diff --git a/crates/uv/src/commands/version.rs b/crates/uv/src/commands/version.rs
index 07418306c..d849ee86e 100644
--- a/crates/uv/src/commands/version.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/src/commands/version.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use uv_cli::version::VersionInfo;
 use uv_cli::{VersionBump, VersionFormat};
 use uv_fs::Simplified;
 use uv_pep440::Version;
+use uv_warnings::warn_user;
 use uv_workspace::pyproject_mut::Error;
 use uv_workspace::{
     pyproject_mut::{DependencyTarget, PyProjectTomlMut},
@@ -42,25 +43,20 @@ pub(crate) async fn project_version(
     printer: Printer,
 ) -> Result<ExitStatus> {
     // Read the metadata
-    let workspace =
-        match Workspace::discover(project_dir, &DiscoveryOptions::default(), cache).await {
-            Ok(workspace) => workspace,
-            Err(err) => {
-                // If strict, hard bail on missing workspace
-                if strict {
-                    return Err(err)?;
-                }
-                // Otherwise, warn and provide fallback
-                writeln!(
-                    printer.stderr(),
-                    r"warning: failed to read project: {err}
-  running `uv self version` for compatibility with old `uv version` command.
-  this fallback will be removed soon, pass `--preview` to make this an error.
-"
-                )?;
-                return self_version(short, output_format, printer);
+    let workspace = match Workspace::discover(project_dir, &DiscoveryOptions::default(), cache)
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(workspace) => workspace,
+        Err(err) => {
+            // If strict, hard bail on missing workspace
+            if strict {
+                return Err(err)?;
             }
-        };
+            // Otherwise, warn and provide fallback
+            warn_user!("Failed to read project metadata ({err}). Running `{}` for compatibility. This fallback will be removed in the future; pass `--preview` to force an error.", "uv self version".green());
+            return self_version(short, output_format, printer);
+        }
+    };
 
     let mut pyproject = PyProjectTomlMut::from_toml(
         &workspace.pyproject_toml().raw,
diff --git a/crates/uv/tests/it/version.rs b/crates/uv/tests/it/version.rs
index a192de951..81f3a3fce 100644
--- a/crates/uv/tests/it/version.rs
+++ b/crates/uv/tests/it/version.rs
@@ -840,9 +840,7 @@ fn version_get_fallback_unmanaged() -> Result<()> {
     uv [VERSION] ([COMMIT] DATE)
 
     ----- stderr -----
-    warning: failed to read project: The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`
-      running `uv self version` for compatibility with old `uv version` command.
-      this fallback will be removed soon, pass `--preview` to make this an error.
+    warning: Failed to read project metadata (The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`). Running `uv self version` for compatibility. This fallback will be removed in the future; pass `--preview` to force an error.
     ");
 
     let pyproject = fs_err::read_to_string(&pyproject_toml)?;
@@ -893,9 +891,7 @@ fn version_get_fallback_unmanaged_short() -> Result<()> {
     [VERSION] ([COMMIT] DATE)
 
     ----- stderr -----
-    warning: failed to read project: The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`
-      running `uv self version` for compatibility with old `uv version` command.
-      this fallback will be removed soon, pass `--preview` to make this an error.
+    warning: Failed to read project metadata (The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`). Running `uv self version` for compatibility. This fallback will be removed in the future; pass `--preview` to force an error.
     ");
 
     let pyproject = fs_err::read_to_string(&pyproject_toml)?;
@@ -966,9 +962,7 @@ fn version_get_fallback_unmanaged_json() -> Result<()> {
     }
 
     ----- stderr -----
-    warning: failed to read project: The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`
-      running `uv self version` for compatibility with old `uv version` command.
-      this fallback will be removed soon, pass `--preview` to make this an error.
+    warning: Failed to read project metadata (The project is marked as unmanaged: `[TEMP_DIR]/`). Running `uv self version` for compatibility. This fallback will be removed in the future; pass `--preview` to force an error.
     "#);
 
     let pyproject = fs_err::read_to_string(&pyproject_toml)?;