diff --git a/docs/cli.md b/docs/cli.md
index b5913b69040..5a5fd878f7e 100644
--- a/docs/cli.md
+++ b/docs/cli.md
@@ -625,8 +625,9 @@ As such, `exit` should be used to properly exit the shell and the virtual enviro
 
 ## check
 
-The `check` command validates the structure of the `pyproject.toml` file
-and returns a detailed report if there are any errors.
+The `check` command validates the content of the `pyproject.toml` file
+and its consistency with the `poetry.lock` file.
+It returns a detailed report if there are any errors.
 
 {{% note %}}
 This command is also available as a pre-commit hook. See [pre-commit hooks]({{< relref "pre-commit-hooks#poetry-check">}}) for more information.
@@ -636,6 +637,10 @@ This command is also available as a pre-commit hook. See [pre-commit hooks]({{<
 poetry check
 ```
 
+### Options
+
+* `--lock`: Verifies that `poetry.lock` exists for the current `pyproject.toml`.
+
 ## search
 
 This command searches for packages on a remote index.
@@ -659,7 +664,7 @@ poetry lock
 
 ### Options
 
-* `--check`: Verify that `poetry.lock` is consistent with `pyproject.toml`
+* `--check`: Verify that `poetry.lock` is consistent with `pyproject.toml`. (**Deprecated**) Use `poetry check --lock` instead.
 * `--no-update`: Do not update locked versions, only refresh lock file.
 
 ## version
@@ -944,7 +949,7 @@ poetry self lock
 
 #### Options
 
-* `--check`: Verify that `poetry.lock` is consistent with `pyproject.toml`
+* `--check`: Verify that `poetry.lock` is consistent with `pyproject.toml`. (**Deprecated**)
 * `--no-update`: Do not update locked versions, only refresh lock file.
 
 ### self show
diff --git a/src/poetry/console/commands/check.py b/src/poetry/console/commands/check.py
index 3ca831e7213..733f0a7c5d5 100644
--- a/src/poetry/console/commands/check.py
+++ b/src/poetry/console/commands/check.py
@@ -1,11 +1,27 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from cleo.helpers import option
+
 from poetry.console.commands.command import Command
 
 
 class CheckCommand(Command):
     name = "check"
-    description = "Checks the validity of the <comment>pyproject.toml</comment> file."
+    description = (
+        "Validates the content of the <comment>pyproject.toml</> file and its"
+        " consistency with the poetry.lock file."
+    )
+
+    options = [
+        option(
+            "lock",
+            None,
+            (
+                "Checks that <comment>poetry.lock</> exists for the current"
+                " version of <comment>pyproject.toml</>."
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
 
     def validate_classifiers(
         self, project_classifiers: set[str]
@@ -72,6 +88,15 @@ def handle(self) -> int:
         check_result["errors"].extend(errors)
         check_result["warnings"].extend(warnings)
 
+        # Verify that lock file is consistent
+        if self.option("lock") and not self.poetry.locker.is_locked():
+            check_result["errors"] += ["poetry.lock was not found."]
+        if self.poetry.locker.is_locked() and not self.poetry.locker.is_fresh():
+            check_result["errors"] += [
+                "poetry.lock is not consistent with pyproject.toml. Run `poetry"
+                " lock [--no-update]` to fix it."
+            ]
+
         if not check_result["errors"] and not check_result["warnings"]:
             self.info("All set!")
 
diff --git a/src/poetry/console/commands/lock.py b/src/poetry/console/commands/lock.py
index c87f1359dc7..87273a66776 100644
--- a/src/poetry/console/commands/lock.py
+++ b/src/poetry/console/commands/lock.py
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ class LockCommand(InstallerCommand):
             None,
             (
                 "Check that the <comment>poetry.lock</> file corresponds to the current"
-                " version of <comment>pyproject.toml</>."
+                " version of <comment>pyproject.toml</>. (<warning>Deprecated</>) Use"
+                " <comment>poetry check --lock</> instead."
             ),
         ),
     ]
@@ -36,6 +37,10 @@ class LockCommand(InstallerCommand):
 
     def handle(self) -> int:
         if self.option("check"):
+            self.line_error(
+                "<warning>poetry lock --check is deprecated, use `poetry"
+                " check --lock` instead.</warning>"
+            )
             if self.poetry.locker.is_locked() and self.poetry.locker.is_fresh():
                 self.line("poetry.lock is consistent with pyproject.toml.")
                 return 0
diff --git a/tests/console/commands/test_check.py b/tests/console/commands/test_check.py
index 323364c8def..6347d4585fb 100644
--- a/tests/console/commands/test_check.py
+++ b/tests/console/commands/test_check.py
@@ -4,13 +4,19 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from poetry.packages import Locker
+
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import httpretty
+
     from cleo.testers.command_tester import CommandTester
     from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
 
+    from poetry.poetry import Poetry
     from tests.types import CommandTesterFactory
     from tests.types import FixtureDirGetter
+    from tests.types import ProjectFactory
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
@@ -18,6 +24,36 @@ def tester(command_tester_factory: CommandTesterFactory) -> CommandTester:
     return command_tester_factory("check")
 
 
+def _project_factory(
+    fixture_name: str,
+    project_factory: ProjectFactory,
+    fixture_dir: FixtureDirGetter,
+) -> Poetry:
+    source = fixture_dir(fixture_name)
+    pyproject_content = (source / "pyproject.toml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    poetry_lock_content = (source / "poetry.lock").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    return project_factory(
+        name="foobar",
+        pyproject_content=pyproject_content,
+        poetry_lock_content=poetry_lock_content,
+        source=source,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def poetry_with_outdated_lockfile(
+    project_factory: ProjectFactory, fixture_dir: FixtureDirGetter
+) -> Poetry:
+    return _project_factory("outdated_lock", project_factory, fixture_dir)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile(
+    project_factory: ProjectFactory, fixture_dir: FixtureDirGetter
+) -> Poetry:
+    return _project_factory("up_to_date_lock", project_factory, fixture_dir)
+
+
 def test_check_valid(tester: CommandTester) -> None:
     tester.execute()
 
@@ -39,12 +75,13 @@ def test_check_invalid(
         new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock,
     )
 
-    tester.execute()
+    tester.execute("--lock")
 
     expected = """\
 Error: 'description' is a required property
 Error: Project name (invalid) is same as one of its dependencies
 Error: Unrecognized classifiers: ['Intended Audience :: Clowns'].
+Error: poetry.lock was not found.
 Warning: A wildcard Python dependency is ambiguous.\
  Consider specifying a more explicit one.
 Warning: The "pendulum" dependency specifies the "allows-prereleases" property,\
@@ -74,3 +111,88 @@ def test_check_private(
 """
 
     assert tester.io.fetch_output() == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("options", "expected", "expected_status"),
+    [
+        ("", "All set!\n", 0),
+        ("--lock", "Error: poetry.lock was not found.\n", 1),
+    ],
+)
+def test_check_lock_missing(
+    mocker: MockerFixture,
+    tester: CommandTester,
+    fixture_dir: FixtureDirGetter,
+    options: str,
+    expected: str,
+    expected_status: int,
+) -> None:
+    from poetry.toml import TOMLFile
+
+    mocker.patch(
+        "poetry.poetry.Poetry.file",
+        return_value=TOMLFile(fixture_dir("private_pyproject") / "pyproject.toml"),
+        new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock,
+    )
+
+    status_code = tester.execute(options)
+
+    assert status_code == expected_status
+
+    if status_code == 0:
+        assert tester.io.fetch_output() == expected
+    else:
+        assert tester.io.fetch_error() == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("options", ["", "--lock"])
+def test_check_lock_outdated(
+    command_tester_factory: CommandTesterFactory,
+    poetry_with_outdated_lockfile: Poetry,
+    http: type[httpretty.httpretty],
+    options: str,
+) -> None:
+    http.disable()
+
+    locker = Locker(
+        lock=poetry_with_outdated_lockfile.pyproject.file.path.parent / "poetry.lock",
+        local_config=poetry_with_outdated_lockfile.locker._local_config,
+    )
+    poetry_with_outdated_lockfile.set_locker(locker)
+
+    tester = command_tester_factory("check", poetry=poetry_with_outdated_lockfile)
+    status_code = tester.execute(options)
+    expected = (
+        "Error: poetry.lock is not consistent with pyproject.toml. "
+        "Run `poetry lock [--no-update]` to fix it.\n"
+    )
+
+    assert tester.io.fetch_error() == expected
+
+    # exit with an error
+    assert status_code == 1
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("options", ["", "--lock"])
+def test_check_lock_up_to_date(
+    command_tester_factory: CommandTesterFactory,
+    poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile: Poetry,
+    http: type[httpretty.httpretty],
+    options: str,
+) -> None:
+    http.disable()
+
+    locker = Locker(
+        lock=poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile.pyproject.file.path.parent / "poetry.lock",
+        local_config=poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile.locker._local_config,
+    )
+    poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile.set_locker(locker)
+
+    tester = command_tester_factory("check", poetry=poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile)
+    status_code = tester.execute(options)
+    expected = "All set!\n"
+    assert tester.io.fetch_output() == expected
+
+    # exit with an error
+    assert status_code == 0
diff --git a/tests/console/commands/test_lock.py b/tests/console/commands/test_lock.py
index 7a910caccf7..26e0b98277c 100644
--- a/tests/console/commands/test_lock.py
+++ b/tests/console/commands/test_lock.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def poetry_with_invalid_lockfile(
     return _project_factory("invalid_lock", project_factory, fixture_dir)
 
 
-def test_lock_check_outdated(
+def test_lock_check_outdated_legacy(
     command_tester_factory: CommandTesterFactory,
     poetry_with_outdated_lockfile: Poetry,
     http: type[httpretty.httpretty],
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ def test_lock_check_outdated(
     tester = command_tester_factory("lock", poetry=poetry_with_outdated_lockfile)
     status_code = tester.execute("--check")
     expected = (
+        "poetry lock --check is deprecated, use `poetry check --lock` instead.\n"
         "Error: poetry.lock is not consistent with pyproject.toml. "
         "Run `poetry lock [--no-update]` to fix it.\n"
     )
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ def test_lock_check_outdated(
     assert status_code == 1
 
 
-def test_lock_check_up_to_date(
+def test_lock_check_up_to_date_legacy(
     command_tester_factory: CommandTesterFactory,
     poetry_with_up_to_date_lockfile: Poetry,
     http: type[httpretty.httpretty],
@@ -133,6 +134,11 @@ def test_lock_check_up_to_date(
     expected = "poetry.lock is consistent with pyproject.toml.\n"
     assert tester.io.fetch_output() == expected
 
+    expected_error = (
+        "poetry lock --check is deprecated, use `poetry check --lock` instead.\n"
+    )
+    assert tester.io.fetch_error() == expected_error
+
     # exit with an error
     assert status_code == 0