-		b, _ := json.Marshal(VersionInfo{
-			Version: version,
-			VulnerabilityDB: db.Metadata{
+	var dbMeta *db.Metadata
+
+	err := db.Init(cacheDir)
+	if err == nil {
+		metadata, _ := db.Config{}.GetMetadata()
+		if !metadata.UpdatedAt.IsZero() && !metadata.NextUpdate.IsZero() && metadata.Version != 0 {
+			dbMeta = &db.Metadata{
 				Version:    metadata.Version,
 				Type:       metadata.Type,
 				NextUpdate: metadata.NextUpdate.UTC(),
 				UpdatedAt:  metadata.UpdatedAt.UTC(),
-			},
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch outputFormat {
+	case "json":
+		b, _ := json.Marshal(VersionInfo{
+			Version:         version,
+			VulnerabilityDB: dbMeta,
 		})
 		fmt.Fprintln(outputWriter, string(b))
 	default:
-		var dbType string
-		switch metadata.Type {
-		case 0:
-			dbType = "Full"
-		case 1:
-			dbType = "Light"
-		}
-
-		fmt.Fprintf(outputWriter, `Version: %s
-Vulnerability DB:
+		output := fmt.Sprintf("Version: %s\n", version)
+		if dbMeta != nil {
+			var dbType string
+			switch dbMeta.Type {
+			case 0:
+				dbType = "Full"
+			case 1:
+				dbType = "Light"
+			}
+			output += fmt.Sprintf(`Vulnerability DB:
   Type: %s
   Version: %d
   UpdatedAt: %s
   NextUpdate: %s
-`, version, dbType, metadata.Version, metadata.UpdatedAt.UTC().String(), metadata.NextUpdate.UTC().String())
+`, dbType, dbMeta.Version, dbMeta.UpdatedAt.UTC(), dbMeta.NextUpdate.UTC())
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(outputWriter, output)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/app_test.go b/internal/app_test.go
index a8fc12f19d..671d02421a 100644
--- a/internal/app_test.go
+++ b/internal/app_test.go
@@ -60,21 +60,38 @@ Vulnerability DB:
 		{
 			name: "sad path, no DB is available",
 			args: args{
-				outputFormat: "table",
+				outputFormat: "json",
 				version:      "1.2.3",
 			},
-			expectedOutput: `unable to display current version: unexpected end of JSON input`,
+			expectedOutput: `{"Version":"1.2.3"}
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "sad path, bogus cache dir",
+			args: args{
+				outputFormat: "json",
+				version:      "1.2.3",
+				cacheDir:     "/foo/bar/bogus",
+			},
+			expectedOutput: `{"Version":"1.2.3"}
+`,
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			d, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "Test_showVersion-*")
-			defer func() {
-				os.RemoveAll(d)
-			}()
+			var cacheDir string
+			switch {
+			case tt.args.cacheDir != "":
+				cacheDir = tt.args.cacheDir
+			default:
+				cacheDir, _ = ioutil.TempDir("", "Test_showVersion-*")
+				defer func() {
+					os.RemoveAll(cacheDir)
+				}()
+			}
 
 			if tt.createDB {
-				db.Init(d)
+				db.Init(cacheDir)
 				db.Config{}.SetMetadata(db.Metadata{
 					Version:    42,
 					Type:       1,
@@ -87,7 +104,7 @@ Vulnerability DB:
 			var wb []byte
 			fw := fakeIOWriter{written: wb}
 
-			showVersion(d, tt.args.outputFormat, tt.args.version, &fw)
+			showVersion(cacheDir, tt.args.outputFormat, tt.args.version, &fw)
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedOutput, string(fw.written), tt.name)
 		})
 	}