diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 20c15225..c7b24841 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ xbps-X.XX.X (2020-XX-XX):
 
  * xbps-remove(1): fix dry run cache cleaning inconsistencies. [duncaen]
 
+ * xbps-query(1): --cat now works in either repo or pkgdb mode. [duncaen]
+
  * xbps.d(5): describe ignorepkg more precisely. [chocimier]
 
 xbps-0.59.1 (2020-04-01):
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/defs.h b/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
index 1ccd710e..2a174725 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/defs.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ int	show_pkg_info_from_metadir(struct xbps_handle *, const char *,
 int	show_pkg_files(xbps_dictionary_t);
 int	show_pkg_files_from_metadir(struct xbps_handle *, const char *);
 int	repo_show_pkg_files(struct xbps_handle *, const char *);
+int	cat_file(struct xbps_handle *, const char *, const char *);
 int	repo_cat_file(struct xbps_handle *, const char *, const char *);
 int	repo_show_pkg_info(struct xbps_handle *, const char *, const char *);
 int 	repo_show_pkg_namedesc(struct xbps_handle *, xbps_object_t, void *,
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/main.c b/bin/xbps-query/main.c
index b893cadd..44316c1a 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/main.c
@@ -288,8 +288,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	} else if (catfile) {
 		/* repo cat file mode */
-		rv =  repo_cat_file(&xh, pkg, catfile);
-
+		if (repo_mode)
+			rv =  repo_cat_file(&xh, pkg, catfile);
+		else
+			rv =  cat_file(&xh, pkg, catfile);
 	} else if (show || show_prop) {
 		/* show mode */
 		if (repo_mode)
diff --git a/bin/xbps-query/show-info-files.c b/bin/xbps-query/show-info-files.c
index dc3b8fe4..2acbe922 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-query/show-info-files.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-query/show-info-files.c
@@ -281,6 +281,27 @@ repo_show_pkg_info(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+cat_file(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, const char *file)
+{
+	xbps_dictionary_t pkgd;
+	char *url;
+	int rv;
+
+	pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg(xhp, pkg);
+	if (pkgd == NULL)
+		return errno;
+
+	url = xbps_repository_pkg_path(xhp, pkgd);
+	if (url == NULL)
+		return EINVAL;
+
+	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "matched pkg at %s\n", url);
+	rv = xbps_archive_fetch_file_into_fd(url, file, STDOUT_FILENO);
+	free(url);
+	return rv;
+}
+
 int
 repo_cat_file(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, const char *file)
 {
diff --git a/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Kyuafile b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Kyuafile
index 20bc1fdf..3a3dbfe0 100644
--- a/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Kyuafile
+++ b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Kyuafile
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ syntax("kyuafile", 1)
 test_suite("xbps-query")
 atf_test_program{name="ignore_repos_test"}
 atf_test_program{name="remote_test"}
+atf_test_program{name="query_test"}
diff --git a/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Makefile b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Makefile
index 0d5271a5..7c0b8294 100644
--- a/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Makefile
+++ b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 TOPDIR = ../../..
 -include $(TOPDIR)/config.mk
 
-TESTSHELL = ignore_repos_test remote_test
+TESTSHELL = ignore_repos_test remote_test query_test
 TESTSSUBDIR = xbps/xbps-query
 EXTRA_FILES = Kyuafile
 
diff --git a/tests/xbps/xbps-query/query_test.sh b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/query_test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..284e1470
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xbps/xbps-query/query_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env atf-sh
+
+cat_file_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "xbps-query(1) --cat: cat pkgdb file"
+}
+
+cat_file_body() {
+	mkdir -p repo pkg_A/bin
+	echo "hello world!" > pkg_A/bin/file
+	cd repo
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n foo-1.0_1 -s "foo pkg" ../pkg_A
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-rindex -d -a *.xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	cd ..
+	mkdir root
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=repo -dvy foo
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	res=$(xbps-query -r root -dv -C empty.conf --cat /bin/file foo)
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	atf_check_equal "$res" "hello world!"
+}
+
+repo_cat_file_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "xbps-query(1) -R --cat: cat repo file"
+}
+
+repo_cat_file_body() {
+	mkdir -p repo pkg_A/bin
+	echo "hello world!" > pkg_A/bin/file
+	cd repo
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n foo-1.0_1 -s "foo pkg" ../pkg_A
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-rindex -d -a *.xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	cd ..
+	res=$(xbps-query -r root -dv --repository=repo -C empty.conf --cat /bin/file foo)
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	atf_check_equal "$res" "hello world!"
+}
+
+atf_init_test_cases() {
+	atf_add_test_case cat_file
+	atf_add_test_case repo_cat_file
+}