diff --git a/code/hsec-tools/app/Main.hs b/code/hsec-tools/app/Main.hs
index b240b9ab..39ac78af 100644
--- a/code/hsec-tools/app/Main.hs
+++ b/code/hsec-tools/app/Main.hs
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import Data.Foldable (for_)
 import Data.Functor ((<&>))
 import Data.List (intercalate, isPrefixOf)
+import Distribution.Parsec (eitherParsec)
+import Distribution.Types.VersionRange (VersionRange, anyVersion)
 import System.Exit (die, exitFailure, exitSuccess)
 import System.IO (hPutStrLn, stderr)
 import System.FilePath (takeBaseName)
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ import Options.Applicative
 import Security.Advisories
 import qualified Security.Advisories.Convert.OSV as OSV
 import Security.Advisories.Git
-import Security.Advisories.Queries (listVersionRangeAffectedBy, parseVersionRange)
+import Security.Advisories.Queries (listVersionRangeAffectedBy)
 import Security.Advisories.Generate.HTML
 
 import qualified Command.Reserve
@@ -109,24 +111,20 @@ commandQuery =
     isAffected =
       go
         <$> argument str (metavar "PACKAGE")
-        <*> optional (option str (metavar "VERSION-SPEC" <> short 'v' <> long "version-spec"))
+        <*> optional (option versionRangeReader (metavar "VERSION-RANGE" <> short 'v' <> long "version-range"))
         <*> optional (option str (metavar "ADVISORIES-PATH" <> short 'p' <> long "advisories-path"))
         <**> helper
-      where go :: T.Text -> Maybe T.Text -> Maybe FilePath -> IO ()
-            go packageName versionRange advisoriesPath =
-              case parseVersionRange versionRange of
-                Left e -> do
-                  T.hPutStrLn stderr $ "Cannot parse '--version-spec': " <> e
+      where go :: T.Text -> Maybe VersionRange -> Maybe FilePath -> IO ()
+            go packageName versionRange advisoriesPath = do
+              let versionRange' = fromMaybe anyVersion versionRange
+              affectedAdvisories <- listVersionRangeAffectedBy (fromMaybe "." advisoriesPath) packageName versionRange'
+              case affectedAdvisories of
+                [] -> putStrLn "Not affected"
+                _ -> do
+                  hPutStrLn stderr "Affected by:"
+                  forM_ affectedAdvisories $ \advisory ->
+                    T.hPutStrLn stderr $ "* [" <> T.pack (printHsecId $ advisoryId advisory) <> "] " <> advisorySummary advisory
                   exitFailure
-                Right versionRange' -> do
-                  affectedAdvisories <- listVersionRangeAffectedBy (fromMaybe "." advisoriesPath) packageName versionRange'
-                  case affectedAdvisories of
-                    [] -> putStrLn "Not affected"
-                    _ -> do
-                      hPutStrLn stderr "Affected by:"
-                      forM_ affectedAdvisories $ \advisory ->
-                        T.hPutStrLn stderr $ "* [" <> T.pack (printHsecId $ advisoryId advisory) <> "] " <> advisorySummary advisory
-                      exitFailure
 
 commandGenerateIndex :: Parser (IO ())
 commandGenerateIndex =
@@ -147,6 +145,9 @@ commandHelp =
   <$> optional (argument str (metavar "COMMAND"))
   <**> helper
 
+versionRangeReader :: ReadM VersionRange
+versionRangeReader = eitherReader eitherParsec
+
 withAdvisory :: (Maybe FilePath -> Advisory -> IO ()) -> Maybe FilePath -> IO ()
 withAdvisory go file = do
   input <- maybe T.getContents T.readFile file
diff --git a/code/hsec-tools/hsec-tools.cabal b/code/hsec-tools/hsec-tools.cabal
index 41d3e3b2..48dd2760 100644
--- a/code/hsec-tools/hsec-tools.cabal
+++ b/code/hsec-tools/hsec-tools.cabal
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ executable hsec-tools
     , aeson                 >=2.0.1.0 && <3
     , base                  >=4.14    && <4.19
     , bytestring            >=0.10    && <0.12
+    , Cabal-syntax          >=3.8.1.0 && <3.11
     , filepath              >=1.4     && <1.5
     , hsec-tools
     , optparse-applicative  >=0.17    && <0.19
diff --git a/code/hsec-tools/src/Security/Advisories/Queries.hs b/code/hsec-tools/src/Security/Advisories/Queries.hs
index 7f6f42b5..fd5768e0 100644
--- a/code/hsec-tools/src/Security/Advisories/Queries.hs
+++ b/code/hsec-tools/src/Security/Advisories/Queries.hs
@@ -6,19 +6,15 @@ module Security.Advisories.Queries
   , listVersionRangeAffectedBy
   , isVersionAffectedBy
   , isVersionRangeAffectedBy
-  , parseVersionRange
   )
 where
 
 import Control.Monad (forM_)
-import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import System.Exit (exitFailure)
 import System.IO (stderr, hPrint)
 
 import Data.Text (Text)
-import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.IO as T
-import Distribution.Parsec (eitherParsec)
 import Distribution.Types.Version (Version)
 import Distribution.Types.VersionInterval (asVersionIntervals)
 import Distribution.Types.VersionRange (VersionRange, anyVersion, earlierVersion, intersectVersionRanges, noVersion, orLaterVersion, unionVersionRanges, withinRange)
@@ -79,7 +75,3 @@ listAffectedByHelper checkAffectedBy root queryPackageName queryVersionish =
       exitFailure
     Success advisories ->
       return $ filter (checkAffectedBy queryPackageName queryVersionish) advisories
-
--- | Parse 'VersionRange' as given to the CLI
-parseVersionRange :: Maybe Text -> Either Text VersionRange
-parseVersionRange  = maybe (return anyVersion) (first T.pack . eitherParsec . T.unpack)
diff --git a/code/hsec-tools/test/Spec/QueriesSpec.hs b/code/hsec-tools/test/Spec/QueriesSpec.hs
index 46675b59..f1da6442 100644
--- a/code/hsec-tools/test/Spec/QueriesSpec.hs
+++ b/code/hsec-tools/test/Spec/QueriesSpec.hs
@@ -3,16 +3,19 @@
 
 module Spec.QueriesSpec (spec) where
 
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import Data.Text (Text)
-import Distribution.Types.VersionRange (VersionRange, VersionRangeF(..), projectVersionRange)
+import qualified Data.Text as T
+import Distribution.Parsec (eitherParsec)
+import Distribution.Types.Version (version0, alterVersion)
+import Distribution.Types.VersionRange (VersionRange, VersionRangeF(..), anyVersion, projectVersionRange)
 import Test.Tasty
 import Test.Tasty.HUnit
 
 import Security.Advisories.Definition
 import Security.Advisories.HsecId
 import Security.Advisories.Queries
-import Distribution.Types.Version (version0, alterVersion)
-import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 
 spec :: TestTree
 spec =
@@ -180,3 +183,7 @@ mkAffectedVersions vr =
 
 packageName :: Text
 packageName = "package-name"
+
+-- | Parse 'VersionRange' as given to the CLI
+parseVersionRange :: Maybe Text -> Either Text VersionRange
+parseVersionRange  = maybe (return anyVersion) (first T.pack . eitherParsec . T.unpack)