can mysql cli exit with error if no records returned?
Try changing the query to force a value

Instead of

SELECT id FROM table WHERE id=${LOOKUP}


you can use

SELECT COUNT(1) FROM table WHERE id=${LOOKUP}


Here is bash script to use that new query

LOOKUP=123
SQLSTMT="SELECT COUNT(1) FROM table WHERE id=${LOOKUP}"
RCOUNT=`mysql -u... -p... -AN -Ddbname -e"${SQLSTMT}"`
if [ ${RCOUNT} -eq 0 ]
then
    echo "Row ${LOOKUP} exists"
else
    echo "Row ${LOOKUP} does not exist"
fi


Here is an alternative

LOOKUP=123
SQLSTMT="SELECT CONCAT('Row ',rcount,' ',IF(rcount=0,'Exists','Does Not Exist')) FROM (SELECT COUNT(1) rcount FROM rolando WHERE id=${LOOKUP}) A"
mysql -u... -p... -AN -Ddbname -e"${SQLSTMT}" &gt; /tmp/answer.txt
cat /tmp/answer.txt


Give it a Try !!!