diff --git a/tools/lint/main_ni.c b/tools/lint/main_ni.c
index b49a53d..ff4040c 100644
--- a/tools/lint/main_ni.c
+++ b/tools/lint/main_ni.c
@@ -92,10 +92,11 @@
         "                          used since the data <file>s are expected in pairs - first <file> is expected as\n"
         "                          'rpc' TYPE, the second <file> is expected as reply to the previous RPC.\n"
         "        notif           - Notification instance (content of the <notification> element without <eventTime>.\n\n"
-        "  -r FILE, --running=FILE\n"
+        "  -r [FILE], --running[=FILE]\n"
         "                        - Optional parameter for 'rpc' and 'notif' TYPEs, the FILE contains running\n"
         "                          configuration datastore data referenced from the RPC/Notification. The same data\n"
-        "                          apply to all input data <file>s. Note that the file is validated as 'data' TYPE.\n\n"
+        "                          apply to all input data <file>s. Note that the file is validated as 'data' TYPE.\n"
+        "                          If the option is used without the FILE argument, the external references are ignored.\n\n"
         "  -y YANGLIB_PATH       - Path to a yang-library data describing the initial context.\n\n"
         "Tree output specific options:\n"
         "  --tree-help           Print help on tree symbols and exit.\n"
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@
         {"allimplemented",   no_argument,       NULL, 'i'},
         {"output",           required_argument, NULL, 'o'},
         {"path",             required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
-        {"running",          required_argument, NULL, 'r'},
+        {"running",          optional_argument, NULL, 'r'},
         {"strict",           no_argument,       NULL, 's'},
         {"version",          no_argument,       NULL, 'v'},
         {"verbose",          no_argument,       NULL, 'V'},
@@ -273,9 +274,9 @@
 
     opterr = 0;
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "ad:f:F:ghHio:p:r:st:vVG:y:", options, &opt_index)) != -1)
+    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "ad:f:F:ghHio:p:r::st:vVG:y:", options, &opt_index)) != -1)
 #else
-    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "ad:f:F:ghHio:p:r:st:vVy:", options, &opt_index)) != -1)
+    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "ad:f:F:ghHio:p:r::st:vVy:", options, &opt_index)) != -1)
 #endif
     {
         switch (opt) {
@@ -379,11 +380,17 @@
             ly_set_add(searchpaths, optarg, 0);
             break;
         case 'r':
-            if (running_file) {
+            if (running_file || (options_parser & LYD_OPT_NOEXTDEPS)) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "yanglint error: The running datastore (-r) cannot be set multiple times.\n");
                 goto cleanup;
             }
-            running_file = optarg;
+            if (optarg) {
+                /* external file with the running datastore */
+                running_file = optarg;
+            } else {
+                /* ignore extenral dependencies to the running datastore */
+                options_parser |= LYD_OPT_NOEXTDEPS;
+            }
             break;
         case 's':
             options_parser |= LYD_OPT_STRICT;
diff --git a/tools/lint/yanglint.1 b/tools/lint/yanglint.1
index 5fca208..894aad2 100644
--- a/tools/lint/yanglint.1
+++ b/tools/lint/yanglint.1
@@ -90,9 +90,10 @@
                      The first input data \fIFILE\fP is expected as '\fBrpc\fP' \fITYPE\fP, the second \fIFILE\fP is expected as reply to the previous RPC.
  \[bu] \fBnotif\fP           - Notification instance (content of the <notification> element without <eventTime>.
 .TP
-.BR "\-r \fIFILE\fP\fR,\fP \-\^\-running=\fIFILE\fP"
+.BR "\-r [\fIFILE\fP]\fR,\fP \-\^\-running[=\fIFILE\fP]"
 Optional parameter for '\fBrpc\fP' and '\fBnotif\fP' \fITYPE\fPs, the \fIFILE\fP contains running configuration datastore data referenced from the
 RPC/Notification. The same data apply to all input data \fIFILE\fPs. Note that the file is validated as '\fBdata\fP' \fITYPE\fP.
+If the option is used without the \fIFILE\fP argument, the external references are ignored.
 .TP
 .BR "\-y \fIYANGLIB_PATH\fP"
 Specify path to a yang-library data file (XML or JSON) describing the initial context.