diff --git a/src/fzf/core.clj b/src/fzf/core.clj
index 831d591..74d3dbd 100644
--- a/src/fzf/core.clj
+++ b/src/fzf/core.clj
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 (s/def :fzf/tac boolean?)
 (s/def :fzf/case-insensitive boolean?)
 (s/def :fzf/exact boolean?)
+(s/def :fzf/throw boolean?)
 
 (s/def :fzf/opts
   (s/and  (s/keys
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@
                     :fzf/height
                     :fzf/tac
                     :fzf/case-insensitive
-                    :fzf/exact])
+                    :fzf/exact
+                    :fzf/throw])
           #(not (and (:preview %) (:preview-fn %)))))
 
 (s/def :fzf/args sequential?)
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@
    - tac: Bool, reverse the order of the input
    - case-insensitive: Bool, toggle case-insensitive search (default: smart-case)
    - exact: Bool, toggle exact search (default: fuzzy)
+   - throw: Bool, throw when no candidates were selected (default: return nil)
 
    `args`: Input arguments to fzf (optional, list of strings)
 
diff --git a/src/fzf/impl.clj b/src/fzf/impl.clj
index 4d3eb50..2335bea 100644
--- a/src/fzf/impl.clj
+++ b/src/fzf/impl.clj
@@ -90,9 +90,11 @@
                                      (start-preview-fn-server port-promise preview-fn)
                                      (ByteArrayOutputStream.))] ; any proper Closeable thing will do.
       (let [multi (:multi opts)
+            throw-on-nzec (:throw opts)
             {:keys [cmd opts]} (parse-opts opts args (when preview-fn @port-promise))
             {:keys [out exit]} @(p/process cmd opts)]
         (if (zero? exit)
           (cond-> (str/trim out)
-                  multi str/split-lines)
-          nil)))))
+            multi str/split-lines)
+          (if throw-on-nzec (throw (ex-info "No candidates were selected" {:babashka/exit 1}))
+              nil))))))
diff --git a/test/fzf/impl_test.clj b/test/fzf/impl_test.clj
index 3bc8f96..915db3b 100644
--- a/test/fzf/impl_test.clj
+++ b/test/fzf/impl_test.clj
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
                                   :header {:header-str "header-text"
                                            :header-lines 2
                                            :header-first true}
-                                  :height "10%"}
+                                  :height "10%"
+                                  :throw true}
                                  [])))))
   (t/testing "adding :preview-fn produces command string with inline bb netcat script"
     (t/is (= ["fzf" "--preview" (i/bbnc-preview-command 12345)]