diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cb660a05c..169f7b585 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -167,6 +167,18 @@ jobs:
           ! pkgx -Qqq flubber-flubber
           pkgx -Q
 
+      - name: query --json
+        run: |
+          pkgx -Q --json=v2 git | pkgx jq -e '.[0].project == "git-scm.org"'
+          pkgx -Q --json=v2 git | pkgx jq -e '.[0].programs | length > 0'
+          pkgx -Q --json=v2 | pkgx jq -e 'length > 0'
+
+      - name: query pkgspecs
+        run: |
+          pkgx -Q git-scm.org | grep -q git-scm.org
+          pkgx -Q node git | grep -q nodejs.org
+          ! pkgx -Q git-scm.org@99999
+
       - run: if [ $(find ~/.pkgx -name .tmp\* -type d | wc -l) -gt 0 ]; then
           exit 1;
           fi
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6922dff3d..7a7101052 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ checksum = "953ec861398dccce10c670dfeaf3ec4911ca479e9c02154b3a215178c5f566f2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pkgx"
-version = "2.7.1"
+version = "2.8.0"
 dependencies = [
  "console",
  "indicatif",
diff --git a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
index 4d584b2d3..085f1d976 100644
--- a/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name = "pkgx"
 description = "Run anything"
 authors = ["Max Howell <mxcl@me.com>", "Jacob Heider <jacob@pkgx.dev>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
-version = "2.7.1"
+version = "2.8.0"
 edition = "2021"
 repository = "https://github.com/pkgxdev/pkgx"
 
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/args.rs b/crates/cli/src/args.rs
index 3b0ebae20..325da147b 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/args.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/args.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use console::style;
 
+#[derive(PartialEq)]
 pub enum Mode {
     X,
     Help,
@@ -114,8 +115,10 @@ pub fn parse() -> Args {
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            find_program = !arg.contains('/');
-            collecting_args = true;
+            if mode != Mode::Query {
+                find_program = !arg.contains('/');
+                collecting_args = true;
+            }
             args.push(arg);
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/main.rs b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
index a8cea4a91..c7a63f3f2 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
             Ok(())
         }
         args::Mode::Query => {
-            let (conn, _, _, _) = setup(&flags).await?;
-            query::query(&args, flags.silent, &conn)
+            let (conn, _, config, _) = setup(&flags).await?;
+            query::query(&args, &flags, &conn, &config).await
         }
         args::Mode::X => {
             let (mut conn, did_sync, config, mut spinner) = setup(&flags).await?;
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/query.rs b/crates/cli/src/query.rs
index 93133785f..57fa08808 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/query.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/query.rs
@@ -1,32 +1,168 @@
 use std::error::Error;
 
-use libpkgx::pantry_db;
+use libpkgx::{config::Config, inventory, pantry_db};
 use rusqlite::{params, Connection};
+use serde::Serialize;
 
-pub fn query(args: &Vec<String>, silent: bool, conn: &Connection) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+use crate::{
+    args::Flags,
+    resolve::{parse_pkgspec, Pkgspec},
+};
+
+#[derive(Serialize)]
+struct QueryResult {
+    project: String,
+    programs: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+pub async fn query(
+    args: &Vec<String>,
+    flags: &Flags,
+    conn: &Connection,
+    config: &Config,
+) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let is_json = flags.json == Some(2);
+    let silent = flags.silent;
+
+    // print out the whole list if no args
     if args.is_empty() {
-        let mut stmt = conn.prepare("SELECT program FROM provides")?;
-        let mut rows = stmt.query(params![])?;
-        while let Some(row) = rows.next()? {
-            let program: String = row.get(0)?;
-            println!("{}", program);
+        // if they requested json, output full mapping of project -> programs
+        if is_json {
+            let mut stmt =
+                conn.prepare("SELECT DISTINCT project FROM provides ORDER BY project")?;
+            let mut rows = stmt.query(params![])?;
+            let mut results = Vec::new();
+            while let Some(row) = rows.next()? {
+                let project: String = row.get(0)?;
+                let programs = get_programs(conn, &project)?;
+                results.push(QueryResult { project, programs });
+            }
+            println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&results)?);
+        // if not, just list all programs
+        } else {
+            let mut stmt = conn.prepare("SELECT program FROM provides")?;
+            let mut rows = stmt.query(params![])?;
+            while let Some(row) = rows.next()? {
+                let program: String = row.get(0)?;
+                println!("{}", program);
+            }
         }
-    } else {
-        let mut fail = false;
-        for arg in args {
-            let projects = pantry_db::which(arg, conn)?;
-            if projects.is_empty() && silent {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    let mut results = Vec::new();
+    let mut fail = false;
+
+    for arg in args {
+        let mut pkgspec = parse_pkgspec(arg)?;
+
+        let projects = match &mut pkgspec {
+            Pkgspec::Req(req) if !req.project.contains('.') && req.constraint.raw == "*" => {
+                pantry_db::which(&req.project, conn)?
+            }
+            Pkgspec::Req(req) => match resolve_project(&req.project, conn) {
+                Ok(project) => {
+                    req.project = project.clone();
+                    vec![project]
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    if silent {
+                        std::process::exit(1);
+                    }
+                    println!("{}", e);
+                    fail = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            },
+            Pkgspec::Latest(name) => match resolve_project(name, conn) {
+                Ok(project) => vec![project],
+                Err(e) => {
+                    if silent {
+                        std::process::exit(1);
+                    }
+                    println!("{}", e);
+                    fail = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
+            },
+        };
+
+        if projects.is_empty() {
+            if silent {
                 std::process::exit(1);
-            } else if projects.is_empty() {
-                println!("{} not found", arg);
-                fail = true;
-            } else if !silent {
-                println!("{}", projects.join(", "));
+            }
+            println!("{} not found", arg);
+            fail = true;
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        // validate version constraint if specified
+        if let Pkgspec::Req(req) = &pkgspec {
+            if req.constraint.raw != "*" {
+                let versions = inventory::ls(&projects[0], config).await?;
+                if !versions.iter().any(|v| req.constraint.satisfies(v)) {
+                    if silent {
+                        std::process::exit(1);
+                    }
+                    println!(
+                        "no versions matching {} found for {}",
+                        req.constraint.raw, projects[0]
+                    );
+                    fail = true;
+                    continue;
+                }
             }
         }
-        if fail {
-            std::process::exit(1);
+
+        if is_json {
+            for project in &projects {
+                let programs = get_programs(conn, project)?;
+                results.push(QueryResult {
+                    project: project.clone(),
+                    programs,
+                });
+            }
+        } else if !silent {
+            println!("{}", projects.join(", "));
         }
     }
+
+    if is_json {
+        println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&results)?);
+    }
+
+    if fail {
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn resolve_project(input: &str, conn: &Connection) -> Result<String, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let projects = pantry_db::which(&input.to_string(), conn)?;
+    match projects.len() {
+        1 => Ok(projects[0].clone()),
+        0 => {
+            if input.contains('.') {
+                let mut stmt = conn.prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM provides WHERE project = ?")?;
+                let count: i64 = stmt.query_row(params![input], |row| row.get(0))?;
+                if count > 0 {
+                    return Ok(input.to_string());
+                }
+            }
+            Err(format!("{} not found", input).into())
+        }
+        _ => Err(format!("{} is ambiguous: {}", input, projects.join(", ")).into()),
+    }
+}
+
+fn get_programs(conn: &Connection, project: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let mut stmt =
+        conn.prepare("SELECT program FROM provides WHERE project = ? ORDER BY program")?;
+    let mut rows = stmt.query(params![project])?;
+    let mut programs = Vec::new();
+    while let Some(row) = rows.next()? {
+        programs.push(row.get(0)?);
+    }
+    Ok(programs)
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs b/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
index 37327ecee..38246c25a 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/resolve.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ pub async fn resolve(
     Ok((installations, graph))
 }
 
-enum Pkgspec {
+pub enum Pkgspec {
     Req(PackageReq),
     Latest(String),
 }
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ impl Pkgspec {
     }
 }
 
-fn parse_pkgspec(pkgspec: &str) -> Result<Pkgspec, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+pub fn parse_pkgspec(pkgspec: &str) -> Result<Pkgspec, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     if let Some(project) = pkgspec.strip_suffix("@latest") {
         Ok(Pkgspec::Latest(project.to_string()))
     } else {