diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b498f6ff2..22c9f3e42 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 
 ### Enhancements:
 
+- docs(compute): for `compute deploy` and `compute publish`, the `--version` help now says that the flag is optional and
+  defaults to the active version, or to the latest version if none is active.
+
 ### Dependencies:
 - build(deps): `github.com/andybalholm/brotli` from 1.2.3 to 1.2.4 ([#1913](https://github.com/fastly/cli/pull/1913))
 - build(deps): `github.com/mattn/go-runewidth` from 0.0.29 to 0.0.30 ([#1913](https://github.com/fastly/cli/pull/1913))
diff --git a/pkg/argparser/common.go b/pkg/argparser/common.go
index 5b84d2fee..082704f28 100644
--- a/pkg/argparser/common.go
+++ b/pkg/argparser/common.go
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ var (
 	FlagVersionName = "version"
 	// FlagVersionDesc is the flag description.
 	FlagVersionDesc = "'latest', 'active', 'staged', or the number of a specific Fastly service version"
+	// FlagVersionOptionalDesc is the flag description for commands where the
+	// version flag is optional. It describes what OptionalServiceVersion.Parse
+	// does when the flag is omitted.
+	FlagVersionOptionalDesc = FlagVersionDesc + " (default: the active version, or the latest version if none is active)"
 )
 
 // PaginationDirection is a list of directions the page results can be displayed.
diff --git a/pkg/commands/compute/deploy.go b/pkg/commands/compute/deploy.go
index c287ebc2c..6cc86eacf 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/compute/deploy.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/compute/deploy.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func NewDeployCommand(parent argparser.Registerer, g *global.Data) *DeployComman
 	})
 	c.RegisterFlag(argparser.StringFlagOpts{
 		Action:      c.ServiceVersion.Set,
-		Description: argparser.FlagVersionDesc,
+		Description: argparser.FlagVersionOptionalDesc,
 		Dst:         &c.ServiceVersion.Value,
 		Name:        argparser.FlagVersionName,
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/commands/compute/publish.go b/pkg/commands/compute/publish.go
index 86339f634..b4b0affac 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/compute/publish.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/compute/publish.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func NewPublishCommand(parent argparser.Registerer, g *global.Data, build *Build
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("status-check-timeout", "Set a timeout (in seconds) for the service availability check").Default("120").IntVar(&c.statusCheckTimeout)
 	c.RegisterFlag(argparser.StringFlagOpts{
 		Name:        argparser.FlagVersionName,
-		Description: argparser.FlagVersionDesc,
+		Description: argparser.FlagVersionOptionalDesc,
 		Dst:         &c.serviceVersion.Value,
 		Action:      c.serviceVersion.Set,
 	})