diff --git a/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
index 31353d1eac0fb..b4a6cd33a60f4 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_driver_impl/src/lib.rs
@@ -598,15 +598,26 @@ fn list_metadata(sess: &Session, metadata_loader: &dyn MetadataLoader) {
     match sess.io.input {
         Input::File(ref path) => {
             let mut v = Vec::new();
-            locator::list_file_metadata(
+            if let Err(error) = locator::list_file_metadata(
                 &sess.target,
                 path,
                 metadata_loader,
                 &mut v,
                 &sess.opts.unstable_opts.ls,
                 sess.cfg_version,
-            )
-            .unwrap();
+            ) {
+                if path.extension().is_some_and(|extension| extension == "rs") {
+                    let mut err = sess
+                        .dcx()
+                        .struct_fatal("`-Zls` takes a `.rmeta` file as input, not a source file");
+                    if rustc_session::utils::was_invoked_from_cargo() {
+                        // Give a Cargo-tailored suggestion if we're coming from Cargo
+                        err.note("use `rustc +nightly -Zls=... path/to/file.rmeta` directly, instead of going through Cargo");
+                    }
+                    err.emit();
+                }
+                sess.dcx().fatal(error.to_string());
+            }
             safe_println!("{}", String::from_utf8(v).unwrap());
         }
         Input::Str { .. } => {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/locator.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/locator.rs
index 874d4812502e6..78d06add675dc 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/locator.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/locator.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
 //! metadata::locator or metadata::creader for all the juicy details!
 
 use std::borrow::Cow;
-use std::io::{self, Result as IoResult, Write};
+use std::io::{self, Error as IoError, ErrorKind as IoErrorKind, Result as IoResult, Write};
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::{cmp, fmt};
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ pub fn list_file_metadata(
     let flavor = get_flavor_from_path(path);
     match get_metadata_section(target, flavor, path, metadata_loader, cfg_version, None) {
         Ok(metadata) => metadata.list_crate_metadata(out, ls_kinds),
-        Err(msg) => write!(out, "{msg}\n"),
+        Err(msg) => Err(IoError::new(IoErrorKind::Other, msg.to_string())),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/doc/unstable-book/src/compiler-flags/ls.md b/src/doc/unstable-book/src/compiler-flags/ls.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..812f2eee1d57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/doc/unstable-book/src/compiler-flags/ls.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# `ls`
+
+---
+
+Option `-Zls` instructs the compiler to list all metadata from a given metadata file (i.e. files with the `.rmeta` extension).
+
+This allows for debugging the metadata emitted by an earlier compilation.
+
+Note that, while `rustc` usually works with `.rs` files, this option is meant purely for analyzing `.rmeta` files, and does not produce any compilation artifact.
+
+Allowed values are:
+
+- `root`: Crate info.
+- `lang_items`: Language items used and missing, if any.
+- `features`: Library features defined via the `#[stable]` and `#[unstable]` internal attributes.
+- `items`: All items (such as modules, functions...) in the crate, including attributes like their visibility
+- `all`: All of the above
+
+## Example
+
+```sh
+rustc +nightly -Zls=all target/debug/deps/libmy_crate-*.rmeta
+```
+
+This lists to stdout all metadata from the given `.rmeta` file
diff --git a/tests/run-make/ls-metadata/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/ls-metadata/rmake.rs
index 42db97a292bed..3fc7c911f6da9 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/ls-metadata/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/ls-metadata/rmake.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use run_make_support::{rfs, rustc};
 
 fn main() {
     rustc().input("foo.rs").run();
-    rustc().arg("-Zls=root").input("foo").run();
+    rustc().arg("-Zls=root").input("foo").run_fail();
     rfs::create_file("bar");
-    rustc().arg("-Zls=root").input("bar").run();
+    rustc().arg("-Zls=root").input("bar").run_fail();
 }