diff --git a/lib/base-command.js b/lib/base-command.js
index 0adff8e5d95ea..17e67987d99dc 100644
--- a/lib/base-command.js
+++ b/lib/base-command.js
@@ -103,6 +103,28 @@ class BaseCommand {
     })
   }
 
+  // Compare the number of entries with what was expected
+  checkExpected (entries) {
+    const expected = this.npm.config.get('expect-entries')
+    if (expected === null) {
+      // By default we do nothing
+      return
+    }
+    if (typeof expected === 'number') {
+      if (entries !== expected) {
+        process.exitCode = 1
+      }
+      return
+    }
+    // entries is boolean
+    if (typeof expected === 'boolean') {
+      if (Boolean(entries) !== expected) {
+        process.exitCode = 1
+      }
+    }
+    // TODO `>5` or `<=6` which will require a custom Config type
+  }
+
   async cmdExec (args) {
     const { config } = this.npm
 
diff --git a/lib/commands/query.js b/lib/commands/query.js
index b5f4d8e57ddf5..9fb031876b6b7 100644
--- a/lib/commands/query.js
+++ b/lib/commands/query.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class Query extends BaseCommand {
     'workspace',
     'workspaces',
     'include-workspace-root',
+    'expect-entries',
   ]
 
   get parsedResponse () {
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ class Query extends BaseCommand {
     const items = await tree.querySelectorAll(args[0], this.npm.flatOptions)
     this.buildResponse(items)
 
+    this.checkExpected(this.#response.length)
     this.npm.output(this.parsedResponse)
   }
 
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ class Query extends BaseCommand {
       }
       this.buildResponse(items)
     }
+    this.checkExpected(this.#response.length)
     this.npm.output(this.parsedResponse)
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
index dd3d9946af819..d122fbdc25b6a 100644
--- a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
@@ -650,6 +650,16 @@ define('engine-strict', {
   flatten,
 })
 
+define('expect-entries', {
+  default: null,
+  type: [null, Boolean, Number],
+  description: `
+    Tells npm how many entries to expect from the command. Can be either
+    true (expect some entries), false (expect no entries), or a number to match
+    exactly.
+  `,
+})
+
 define('fetch-retries', {
   default: 2,
   type: Number,
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
index 4170dd9078c86..ae13f95b903ab 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/config.js TAP config list --json > output matches sna
   "dry-run": false,
   "editor": "{EDITOR}",
   "engine-strict": false,
+  "expect-entries": null,
   "fetch-retries": 2,
   "fetch-retry-factor": 10,
   "fetch-retry-maxtimeout": 60000,
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ diff-unified = 3
 dry-run = false 
 editor = "{EDITOR}" 
 engine-strict = false 
+expect-entries = null 
 fetch-retries = 2 
 fetch-retry-factor = 10 
 fetch-retry-maxtimeout = 60000 
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
index 08d908688fdd7..b51cf7a902517 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs
@@ -891,6 +891,15 @@ Node.js version.
 
 This can be overridden by setting the \`--force\` flag.
 
+#### \`expect-entries\`
+
+* Default: null
+* Type: null, Boolean, or Number
+
+Tells npm how many entries to expect from the command. Can be either true
+(expect some entries), false (expect no entries), or a number to match
+exactly.
+
 #### \`fetch-retries\`
 
 * Default: 2
@@ -2150,6 +2159,7 @@ Array [
   "dry-run",
   "editor",
   "engine-strict",
+  "expect-entries",
   "fetch-retries",
   "fetch-retry-factor",
   "fetch-retry-maxtimeout",
@@ -2390,6 +2400,7 @@ Array [
 
 exports[`test/lib/docs.js TAP config > keys that are not flattened 1`] = `
 Array [
+  "expect-entries",
   "init-author-email",
   "init-author-name",
   "init-author-url",
@@ -3770,6 +3781,7 @@ Options:
 [-g|--global]
 [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> ...]]
 [-ws|--workspaces] [--include-workspace-root]
+[--no-expect-entries|--expect-entries <expect-entries>]
 
 Run "npm help query" for more info
 
@@ -3781,6 +3793,7 @@ npm query <selector>
 #### \`workspace\`
 #### \`workspaces\`
 #### \`include-workspace-root\`
+#### \`expect-entries\`
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/docs.js TAP usage rebuild > must match snapshot 1`] = `
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/query.js b/test/lib/commands/query.js
index 2b9a5b4976323..adbed442a5298 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/query.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/query.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ t.test('recursive tree', async t => {
   await npm.exec('query', ['*'])
   t.matchSnapshot(joinedOutput(), 'should return everything in the tree, accounting for recursion')
 })
+
 t.test('workspace query', async t => {
   const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
     config: {
@@ -179,3 +180,70 @@ t.test('global', async t => {
   await npm.exec('query', ['[name=lorem]'])
   t.matchSnapshot(joinedOutput(), 'should return global package')
 })
+
+t.test('expect entries', t => {
+  const prefixDir = {
+    node_modules: {
+      a: { name: 'a', version: '1.0.0' },
+    },
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'project',
+      dependencies: { a: '^1.0.0' },
+    }),
+  }
+  t.test('false, has entries', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': false },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#a'])
+    t.not(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'has entries')
+    t.ok(process.exitCode, 'exits with code')
+  })
+  t.test('false, no entries', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': false },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#b'])
+    t.equal(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'does not have entries')
+    t.notOk(process.exitCode, 'exits without code')
+  })
+  t.test('true, has entries', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': true },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#a'])
+    t.not(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'has entries')
+    t.notOk(process.exitCode, 'exits without code')
+  })
+  t.test('true, no entries', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': true },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#b'])
+    t.equal(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'does not have entries')
+    t.ok(process.exitCode, 'exits with code')
+  })
+  t.test('number, matches', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': 1 },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#a'])
+    t.not(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'has entries')
+    t.notOk(process.exitCode, 'exits without code')
+  })
+  t.test('number, does not match', async t => {
+    const { npm, joinedOutput } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      prefixDir,
+      config: { 'expect-entries': 1 },
+    })
+    await npm.exec('query', ['#b'])
+    t.equal(joinedOutput(), '[]', 'does not have entries')
+    t.ok(process.exitCode, 'exits with code')
+  })
+  t.end()
+})