diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+## Changes in 3.5.0.0
+
+ * Add option `--numeric-version`.
+ * Remove deprecated `-v` as alias for `--version`.
+ * Add `-v` as placeholder for a future `--verbose` option.
+ * Make `alex{G,S}etUserState` available with the `monadUserState-bytestring` wrapper
+   ([Issue #220](https://github.com/haskell/alex/issues/220)).
+ * Debugging lexer: print character in addition to its ASCII code
+   ([PR #252](https://github.com/haskell/alex/pull/252)).
+ * Tested with GHC 8.0 - 9.8.1.
+
+_Andreas Abel, 2023-12-30_
+
 ## Changes in 3.4.0.1
 
  * Address new `x-partial` warning of GHC 9.8.
diff --git a/alex.cabal b/alex.cabal
--- a/alex.cabal
+++ b/alex.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version: >= 1.10
 name: alex
-version: 3.4.0.1
+version: 3.5.0.0
 -- don't forget updating changelog.md!
 license: BSD3
 license-file: LICENSE
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 tested-with:
         GHC == 9.8.1
         GHC == 9.6.3
-        GHC == 9.4.7
+        GHC == 9.4.8
         GHC == 9.2.8
         GHC == 9.0.2
         GHC == 8.10.7
diff --git a/data/AlexTemplate.hs b/data/AlexTemplate.hs
--- a/data/AlexTemplate.hs
+++ b/data/AlexTemplate.hs
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@
      Nothing -> (new_acc, input__)
      Just (c, new_input) ->
 #ifdef ALEX_DEBUG
-      trace ("State: " ++ show IBOX(s) ++ ", char: " ++ show c) $
+      trace ("State: " ++ show IBOX(s) ++ ", char: " ++ show c ++ " " ++ (show . chr . fromIntegral) c) $
 #endif
       case fromIntegral c of { IBOX(ord_c) ->
         let
diff --git a/data/AlexWrappers.hs b/data/AlexWrappers.hs
--- a/data/AlexWrappers.hs
+++ b/data/AlexWrappers.hs
@@ -360,13 +360,13 @@
 alexSetStartCode :: Int -> Alex ()
 alexSetStartCode sc = Alex $ \s -> Right (s{alex_scd=sc}, ())
 
-#if !defined(ALEX_MONAD_BYTESTRING) && defined(ALEX_MONAD_USER_STATE)
+#if defined(ALEX_MONAD_USER_STATE)
 alexGetUserState :: Alex AlexUserState
 alexGetUserState = Alex $ \s@AlexState{alex_ust=ust} -> Right (s,ust)
 
 alexSetUserState :: AlexUserState -> Alex ()
 alexSetUserState ss = Alex $ \s -> Right (s{alex_ust=ss}, ())
-#endif /* !defined(ALEX_MONAD_BYTESTRING) && defined(ALEX_MONAD_USER_STATE) */
+#endif /* defined(ALEX_MONAD_USER_STATE) */
 
 #ifdef ALEX_MONAD
 alexMonadScan = do
diff --git a/src/Main.hs b/src/Main.hs
--- a/src/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Main.hs
@@ -53,19 +53,26 @@
 -- `main' decodes the command line arguments and calls `alex'.
 
 main:: IO ()
-main =  do
- args <- getArgs
- case getOpt Permute argInfo args of
+main = do
+  args <- getArgs
+  case getOpt Permute argInfo args of
     (cli,_,[]) | DumpHelp `elem` cli -> do
         prog <- getProgramName
         bye (usageInfo (usageHeader prog) argInfo)
     (cli,_,[]) | DumpVersion `elem` cli ->
         bye copyright
+    (cli,_,[]) | DumpNumericVersion `elem` cli ->
+        bye projectVersion
+    (cli,_,[]) | OptVerbose `elem` cli ->
+        failure "Option '--verbose' not yet implemented"
     (cli,[file],[]) ->
         runAlex cli file
-    (_,_,errors) -> do
-        prog <- getProgramName
-        die (concat errors ++ usageInfo (usageHeader prog) argInfo)
+    (_,_,errors) ->
+        failure $ concat errors
+  where
+    failure err = do
+      prog <- getProgramName
+      die (err ++ usageInfo (usageHeader prog) argInfo)
 
 projectVersion :: String
 projectVersion = showVersion version
@@ -399,6 +406,7 @@
 
 import_debug :: String
 import_debug   = "#if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ >= 503\n" ++
+                 "import Data.Char (chr)\n" ++
                  "import System.IO\n" ++
                  "import System.IO.Unsafe\n" ++
                  "import Debug.Trace\n" ++
@@ -462,8 +470,10 @@
   | OptTabSize String
   | OptTemplateDir FilePath
   | OptLatin1
+  | OptVerbose
   | DumpHelp
   | DumpVersion
+  | DumpNumericVersion
   deriving Eq
 
 argInfo :: [OptDescr CLIFlags]
@@ -482,10 +492,14 @@
         "set tab size to be used in the generated lexer (default: 8)",
    Option ['d'] ["debug"] (NoArg OptDebugParser)
         "produce a debugging scanner",
+   Option ['v'] ["verbose"] (NoArg OptVerbose)
+        "be verbose (not yet implemented)",
    Option ['?'] ["help"] (NoArg DumpHelp)
         "display this help and exit",
-   Option ['V','v'] ["version"] (NoArg DumpVersion)  -- ToDo: -v is deprecated!
+   Option ['V'] ["version"] (NoArg DumpVersion)
         "output version information and exit"
+  ,Option [] ["numeric-version"] (NoArg DumpNumericVersion)
+        "output the version number and exit"
   ]
 
 -- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/Scan.hs b/src/Scan.hs
--- a/src/Scan.hs
+++ b/src/Scan.hs
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
      Nothing -> (new_acc, input__)
      Just (c, new_input) ->
 #ifdef ALEX_DEBUG
-      trace ("State: " ++ show IBOX(s) ++ ", char: " ++ show c) $
+      trace ("State: " ++ show IBOX(s) ++ ", char: " ++ show c ++ " " ++ (show . chr . fromIntegral) c) $
 #endif
       case fromIntegral c of { IBOX(ord_c) ->
         let
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -102,10 +102,13 @@
 %.g.hs : %.x
 	$(ALEX) $(TEST_ALEX_OPTS) -g $< -o $@
 
-CLEAN_FILES += *.n.hs *.g.hs *.info *.hi *.o *.bin *.exe
+%.d.hs : %.x
+	$(ALEX) $(TEST_ALEX_OPTS) --debug $< -o $@
 
-ALL_TEST_HS = $(shell echo $(TESTS) $(TEXT_TESTS) | sed -e 's/\([^\. ]*\)\.\(l\)\{0,1\}x/\1.n.hs \1.g.hs/g')
+CLEAN_FILES += *.n.hs *.g.hs *.d.hs *.info *.hi *.o *.bin *.exe
 
+ALL_TEST_HS = $(shell echo $(TESTS) $(TEXT_TESTS) | sed -e 's/\([^\. ]*\)\.\(l\)\{0,1\}x/\1.n.hs \1.g.hs \1.d.hs/g')
+
 ALL_TESTS = $(patsubst %.hs, %.run, $(ALL_TEST_HS))
 
 %.run : %$(HS_PROG_EXT)
@@ -128,4 +131,6 @@
 # :set args --template=.. simple.x -o simple.n.hs
 
 debug :
-	@echo HC_OPTS=$(HC_OPTS)
+	@echo ALEX      = $(ALEX)
+	@echo HC_OPTS   = $(HC_OPTS)
+	@echo ALL_TESTS = $(ALL_TESTS)
diff --git a/tests/monadUserState_typeclass_bytestring.x b/tests/monadUserState_typeclass_bytestring.x
--- a/tests/monadUserState_typeclass_bytestring.x
+++ b/tests/monadUserState_typeclass_bytestring.x
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@
   let
     lexAll =
       do
+        -- Andreas Abel, 2023-12-30, issue #220:
+        -- Test that alex{G,S}etUserState are in scope.
+        u <- alexGetUserState
+        alexSetUserState (u + 1)
+
         res <- alexMonadScan
         case res of
           EOF -> return []
diff --git a/tests/tokens_monadUserState_bytestring.x b/tests/tokens_monadUserState_bytestring.x
--- a/tests/tokens_monadUserState_bytestring.x
+++ b/tests/tokens_monadUserState_bytestring.x
@@ -28,30 +28,39 @@
 tok f (p,_,input,_) len = return (f p (B.take (fromIntegral len) input))
 
 -- The token type:
-data Token =
-	Let AlexPosn		|
-	In  AlexPosn		|
-	Sym AlexPosn Char	|
-        Var AlexPosn String     |
-	Int AlexPosn Int	|
-        Err AlexPosn            |
-        EOF
-        deriving (Eq,Show)
+data Token
+  = Let AlexPosn
+  | In  AlexPosn
+  | Sym AlexPosn Char
+  | Var AlexPosn String
+  | Int AlexPosn Int
+  | Err AlexPosn
+  | EOF
+  deriving (Eq,Show)
 
 alexEOF = return EOF
 
 main = if test1 /= result1 then do print test1; exitFailure
-			   else exitWith ExitSuccess
+                           else exitWith ExitSuccess
 
 type AlexUserState = ()
 alexInitUserState = ()
 
 scanner str = runAlex str $ do
-  let loop = do tk <- alexMonadScan
-                if tk == EOF
-                        then return [tk]
-			else do toks <- loop
-                                return (tk:toks)
+  let
+    loop = do
+
+      -- Andreas Abel, 2023-12-30, issue #220:
+      -- Test that alex{G,S}etUserState are in scope.
+      () <- alexGetUserState
+      alexSetUserState ()
+
+      tk <- alexMonadScan
+      if tk == EOF
+          then return [tk]
+          else do
+            toks <- loop
+            return (tk:toks)
   loop
 
 test1 = case scanner "  let in 012334\n=+*foo bar__'" of