diff --git a/__tests__/lib/cli/command.js b/__tests__/lib/cli/command.js
index 02f36bfe1..2a42541e5 100644
--- a/__tests__/lib/cli/command.js
+++ b/__tests__/lib/cli/command.js
@@ -41,6 +41,40 @@ describe( 'utils/cli/command', () => {
 	} );
 
 	describe( 'subcommand dispatch', () => {
+		it( 'allows wp option-only invocations without separator', async () => {
+			const parentScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip.js' );
+			const childScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip-wp.js' );
+
+			const cmd = command( { requiredArgs: 0 } ).command( 'wp', 'Run WP-CLI commands.' );
+
+			await cmd.argv( [ process.execPath, parentScript, 'wp', '--help' ] );
+
+			expect( spawnSync ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( process.execPath, [ childScript, '--help' ], {
+				stdio: 'inherit',
+				env: process.env,
+			} );
+			expect( process.exit ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 0 );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'allows wp option-only invocations with option values without separator', async () => {
+			const parentScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip.js' );
+			const childScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip-wp.js' );
+
+			const cmd = command( { requiredArgs: 0 } ).command( 'wp', 'Run WP-CLI commands.' );
+
+			await cmd.argv( [ process.execPath, parentScript, 'wp', '--path', '/tmp/wp' ] );
+
+			expect( spawnSync ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				process.execPath,
+				[ childScript, '--path', '/tmp/wp' ],
+				{
+					stdio: 'inherit',
+					env: process.env,
+				}
+			);
+			expect( process.exit ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 0 );
+		} );
+
 		it( 'dispatches when child options appear before -- and subcommand follows separator', async () => {
 			const parentScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip.js' );
 			const childScript = path.join( process.cwd(), 'src/bin/vip-wp.js' );
diff --git a/src/lib/cli/command.js b/src/lib/cli/command.js
index 85cfbaf32..97a0a0ee3 100644
--- a/src/lib/cli/command.js
+++ b/src/lib/cli/command.js
@@ -394,6 +394,52 @@ class CommanderArgsCompat {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	hasWpCommandPayload( subcommandArgs ) {
+		const wpFlagsWithoutValue = new Set( [ '--help', '-h', '--version', '-v', '--yes', '-y' ] );
+		let expectOptionValue = false;
+
+		for ( const arg of subcommandArgs ) {
+			if ( expectOptionValue ) {
+				if ( ! isOptionToken( arg ) ) {
+					expectOptionValue = false;
+					continue;
+				}
+
+				expectOptionValue = false;
+			}
+
+			if ( ! isOptionToken( arg ) ) {
+				return true;
+			}
+
+			if ( arg.startsWith( '--' ) ) {
+				if ( arg.includes( '=' ) || wpFlagsWithoutValue.has( arg ) ) {
+					continue;
+				}
+
+				expectOptionValue = true;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			if ( /^-[A-Za-z0-9]$/.test( arg ) ) {
+				if ( wpFlagsWithoutValue.has( arg ) ) {
+					continue;
+				}
+
+				expectOptionValue = true;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			if ( /^-[A-Za-z0-9]+=/.test( arg ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	async executeSubcommand( argv, parsedAlias, subcommand ) {
 		const currentScript = argv[ 1 ];
 		const subcommandName = subcommand.name;
@@ -407,8 +453,9 @@ class CommanderArgsCompat {
 		const hasSeparatorBeforeSubcommand = rawArgsBeforeSubcommand.includes( '--' );
 		const argsBeforeSubcommand = rawArgsBeforeSubcommand.filter( arg => arg !== '--' );
 		const subcommandArgs = parsedAlias.argv.slice( subcommand.index + 1 );
+		const hasWpCommandPayload = this.hasWpCommandPayload( subcommandArgs );
 		const hasSeparator = argv.includes( '--' );
-		if ( subcommandName === 'wp' && subcommandArgs.length && ! hasSeparator ) {
+		if ( subcommandName === 'wp' && hasWpCommandPayload && ! hasSeparator ) {
 			exit.withError(
 				'A double dash ("--") must separate the arguments of "vip" from those of "wp". Run "vip wp --help" for examples.'
 			);