diff --git a/docs/content/cli-commands/npm-outdated.md b/docs/content/cli-commands/npm-outdated.md
index 3dae28c465f4e..75e122973ce7a 100644
--- a/docs/content/cli-commands/npm-outdated.md
+++ b/docs/content/cli-commands/npm-outdated.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-section: cli-commands 
+section: cli-commands
 title: npm-outdated
 description: Check for outdated packages
 ---
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ project.
 
 Max depth for checking dependency tree.
 
+#### outdated-level
+
+* Default: 'latest'
+* Type: 'latest', 'wanted', 'none'
+
+The minimum level of outdated dependency to exit with a non-zero
+exit code.
+
 ### See Also
 
 * [npm update](/cli-commands/update)
diff --git a/lib/config/defaults.js b/lib/config/defaults.js
index e07da3aaf97f4..9c862620c5572 100644
--- a/lib/config/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/config/defaults.js
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ Object.defineProperty(exports, 'defaults', {get: function () {
     only: null,
     optional: true,
     otp: null,
+    'outdated-level': 'latest',
     'package-lock': true,
     'package-lock-only': false,
     parseable: false,
@@ -331,8 +332,9 @@ exports.types = {
   'onload-script': [null, String],
   only: [null, 'dev', 'development', 'prod', 'production'],
   optional: Boolean,
-  'package-lock': Boolean,
   otp: [null, String],
+  'outdated-level': ['none', 'wanted', 'latest'],
+  'package-lock': Boolean,
   'package-lock-only': Boolean,
   parseable: Boolean,
   'prefer-offline': Boolean,
diff --git a/lib/outdated.js b/lib/outdated.js
index 5b84ae35587c8..ecc41dc0ab60a 100644
--- a/lib/outdated.js
+++ b/lib/outdated.js
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ const OutdatedConfig = figgyPudding({
   global: {},
   json: {},
   only: {},
+  'outdated-level': {},
   parseable: {},
   prod: 'production',
   production: {},
@@ -132,7 +133,12 @@ function outdated (args, silent, cb) {
         }
         output(table(outTable, tableOpts))
       }
-      process.exitCode = list.length ? 1 : 0
+      const levels = ['none', 'wanted', 'latest']
+      const minLevel = levels.indexOf(opts['outdated-level'])
+      const outdatedCount = list.reduce((count, dependency) => {
+        return semver.lt(dependency[2], dependency[2 + minLevel]) ? count + 1 : count
+      }, 0)
+      process.exitCode = outdatedCount ? 1 : 0
       cb(null, list.map(function (item) { return [item[0].parent.path].concat(item.slice(1, 7)) }))
     })
   }))
diff --git a/test/tap/outdated-level-none.js b/test/tap/outdated-level-none.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7c8b508131fc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/outdated-level-none.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+var fs = require('graceful-fs')
+var path = require('path')
+
+var mr = require('npm-registry-mock')
+var test = require('tap').test
+
+var npm = require('../../lib/npm')
+var common = require('../common-tap')
+
+var pkg = common.pkg
+
+var json = {
+  name: 'outdated-level',
+  version: '1.2.3',
+  dependencies: {
+    request: '^0.9.5'
+  }
+}
+
+test('setup', function (t) {
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(pkg, 'package.json'),
+    JSON.stringify(json, null, 2)
+  )
+  process.chdir(pkg)
+
+  t.end()
+})
+
+var expected = {
+  latest: [
+    pkg,
+    'request',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '2.27.0',
+    '^0.9.5',
+    null
+  ],
+  wanted: [
+    pkg,
+    'request',
+    '0.9.0',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '2.27.0',
+    '^0.9.0',
+    null
+  ]
+}
+
+test('outdated level none', function (t) {
+  mr({ port: common.port }, function (er, s) {
+    npm.load(
+      {
+        'outdated-level': 'none',
+        loglevel: 'silent',
+        registry: common.registry
+      },
+      function () {
+        npm.install('request@0.9.5', function (er) {
+          if (er) throw new Error(er)
+          npm.outdated(function (err, d) {
+            if (err) {
+              throw err
+            }
+            t.is(process.exitCode, 0, 'exit code set to 0')
+            // process.exitCode = 0
+            t.deepEqual(d[0], expected.latest)
+            t.equal(d.length, 1)
+            npm.install('request@0.9.0', function (er) {
+              if (er) throw new Error(er)
+              npm.outdated(function (err, d) {
+                if (err) {
+                  throw err
+                }
+                t.is(process.exitCode, 0, 'exit code set to 0')
+                // process.exitCode = 0
+                t.deepEqual(d[0], expected.wanted)
+                t.equal(d.length, 1)
+                s.close()
+                t.end()
+              })
+            })
+          })
+        })
+      }
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/tap/outdated-level-wanted.js b/test/tap/outdated-level-wanted.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4cdec37ff3fba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/outdated-level-wanted.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+var fs = require('graceful-fs')
+var path = require('path')
+
+var mr = require('npm-registry-mock')
+var test = require('tap').test
+
+var npm = require('../../lib/npm')
+var common = require('../common-tap')
+
+var pkg = common.pkg
+
+var json = {
+  name: 'outdated-level',
+  version: '1.2.3',
+  dependencies: {
+    request: '^0.9.5'
+  }
+}
+
+var expected = {
+  latest: [
+    pkg,
+    'request',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '2.27.0',
+    '^0.9.5',
+    null
+  ],
+  wanted: [
+    pkg,
+    'request',
+    '0.9.0',
+    '0.9.5',
+    '2.27.0',
+    '^0.9.0',
+    null
+  ]
+}
+
+test('setup', function (t) {
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(pkg, 'package.json'),
+    JSON.stringify(json, null, 2)
+  )
+  process.chdir(pkg)
+
+  t.end()
+})
+
+test('outdated level wanted', function (t) {
+  mr({ port: common.port }, function (er, s) {
+    npm.load(
+      {
+        'outdated-level': 'wanted',
+        loglevel: 'silent',
+        registry: common.registry
+      },
+      function () {
+        npm.install('request@0.9.5', function (er) {
+          if (er) throw new Error(er)
+          npm.outdated(function (err, d) {
+            if (err) {
+              throw err
+            }
+            t.is(process.exitCode, 0, 'exit code set to 0')
+            // process.exitCode = 0
+            t.deepEqual(d[0], expected.latest)
+            t.equal(d.length, 1)
+            npm.install('request@0.9.0', function (er) {
+              if (er) throw new Error(er)
+              npm.outdated(function (err, d) {
+                if (err) {
+                  throw err
+                }
+                t.is(process.exitCode, 1, 'exit code set to 1')
+                process.exitCode = 0
+                t.deepEqual(d[0], expected.wanted)
+                t.equal(d.length, 1)
+                s.close()
+                t.end()
+              })
+            })
+          })
+        })
+      }
+    )
+  })
+})