diff --git a/.changeset/nice-geese-learn.md b/.changeset/nice-geese-learn.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..115168e81b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/nice-geese-learn.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@graphql-hive/cli': minor
+---
+
+Add message about empty schema registry in schema:check
diff --git a/integration-tests/fixtures/missing-type.graphql b/integration-tests/fixtures/missing-type.graphql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb4e059583
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration-tests/fixtures/missing-type.graphql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+type Query {
+  users: [User!]!
+}
diff --git a/integration-tests/tests/cli/schema.spec.ts b/integration-tests/tests/cli/schema.spec.ts
index ccfb4a2ba2..f7ed7e142f 100644
--- a/integration-tests/tests/cli/schema.spec.ts
+++ b/integration-tests/tests/cli/schema.spec.ts
@@ -195,3 +195,97 @@ test('service url should be required in Federation', async () => {
     ])
   ).rejects.toThrowError(/url/);
 });
+
+test('schema:check should notify user when registry is empty', async () => {
+  const { access_token: owner_access_token } = await authenticate('main');
+  const orgResult = await createOrganization(
+    {
+      name: 'foo',
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+  const org = orgResult.body.data!.createOrganization.ok!.createdOrganizationPayload.organization;
+  const code = org.inviteCode;
+
+  // Join
+  const { access_token: member_access_token } = await authenticate('extra');
+  await joinOrganization(code, member_access_token);
+
+  const projectResult = await createProject(
+    {
+      organization: org.cleanId,
+      type: ProjectType.Single,
+      name: 'foo',
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+
+  const project = projectResult.body.data!.createProject.ok!.createdProject;
+  const target = projectResult.body.data!.createProject.ok!.createdTarget;
+
+  // Create a token with write rights
+  const writeTokenResult = await createToken(
+    {
+      name: 'test',
+      organization: org.cleanId,
+      project: project.cleanId,
+      target: target.cleanId,
+      organizationScopes: [],
+      projectScopes: [],
+      targetScopes: [TargetAccessScope.RegistryRead, TargetAccessScope.RegistryWrite],
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+  expect(writeTokenResult.body.errors).not.toBeDefined();
+  const writeToken = writeTokenResult.body.data!.createToken.ok!.secret;
+
+  await expect(schemaCheck(['--token', writeToken, 'fixtures/init-schema.graphql'])).resolves.toMatch('empty');
+});
+
+test('schema:check should throw on corrupted schema', async () => {
+  const { access_token: owner_access_token } = await authenticate('main');
+  const orgResult = await createOrganization(
+    {
+      name: 'foo',
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+  const org = orgResult.body.data!.createOrganization.ok!.createdOrganizationPayload.organization;
+  const code = org.inviteCode;
+
+  // Join
+  const { access_token: member_access_token } = await authenticate('extra');
+  await joinOrganization(code, member_access_token);
+
+  const projectResult = await createProject(
+    {
+      organization: org.cleanId,
+      type: ProjectType.Single,
+      name: 'foo',
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+
+  const project = projectResult.body.data!.createProject.ok!.createdProject;
+  const target = projectResult.body.data!.createProject.ok!.createdTarget;
+
+  // Create a token with write rights
+  const writeTokenResult = await createToken(
+    {
+      name: 'test',
+      organization: org.cleanId,
+      project: project.cleanId,
+      target: target.cleanId,
+      organizationScopes: [],
+      projectScopes: [],
+      targetScopes: [TargetAccessScope.RegistryRead, TargetAccessScope.RegistryWrite],
+    },
+    owner_access_token
+  );
+  expect(writeTokenResult.body.errors).not.toBeDefined();
+  const writeToken = writeTokenResult.body.data!.createToken.ok!.secret;
+
+  const output = schemaCheck(['--token', writeToken, 'fixtures/missing-type.graphql']);
+
+  await expect(output).rejects.toThrowError('Unknown type');
+});
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.graphql b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.graphql
index dc413e4404..ac008efc14 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.graphql
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.graphql
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ mutation schemaCheck($input: SchemaCheckInput!, $usesGitHubApp: Boolean!) {
     __typename
     ... on SchemaCheckSuccess @skip(if: $usesGitHubApp) {
       valid
+      initial
       changes {
         nodes {
           message
diff --git a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
index 689ada60d3..898e6b5cf4 100644
--- a/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
+++ b/packages/libraries/cli/src/commands/schema/check.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ export default class SchemaCheck extends Command {
 
       if (result.schemaCheck.__typename === 'SchemaCheckSuccess') {
         const changes = result.schemaCheck.changes;
-        if (!changes?.total) {
+        if (result.schemaCheck.initial) {
+          this.success('Schema registry is empty, nothing to compare your schema with.');
+        } else if (!changes?.total) {
           this.success('No changes');
         } else {
           renderChanges.call(this, changes);