diff --git a/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/QueryCommand.java b/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/QueryCommand.java
index ddf6adfd4..54b6d045c 100644
--- a/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/QueryCommand.java
+++ b/metaschema-cli/src/main/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/commands/QueryCommand.java
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public class QueryCommand
       Option.builder("i")
           .hasArg()
           .argName("FILE")
-          .required()
+          //.required()
           .desc("metaschema content instance resource")
           .build());
   @NonNull
diff --git a/metaschema-cli/src/test/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/CLITest.java b/metaschema-cli/src/test/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/CLITest.java
index 7666866a4..2afb34a11 100644
--- a/metaschema-cli/src/test/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/CLITest.java
+++ b/metaschema-cli/src/test/java/gov/nist/secauto/metaschema/cli/CLITest.java
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ private static Stream<Arguments> providesValues() {
 		values.add(Arguments.of(new String[] { "generate-schema", "--overwrite", "--as", "JSON",
 				"../databind/src/test/resources/metaschema/fields_with_flags/metaschema.xml",
 				"target/schema-test.json" }, ExitCode.OK, noExpectedExceptionClass));
+		values.add(Arguments.of(new String[] { "query", "-m", "module.xml", "-i", "content-instance.xml", "\"2 + 2\""}, ExitCode.INVALID_COMMAND, noExpectedExceptionClass));
 		return values.stream();
 	}