diff --git a/docs/item.rst b/docs/item.rst
index dd834bae60..eb974d4b3d 100644
--- a/docs/item.rst
+++ b/docs/item.rst
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ commandline interface with ``dfhack.run_script()`` or via the API functions
 defined in :source-scripts:`item.lua`, available from the return value of
 ``reqscript('item')``:
 
-* ``execute(action, conditions, options)``
+* ``execute(action, conditions, options [, return_items])``
 
 Performs ``action`` (``forbid``, ``melt``, etc.) on all items satisfying
 ``conditions`` (a table containing functions from item to boolean). ``options``
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ and ``owned`` which correspond to the (filter) options described above.
 The function ``execute`` performs no output, but returns three values:
 
 1. the number of matching items
-2. a table containing all matched items, if the action is ``count``
+2. a table containing all matched items, if ``return_items`` is provided and true.
 3. a table containing a mapping from numeric item types to their occurrence
    count, if ``options.bytype=true``
 
diff --git a/item.lua b/item.lua
index 3742271edd..3145db3d4a 100644
--- a/item.lua
+++ b/item.lua
@@ -200,8 +200,9 @@ end
 --- @param action "melt"|"unmelt"|"forbid"|"unforbid"|"dump"|"undump"|"count"|"hide"|"unhide"
 --- @param conditions conditions
 --- @param options { help : boolean, artifact : boolean, dryrun : boolean, bytype : boolean, owned : boolean }
+--- @param return_items boolean|nil
 --- @return number, item[], table<number,number>
-function execute(action, conditions, options)
+function execute(action, conditions, options, return_items)
     local count = 0
     local items = {}
     local types = {}
@@ -269,9 +270,10 @@ function execute(action, conditions, options)
             item.flags.hidden = true
         elseif action == "unhide" and not options.dryrun then
             item.flags.hidden = false
-	elseif action == "count" then
-	    table.insert(items,item)
         end
+
+	if return_items then table.insert(items, item) end
+
         :: skipitem ::
     end
 
@@ -297,7 +299,7 @@ function executeWithPrinting (action, conditions, options)
         end
         table.sort(sorted, function(a, b) return a.count > b.count end)
         print(("\n%-14s %5s\n"):format("TYPE", "COUNT"))
-        for _, t in pairs(sorted) do
+        for _, t in ipairs(sorted) do
             print(("%-14s %5s"):format(df.item_type[t.type], t.count))
         end
         print()