diff --git a/test/test_modules.py b/test/test_modules.py
index 3106479f..23a1f2f2 100644
--- a/test/test_modules.py
+++ b/test/test_modules.py
@@ -59,6 +59,17 @@ def test_held_package(host):
     assert python.version.startswith("3.11.")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.destructive
+@pytest.mark.testinfra_hosts("docker://rockylinux9")
+def test_rpmdb_corrupted(host):
+    host.check_output("dd if=/dev/zero of=/var/lib/rpm/rpmdb.sqlite bs=1024 count=1")
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        host.package("zsh").is_installed
+    assert (
+        "Could not check if RPM package 'zsh' is installed. error: sqlite failure:"
+    ) in str(excinfo.value)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.testinfra_hosts("docker://rockylinux9")
 def test_non_default_package_tool(host):
     # Make non default pkg tool binary present
diff --git a/testinfra/modules/package.py b/testinfra/modules/package.py
index 39ef248d..f9f93515 100644
--- a/testinfra/modules/package.py
+++ b/testinfra/modules/package.py
@@ -165,7 +165,15 @@ def version(self):
 class RpmPackage(Package):
     @property
     def is_installed(self):
-        return self.run_test("rpm -q %s", self.name).rc == 0
+        result = self.run_test("rpm -q --quiet %s 2>&1", self.name)
+        if result.succeeded:
+            return True
+        elif result.failed and result.stdout == "":
+            return False
+        else:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Could not check if RPM package '{self.name}' is installed. {result.stdout}"
+            )
 
     @property
     def version(self):