diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 82525ff3..951f4142 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ A preview of the next release can be installed from
 - Bump org.flatland/ordered to `1.15.12`.
 - Partially Fix [#1695](https://github.com/babashka/babashka/issues/1695): `--repl` arg handling should consume only one arg (itself) ([@bobisageek](https://github.com/bobisageek))
 - Partially Fix [#1695](https://github.com/babashka/babashka/issues/1695): make `*command-line-args*` value available in the REPL ([@bobisageek](https://github.com/bobisageek))
+- Fix [#1686](https://github.com/babashka/babashka/issues/1686): do not fetch dependencies/invoke java for `version`, `help`, and `describe` options ([@bobisageek](https://github.com/bobisageek))
 
 ## 1.3.190 (2024-04-17)
 
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index 348802d8..e310c1fc 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
   (binding [*out* *err*]
     (apply println msgs)))
 
-(defn print-help [_ctx _command-line-args]
+(defn print-help []
   (println (str "Babashka v" version))
   (println "
 Usage: bb [svm-opts] [global-opts] [eval opts] [cmdline args]
@@ -215,8 +215,7 @@ Tooling:
 File names take precedence over subcommand names.
 Remaining arguments are bound to *command-line-args*.
 Use -- to separate script command line args from bb command line args.
-When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
-  [nil 0])
+When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl."))
 
 (defn print-doc [ctx command-line-args]
   (let [arg (first command-line-args)
@@ -832,13 +831,12 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                   sci/print-length @sci/print-length
                   ;; when adding vars here, also add them to repl.clj and nrepl_server.clj
                   ]
-      (let [{version-opt :version
-             :keys [:shell-in :edn-in :shell-out :edn-out
-                    :help :file :command-line-args
+      (let [{:keys [:shell-in :edn-in :shell-out :edn-out
+                    :file :command-line-args
                     :expressions :stream? :init
                     :repl :socket-repl :nrepl
                     :debug :classpath :force?
-                    :main :uberscript :describe?
+                    :main :uberscript
                     :jar :uberjar :clojure
                     :doc :run :list-tasks
                     :print-deps :prepare]
@@ -1015,12 +1013,7 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
             exit-code
             (or exit-code
                 (second
-                 (cond version-opt
-                       [(print-version) 0]
-                       help (print-help sci-ctx command-line-args)
-                       doc (print-doc sci-ctx command-line-args)
-                       describe?
-                       [(print-describe) 0]
+                 (cond doc (print-doc sci-ctx command-line-args)
                        repl (sci/binding [core/command-line-args command-line-args] 
                               [(repl/start-repl! sci-ctx) 0])
                        nrepl [(start-nrepl! nrepl) 0]
@@ -1109,6 +1102,15 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
                   (uberjar/run uber-params))))))
         exit-code))))
 
+(defn exec-without-deps [cli-opts]
+  (let [{version-opt :version
+         :keys [help describe?]} cli-opts]
+    (cond
+      version-opt (print-version)
+      help        (print-help)
+      describe?   (print-describe)))
+  0)
+
 (defn satisfies-min-version? [min-version]
   (let [[major-current minor-current patch-current] version-data
         [major-min minor-min patch-min] (parse-version min-version)]
@@ -1149,6 +1151,10 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
     (str (fs/real-path f))
     f))
 
+(defn deps-not-needed [opts]
+  (let [fast-path-opts [:version :help :describe?]]
+    (some #(contains? opts %) fast-path-opts)))
+
 (defn main [& args]
   (let [bin-jar (binary-invoked-as-jar)
         args (if bin-jar
@@ -1205,7 +1211,9 @@ Use bb run --help to show this help output.
         (binding [*out* *err*]
           (println (str "WARNING: this project requires babashka "
                         min-bb-version " or newer, but you have: " version)))))
-    (exec opts)))
+    (if (deps-not-needed opts)
+      (exec-without-deps opts)
+      (exec opts))))
 
 (def musl?
   "Captured at compile time, to know if we are running inside a
diff --git a/test/babashka/main_test.clj b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
index 26f67290..53683a20 100644
--- a/test/babashka/main_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/main_test.clj
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@
   (is (not (main/satisfies-min-version? "300.0.0")))
   (is (not (main/satisfies-min-version? "300.0.0-SNAPSHOT"))))
 
+(deftest version-opt-test
+  (is (str/starts-with? (test-utils/bb nil "version")
+        "babashka v")))
+
+(deftest help-opt-test
+  (is (every? #(str/includes? (test-utils/bb nil "help") %)
+        ["Babashka v" "Help:"])))
+
+(deftest describe-opt-test
+  (is (every? (partial contains? (bb nil "describe"))
+        [:babashka/version :feature/yaml :feature/logging])))
+
 (deftest print-error-test
   (is (thrown-with-msg? Exception #"java.lang.NullPointerException"
                         (bb nil "(subs nil 0 0)"))))