diff --git a/flow-typed/stylelint.js b/flow-typed/stylelint.js
index 4e2f2764fc..826bbf3886 100644
--- a/flow-typed/stylelint.js
+++ b/flow-typed/stylelint.js
@@ -147,5 +147,6 @@ export type stylelint$standaloneOptions = {
   customSyntax?: string,
   formatter?: "compact" | "json" | "string" | "unix" | "verbose" | Function,
   disableDefaultIgnores?: boolean,
-  fix?: boolean
+  fix?: boolean,
+  allowEmptyInput: boolean
 };
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/ignore.test.js b/lib/__tests__/ignore.test.js
index b5822bad00..f6f68aa66c 100644
--- a/lib/__tests__/ignore.test.js
+++ b/lib/__tests__/ignore.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
+const NoFilesFoundError = require("../utils/noFilesFoundError");
 const path = require("path");
 const standalone = require("../standalone");
 
@@ -191,8 +192,10 @@ describe("extending config with ignoreFiles glob ignoring one by negation", () =
 });
 
 describe("specified `ignorePath` file ignoring one file", () => {
-  let results;
+  const files = [`${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`];
+  const noFilesErrorMessage = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
   let actualCwd;
+  let errorMessage;
 
   beforeAll(() => {
     actualCwd = process.cwd();
@@ -205,24 +208,28 @@ describe("specified `ignorePath` file ignoring one file", () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     return standalone({
-      files: [`${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`],
+      files,
       config: {
         rules: {
           "block-no-empty": true
         }
       },
       ignorePath: path.join(__dirname, "fixtures/ignore.txt")
-    }).then(data => (results = data.results));
+    }).catch(actualError => {
+      errorMessage = actualError;
+    });
   });
 
   it("no files read", () => {
-    expect(results).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(errorMessage).toEqual(noFilesErrorMessage);
   });
 });
 
 describe("specified `ignorePattern` file ignoring one file", () => {
-  let results;
+  const files = [`${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`];
+  const noFilesErrorMessage = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
   let actualCwd;
+  let errorMessage;
 
   beforeAll(() => {
     actualCwd = process.cwd();
@@ -235,24 +242,31 @@ describe("specified `ignorePattern` file ignoring one file", () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     return standalone({
-      files: [`${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`],
+      files,
       config: {
         rules: {
           "block-no-empty": true
         }
       },
       ignorePattern: "fixtures/empty-block.css"
-    }).then(data => (results = data.results));
+    }).catch(actualError => {
+      errorMessage = actualError;
+    });
   });
 
   it("no files read", () => {
-    expect(results).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(errorMessage).toEqual(noFilesErrorMessage);
   });
 });
 
 describe("specified `ignorePattern` file ignoring two files", () => {
-  let results;
+  const files = [
+    `${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`,
+    `${fixturesPath}/no-syntax-error.css`
+  ];
+  const noFilesErrorMessage = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
   let actualCwd;
+  let errorMessage;
 
   beforeAll(() => {
     actualCwd = process.cwd();
@@ -265,10 +279,7 @@ describe("specified `ignorePattern` file ignoring two files", () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     return standalone({
-      files: [
-        `${fixturesPath}/empty-block.css`,
-        `${fixturesPath}/no-syntax-error.css`
-      ],
+      files,
       config: {
         rules: {
           "block-no-empty": true
@@ -278,11 +289,13 @@ describe("specified `ignorePattern` file ignoring two files", () => {
         "fixtures/empty-block.css",
         "fixtures/no-syntax-error.css"
       ]
-    }).then(data => (results = data.results));
+    }).catch(actualError => {
+      errorMessage = actualError;
+    });
   });
 
   it("no files read", () => {
-    expect(results).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(errorMessage).toEqual(noFilesErrorMessage);
   });
 });
 
@@ -416,9 +429,11 @@ describe("using codeFilename and ignoreFiles with configBasedir", () => {
 });
 
 describe("file in node_modules", () => {
+  const files = [`${fixturesPath}/node_modules/test.css`];
+  const noFilesErrorMessage = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
   const lint = () =>
     standalone({
-      files: [`${fixturesPath}/node_modules/test.css`],
+      files,
       config: {
         rules: {
           "block-no-empty": true
@@ -427,16 +442,18 @@ describe("file in node_modules", () => {
     });
 
   it("is ignored", () => {
-    return lint().then(output => {
-      expect(output.results).toHaveLength(0);
+    return lint().catch(actualError => {
+      expect(actualError).toEqual(noFilesErrorMessage);
     });
   });
 });
 
 describe("file in bower_components", () => {
+  const files = [`${fixturesPath}/bower_components/test.css`];
+  const noFilesErrorMessage = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
   const lint = () =>
     standalone({
-      files: [`${fixturesPath}/bower_components/test.css`],
+      files,
       config: {
         rules: {
           "block-no-empty": true
@@ -445,8 +462,8 @@ describe("file in bower_components", () => {
     });
 
   it("is ignored", () => {
-    return lint().then(output => {
-      expect(output.results).toHaveLength(0);
+    return lint().catch(actualError => {
+      expect(actualError).toEqual(noFilesErrorMessage);
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/standalone.test.js b/lib/__tests__/standalone.test.js
index dfe1c85799..94adbc4792 100644
--- a/lib/__tests__/standalone.test.js
+++ b/lib/__tests__/standalone.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 "use strict";
 
 const configBlockNoEmpty = require("./fixtures/config-block-no-empty");
+const NoFilesFoundError = require("../utils/noFilesFoundError");
 const path = require("path");
 const standalone = require("../standalone");
 
@@ -114,10 +115,23 @@ it("standalone without input css and file(s) should throw error", () => {
   );
 });
 
-it("standalone with non-existent-file quietly exits", () => {
+it("standalone with non-existent-file throws an error", () => {
+  const files = `${fixturesPath}/non-existent-file.css`;
+  const expectedError = new NoFilesFoundError(files);
+
   return standalone({
-    files: `${fixturesPath}/non-existent-file.css`,
+    files,
     config: configBlockNoEmpty
+  }).catch(actualError => {
+    expect(actualError).toEqual(expectedError);
+  });
+});
+
+it("standalone with non-existent-file and allowEmptyInput enabled quietly exits", () => {
+  return standalone({
+    files: `${fixturesPath}/non-existent-file.css`,
+    config: configBlockNoEmpty,
+    allowEmptyInput: true
   }).then(linted => {
     expect(typeof linted.output).toBe("string");
     expect(linted.results).toHaveLength(0);
diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 8aa69ea6b1..a00537f4b2 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ const EXIT_CODE_ERROR = 2;
     stdinFilename: any,
     syntax: any,
     v: string,
-    version: string
+    version: string,
+    allowEmptyInput: boolean
   },
   input: any,
   help: any,
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@ const EXIT_CODE_ERROR = 2;
   maxWarnings?: any,
   syntax?: any,
   disableDefaultIgnores?: any,
-  ignorePattern?: any
+  ignorePattern?: any,
+  allowEmptyInput?: boolean
 }*/
 
 const meowOptions /*: meowOptionsType*/ = {
@@ -278,6 +280,10 @@ const meowOptions /*: meowOptionsType*/ = {
       --version, -v
 
         Show the currently installed version of stylelint.
+
+      --allow-empty-input
+
+        When glob pattern matches no files, the process will exit without throwing an error.
   `,
   flags: {
     cache: {
@@ -478,6 +484,10 @@ module.exports = (argv /*: string[]*/) /*: Promise<void>|void*/ => {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (cli.flags.allowEmptyInput) {
+    optionsBase.allowEmptyInput = cli.flags.allowEmptyInput;
+  }
+
   return Promise.resolve()
     .then(() => {
       // Add input/code into options
diff --git a/lib/standalone.js b/lib/standalone.js
index 37da535903..a4f8f06555 100644
--- a/lib/standalone.js
+++ b/lib/standalone.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const globby /*: Function*/ = require("globby");
 const hash = require("./utils/hash");
 const ignore = require("ignore");
 const needlessDisables /*: Function*/ = require("./needlessDisables");
+const NoFilesFoundError = require("./utils/noFilesFoundError");
 const path = require("path");
 const pify = require("pify");
 const pkg = require("../package.json");
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ module.exports = function(
   const reportNeedlessDisables = options.reportNeedlessDisables;
   const maxWarnings = options.maxWarnings;
   const syntax = options.syntax;
+  const allowEmptyInput = options.allowEmptyInput || false;
   const useCache = options.cache || false;
   let fileCache;
   const startTime = Date.now();
@@ -198,6 +200,10 @@ module.exports = function(
       );
 
       if (!filePaths.length) {
+        if (!allowEmptyInput) {
+          throw new NoFilesFoundError(fileList);
+        }
+
         return Promise.all([]);
       }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/noFilesFoundError.js b/lib/utils/noFilesFoundError.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a91eb26515
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/noFilesFoundError.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"use strict";
+
+class NoFilesFoundError extends Error {
+  constructor(fileList) {
+    super();
+
+    if (typeof fileList === "string") {
+      fileList = [fileList];
+    }
+
+    const pattern = fileList.filter(i => !i.startsWith("!")).join(", ");
+
+    this.message = `No files matching the pattern "${pattern}" were found.`;
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = NoFilesFoundError;