diff --git a/cli/cmd/lql.go b/cli/cmd/lql.go
index a3b9b7713..9f4033a1c 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/lql.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/lql.go
@@ -38,14 +38,15 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	queryCmdState = struct {
-		End          string
-		File         string
-		Limit        int
-		Range        string
-		Start        string
-		URL          string
-		ValidateOnly bool
-		FailOnCount  string
+		End           string
+		File          string
+		Limit         int
+		Range         string
+		Start         string
+		URL           string
+		ValidateOnly  bool
+		FailOnCount   string
+		EmptyTemplate bool
 		// create, update validate from library
 		CURVFromLibrary string
 	}{}
@@ -191,6 +192,12 @@ func init() {
 		"fail_on_count", "",
 		"fail if the results from a query match the provided expression (e.g. '>0')",
 	)
+	// empty template flag
+	queryRunCmd.Flags().BoolVar(
+		&queryCmdState.EmptyTemplate,
+		"empty", false,
+		"start $EDITOR with empty file",
+	)
 }
 
 func setQuerySourceFlags(cmds ...*cobra.Command) {
@@ -295,7 +302,7 @@ func inputQueryFromEditor(action string) (query string, err error) {
 		FileName: "query*.yaml",
 	}
 
-	if action == "create" || action == "run" {
+	if (action == "create" || action == "run") && !queryCmdState.EmptyTemplate {
 		prompt.Default = `queryId: YourQueryID
 queryText: |-
     {
@@ -311,6 +318,10 @@ queryText: |-
     }`
 		prompt.HideDefault = true
 		prompt.AppendDefault = true
+	} else if (action == "create" || action == "run") && queryCmdState.EmptyTemplate {
+		prompt.Default = ``
+		prompt.HideDefault = true
+		prompt.AppendDefault = true
 	}
 
 	err = survey.AskOne(prompt, &query)
@@ -402,6 +413,9 @@ func runQuery(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		if queryCmdState.ValidateOnly {
 			naFlag = "validate_only"
 		}
+		if queryCmdState.EmptyTemplate {
+			naFlag = "empty"
+		}
 		if naFlag != "" {
 			return errors.New(
 				fmt.Sprintf(
diff --git a/integration/test_resources/help/query_run b/integration/test_resources/help/query_run
index 0ce44e8ff..e71c5ed02 100644
--- a/integration/test_resources/help/query_run
+++ b/integration/test_resources/help/query_run
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Aliases:
   run, execute
 
 Flags:
+      --empty                  start $EDITOR with empty file
       --end string             end time for query (default "now")
       --fail_on_count string   fail if the results from a query match the provided expression (e.g. '>0')
   -f, --file string            path to a query to run