diff --git a/src/applications/search/management/PhabricatorSearchManagementQueryWorkflow.php b/src/applications/search/management/PhabricatorSearchManagementQueryWorkflow.php
--- a/src/applications/search/management/PhabricatorSearchManagementQueryWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/applications/search/management/PhabricatorSearchManagementQueryWorkflow.php
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   public function execute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $viewer = $this->getViewer();
     $raw_query = $args->getArg('query');
-    if (!strlen($raw_query)) {
+    if (!phutil_nonempty_string($raw_query)) {
       throw new PhutilArgumentUsageException(
         pht('Specify a query with --query.'));
     }