diff --git a/doc/manual/change-authors.yml b/doc/manual/change-authors.yml
index 28a20b25f..f56a1e6fb 100644
--- a/doc/manual/change-authors.yml
+++ b/doc/manual/change-authors.yml
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ puck:
   forgejo: puck
   github: puckipedia
 
+quantumjump:
+  display_name: Quantum Jump
+  github: QuantumBJump
+
 r-vdp:
   github: r-vdp
 
diff --git a/doc/manual/rl-next/fix-gc-dry-run.md b/doc/manual/rl-next/fix-gc-dry-run.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6095d7727
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/rl-next/fix-gc-dry-run.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+synopsis: Fix nix-collect-garbage --dry-run
+issues: [fj#432]
+cls: [1566]
+category: Fixes
+credits: [quantumjump]
+---
+
+`nix-collect-garbage --dry-run` did not previously give any output - it simply
+exited without even checking to see what paths would be deleted.
+
+```
+$ nix-collect-garbage --dry-run
+$
+```
+
+We updated the behaviour of the flag such that instead it prints out how many
+paths it *would* delete, but doesn't actually delete them.
+
+```
+$ nix-collect-garbage --dry-run
+finding garbage collector roots...
+determining live/dead paths...
+...
+<nix store paths>
+...
+2670 store paths deleted, 0.00MiB freed
+$
+```
diff --git a/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc b/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
index 54de68232..c831f132f 100644
--- a/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
+++ b/src/nix-collect-garbage/nix-collect-garbage.cc
@@ -89,12 +89,21 @@ static int main_nix_collect_garbage(int argc, char * * argv)
 
         // Run the actual garbage collector.
         if (!dryRun) {
-            auto store = openStore();
-            auto & gcStore = require<GcStore>(*store);
             options.action = GCOptions::gcDeleteDead;
-            GCResults results;
-            PrintFreed freed(true, results);
-            gcStore.collectGarbage(options, results);
+        } else {
+            options.action = GCOptions::gcReturnDead;
+        }
+        auto store = openStore();
+        auto & gcStore = require<GcStore>(*store);
+        GCResults results;
+        PrintFreed freed(true, results);
+        gcStore.collectGarbage(options, results);
+
+        if (dryRun) {
+            // Only print results for dry run; when !dryRun, paths will be printed as they're deleted.
+            for (auto & i : results.paths) {
+                printInfo("%s", i);
+            }
         }
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/tests/functional/meson.build b/tests/functional/meson.build
index eede1834c..cbf6a1563 100644
--- a/tests/functional/meson.build
+++ b/tests/functional/meson.build
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ functional_tests_scripts = [
   'flakes/flake-in-submodule.sh',
   'gc.sh',
   'nix-collect-garbage-d.sh',
+  'nix-collect-garbage-dry-run.sh',
   'remote-store.sh',
   'legacy-ssh-store.sh',
   'lang.sh',
diff --git a/tests/functional/nix-collect-garbage-dry-run.sh b/tests/functional/nix-collect-garbage-dry-run.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00e6f4885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/functional/nix-collect-garbage-dry-run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+source common.sh
+
+clearStore
+
+## Test `nix-collect-garbage --dry-run`
+
+
+testCollectGarbageDryRun () {
+    clearProfiles
+    # Install then uninstall a package
+    # This should leave packages ready to be garbage collected.
+    nix-env -f ./user-envs.nix -i foo-1.0
+    nix-env -f ./user-envs.nix -e foo-1.0
+
+
+    nix-env --delete-generations old
+    [[ $(nix-store --gc --print-dead | wc -l) -eq 7 ]]
+
+    nix-collect-garbage --dry-run
+    [[ $(nix-store --gc --print-dead | wc -l) -eq 7 ]]
+
+}
+
+testCollectGarbageDryRun
+
+# Run the same test, but forcing the profiles an arbitrary location.
+rm ~/.nix-profile
+ln -s $TEST_ROOT/blah ~/.nix-profile
+testCollectGarbageDryRun
+
+# Run the same test, but forcing the profiles at their legacy location under
+# /nix/var/nix.
+#
+# Note that we *don't* use the default profile; `nix-collect-garbage` will
+# need to check the legacy conditional unconditionally not just follow
+# `~/.nix-profile` to pass this test.
+#
+# Regression test for #8294
+rm ~/.nix-profile
+testCollectGarbageDryRun --profile "$NIX_STATE_DIR/profiles/per-user/me"