diff --git a/cmd/read.go b/cmd/read.go
index 9039b907..8e68f77c 100644
--- a/cmd/read.go
+++ b/cmd/read.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func readProperty(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	matchingNodes, errorReadingStream := readYamlFile(args[0], path, updateAll, docIndexInt)
 
-	if exitStatus {
+	if exitStatus && len(matchingNodes) == 0 {
 		cmd.SilenceUsage = true
 		return errors.New("No matches found")
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/read_test.go b/cmd/read_test.go
index 1906bfd9..f4990449 100644
--- a/cmd/read_test.go
+++ b/cmd/read_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,30 @@ func TestReadCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertResult(t, "2\n", result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestReadCmdWithExitStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read ../examples/sample.yaml b.c -e")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	test.AssertResult(t, "2\n", result.Output)
+}
+
+func TestReadCmdWithExitStatusNotExist(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read ../examples/sample.yaml caterpillar -e")
+	test.AssertResult(t, "No matches found", result.Error.Error())
+}
+
+func TestReadCmdNotExist(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read ../examples/sample.yaml caterpillar")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	test.AssertResult(t, "", result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadUnwrapCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 	content := `b: 'frog' # my favourite`