diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4682e1a0..12c7076b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ positional arguments:
 options:
   -h, --help            show this help message and exit
   --check               do not apply changes to files
+  --exit-non-zero-on-format
+                        return non-zero if files are modified
   --no-validate         do not validate that the rendered HTML is consistent
   --version             show program's version number and exit
   --number              apply consecutive numbering to ordered lists
diff --git a/src/mdformat/_cli.py b/src/mdformat/_cli.py
index 74a6e28b..28977090 100644
--- a/src/mdformat/_cli.py
+++ b/src/mdformat/_cli.py
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ def run(cli_args: Sequence[str], cache_toml: bool = True) -> int:  # noqa: C901
                 return 1
             if path:
                 if formatted_str != original_str:
+                    if opts["exit_non_zero_on_format"]:
+                        format_errors_found = True
                     path.write_bytes(formatted_str.encode())
             else:
                 sys.stdout.buffer.write(formatted_str.encode())
@@ -210,6 +212,11 @@ def make_arg_parser(
     parser.add_argument(
         "--check", action="store_true", help="do not apply changes to files"
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--exit-non-zero-on-format",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="return non-zero if files are modified",
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--no-validate",
         action="store_const",
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 28c36223..337b734a 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ def test_format(tmp_path):
     assert file_path.read_text() == FORMATTED_MARKDOWN
 
 
+def test_format__exit_non_zero(tmp_path):
+    file_path = tmp_path / "test_markdown.md"
+    file_path.write_text(UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN)
+    assert run((str(file_path),), "--exit-non-zero-on-format") == 1
+    assert file_path.read_text() == FORMATTED_MARKDOWN
+
+
 def test_format__folder(tmp_path):
     file_path_1 = tmp_path / "test_markdown1.md"
     file_path_2 = tmp_path / "test_markdown2.md"
@@ -39,6 +46,19 @@ def test_format__folder(tmp_path):
     assert file_path_3.read_text() == UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN
 
 
+def test_format__folder_exit_non_zero(tmp_path):
+    file_path_1 = tmp_path / "test_markdown1.md"
+    file_path_2 = tmp_path / "test_markdown2.md"
+    file_path_3 = tmp_path / "not_markdown3"
+    file_path_1.write_text(UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN)
+    file_path_2.write_text(UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN)
+    file_path_3.write_text(UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN)
+    assert run((str(tmp_path),), "--exit-non-zero-on-format") == 1
+    assert file_path_1.read_text() == FORMATTED_MARKDOWN
+    assert file_path_2.read_text() == FORMATTED_MARKDOWN
+    assert file_path_3.read_text() == UNFORMATTED_MARKDOWN
+
+
 def test_format__folder_leads_to_invalid(tmp_path):
     file_path_1 = tmp_path / "test_markdown1.md"
     file_path_1.mkdir()