diff --git a/relayer-cli/src/commands/query/connection.rs b/relayer-cli/src/commands/query/connection.rs
index 3e892e5512..b0425d73a9 100644
--- a/relayer-cli/src/commands/query/connection.rs
+++ b/relayer-cli/src/commands/query/connection.rs
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ use ibc::ics03_connection::connection::ConnectionEnd;
 use ibc::ics24_host::error::ValidationError;
 use ibc::ics24_host::identifier::ChainId;
 use ibc::ics24_host::identifier::ConnectionId;
-
+use ibc_proto::ibc::core::channel::v1::QueryConnectionChannelsRequest;
 use relayer::chain::{Chain, CosmosSDKChain};
 use relayer::config::{ChainConfig, Config};
 
+use crate::conclude::{on_exit, CommandOutput, CommandStatus};
 use crate::error::{Error, Kind};
 use crate::prelude::*;
-use ibc_proto::ibc::core::channel::v1::QueryConnectionChannelsRequest;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Command, Debug, Options)]
 pub struct QueryConnectionEndCmd {
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ pub struct QueryConnectionChannelsCmd {
 
     #[options(free, help = "identifier of the connection to query")]
     connection_id: Option<String>,
+
+    #[options(help = "enable output in JSON format")]
+    json: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -150,12 +153,16 @@ impl Runnable for QueryConnectionChannelsCmd {
 
         let (chain_config, opts) = match self.validate_options(&config) {
             Err(err) => {
-                status_err!("invalid options: {}", err);
-                return;
+                return on_exit(
+                    self.json,
+                    CommandOutput::new(CommandStatus::Error).with_msg(err),
+                );
             }
             Ok(result) => result,
         };
-        status_info!("Options", "{:?}", opts);
+        if !self.json {
+            status_info!("Options", "{:?}", opts);
+        }
 
         let rt = Arc::new(Mutex::new(TokioRuntime::new().unwrap()));
         let chain = CosmosSDKChain::bootstrap(chain_config, rt).unwrap();
@@ -170,17 +177,25 @@ impl Runnable for QueryConnectionChannelsCmd {
             .map_err(|e| Kind::Query.context(e).into());
 
         match res {
-            Ok(cs) => status_info!("Result for connection channels query: ", "{:?}", cs),
-            Err(e) => status_info!("Error encountered on channel end query:", "{}", e),
+            Ok(cs) => on_exit(
+                self.json,
+                CommandOutput::new(CommandStatus::Success).with_msg(format!("{:?}", cs)),
+            ),
+            Err(e) => on_exit(
+                self.json,
+                CommandOutput::new(CommandStatus::Error)
+                    .with_msg(format!("error encountered: {:?}", e)),
+            ),
         }
     }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use crate::commands::query::connection::{QueryConnectionChannelsCmd, QueryConnectionEndCmd};
     use relayer::config::parse;
 
+    use crate::commands::query::connection::{QueryConnectionChannelsCmd, QueryConnectionEndCmd};
+
     #[test]
     fn parse_connection_query_end_parameters() {
         let default_params = QueryConnectionEndCmd {
@@ -280,6 +295,7 @@ mod tests {
         let default_params = QueryConnectionChannelsCmd {
             chain_id: Some("ibc-0".to_string().parse().unwrap()),
             connection_id: Some("ibconeconnection".to_string().parse().unwrap()),
+            json: false,
         };
 
         struct Test {
diff --git a/relayer-cli/src/conclude.rs b/relayer-cli/src/conclude.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..979b9aa882
--- /dev/null
+++ b/relayer-cli/src/conclude.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+//! Handles the return message (command output) and return code from a CLI command.
+//! Most of the code here is temporary/experimental.
+//! https://github.com/informalsystems/ibc-rs/issues/500 will introduce a more permanent solution.
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+pub fn on_exit(json: bool, out: CommandOutput) {
+    // Handle the output message
+    if json {
+        println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&out).unwrap());
+    } else {
+        println!("status={:?}\nmsg={:?}", out.status, out.msg);
+    }
+
+    // The return code
+    if out.status == CommandStatus::Error {
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    } else {
+        std::process::exit(0);
+    }
+}
+
+/// A CLI output with support for JSON serialization.
+#[derive(Serialize, Debug)]
+pub struct CommandOutput {
+    /// The return status
+    pub status: CommandStatus,
+
+    /// An arbitrary message accompanying the output
+    pub msg: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Additional arbitrary key/values that may be present in the output
+    /// TODO: at the moment this is not used!
+    #[serde(flatten)]
+    pub extra: HashMap<String, String>,
+}
+
+impl CommandOutput {
+    pub fn new(status: CommandStatus) -> Self {
+        CommandOutput {
+            status,
+            msg: None,
+            extra: Default::default(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_msg(self, msg: String) -> Self {
+        CommandOutput {
+            msg: Some(msg),
+            ..self
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_extra(self, k: String, v: String) -> Self {
+        let mut extra = self.extra.clone();
+        extra.insert(k, v);
+
+        CommandOutput { extra, ..self }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum CommandStatus {
+    #[serde(rename(serialize = "success"))]
+    Success,
+
+    #[serde(rename(serialize = "info"))]
+    Info,
+
+    #[serde(rename(serialize = "error"))]
+    Error,
+}
diff --git a/relayer-cli/src/lib.rs b/relayer-cli/src/lib.rs
index 6a91c6fee7..0e13022e2b 100644
--- a/relayer-cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/relayer-cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 pub mod application;
 pub mod commands;
+mod conclude;
 pub mod config;
 pub mod error;
 pub mod prelude;