diff --git a/src/main/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQuery.java b/src/main/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQuery.java
index 11b597a..9ded62c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQuery.java
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ private String getSelectorName(Config config, Logger context, String... selector
 		return selectorName;
 	}
 
-	private QueryResult getQueryResult(Config config, Node node, HopContext context, String statement) throws RepositoryException {
+	private QueryResult getQueryResult(Config config, Node node, HopContext context, String statement)
+		throws RepositoryException, HopperException {
 		final QueryManager qm = node.getSession().getWorkspace().getQueryManager();
 		final Query query = qm.createQuery(statement, config.queryType);
 		if (config.limit > 0) {
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ private QueryResult getQueryResult(Config config, Node node, HopContext context,
 			if (value != null) {
 				query.bindValue(bindVar, context.getJcrFunctions().valueFromObject(value));
 			} else {
-				context.error("Could not bind placeholder {} as there is no known variable for it", bindVar);
+				throw new HopperException("Could not bind placeholder " + bindVar + " as there is no known variable for it");
 			}
 		}
 		return query.execute();
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQueryTest.java b/src/test/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQueryTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34f4d40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/swisscom/aem/tools/impl/hops/NodeQueryTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,295 @@
+package com.swisscom.aem.tools.impl.hops;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.startsWith;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.HopperException;
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.Runner;
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.RunnerBuilder;
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.config.LogLevel;
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.config.RunHandler;
+import com.swisscom.aem.tools.jcrhopper.config.Script;
+import io.wcm.testing.mock.aem.junit5.AemContext;
+import io.wcm.testing.mock.aem.junit5.AemContextExtension;
+import io.wcm.testing.mock.aem.junit5.JcrOakAemContext;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import javax.jcr.RepositoryException;
+import javax.jcr.Session;
+import javax.jcr.query.Query;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
+
+@ExtendWith(AemContextExtension.class)
+class NodeQueryTest {
+
+	public final AemContext context = new JcrOakAemContext();
+	private RunnerBuilder builder;
+	private Session session;
+	private RunHandler mockRunHandler;
+
+	@BeforeEach
+	public void setUp() throws RepositoryException {
+		context.create().resource("/content", "jcr:primaryType", "sling:Folder");
+		context.create().resource("/content/child", "jcr:primaryType", "cq:Page");
+		context.create().resource("/content/child/jcr:content", "jcr:primaryType", "cq:PageContent", "pageId", 1);
+		context.create().resource("/content/child/one", "jcr:primaryType", "cq:Page");
+		context.create().resource("/content/child/one/jcr:content", "jcr:primaryType", "cq:PageContent", "pageId", 2);
+
+		mockRunHandler = mock(RunHandler.class);
+		builder = Runner.builder().addHop(new NodeQuery(), new Declare(), new RunScript()).runHandler(mockRunHandler);
+		session = context.resourceResolver().adaptTo(Session.class);
+		session.save();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void xpath() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new NodeQuery.Config().withQueryType("xpath").withQuery("/jcr:root/content//element(*, cq:Page)")
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child for xpath query /jcr:root/content//e…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child/one for xpath query /jcr:root/content//e…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.INFO, "Processed 2 nodes from xpath query /jcr:root/content//element(*, cq:Page)", null, null);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(new Script(LogLevel.DEBUG, new NodeQuery.Config().withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2).withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]")))
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child/one for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.INFO, "Processed 2 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]", null, null);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_preparedPlaceholder() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new Declare.Config().withDeclarations(Collections.singletonMap("pageId", "1")),
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:PageContent] WHERE pageId = $pageId")
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler, never()).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/one/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.INFO,
+			"Processed 1 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:PageContent] WHERE pageId = $pageId",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_preparedPlaceholder_missing() {
+		assertThrows(HopperException.class, () ->
+			builder
+				.build(
+					new Script(
+						LogLevel.DEBUG,
+						new NodeQuery.Config()
+							.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+							.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:PageContent] WHERE pageId = $pageId")
+					)
+				)
+				.run(session, true)
+		);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_templateExpression() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new Declare.Config().withDeclarations(Collections.singletonMap("pageId", "2")),
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:PageContent] WHERE pageId = ${pageId}")
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/one/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler, never()).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.INFO,
+			"Processed 1 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:PageContent] WHERE pageId = 2",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_implicitJoin() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery(
+							"SELECT * FROM [cq:Page] AS page INNER JOIN [cq:PageContent] AS pageContent ON ISCHILDNODE(pageContent, page)"
+						)
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(any(), startsWith("There are 2 selectors in the JCR-SQL2 query. "), any(), any());
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.DEBUG,
+			"Found node /content/child/one/jcr:content for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.INFO,
+			"Processed 2 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Page] AS page INNER JOIN [cq:PageContent] AS pageContent ON ISCHILDNODE(pageContent, page)",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_explicitJoin() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery(
+							"SELECT * FROM [cq:Page] AS page INNER JOIN [cq:PageContent] AS pageContent ON ISCHILDNODE(pageContent, page)"
+						)
+						.withSelectorName("page")
+						.withHops(
+							Collections.singletonList(
+								new RunScript.Config()
+									.withCode(
+										"writer.print('#' + counter + ' page: ' + page.getPath() + ', pageContent: ' + pageContent.getPath())"
+									)
+							)
+						)
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler, never()).log(any(), startsWith("There are 2 selectors in the JCR-SQL2 query. "), any(), any());
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child/one for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(
+			LogLevel.INFO,
+			"Processed 2 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Page] AS page INNER JOIN [cq:PageContent] AS pageContent ON ISCHILDNODE(pageContent, page)",
+			null,
+			null
+		);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).print("#0 page: /content/child, pageContent: /content/child/jcr:content");
+		verify(mockRunHandler).print("#1 page: /content/child/one, pageContent: /content/child/one/jcr:content");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_invalidSelector() {
+		assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> {
+			builder
+				.build(
+					new Script(
+						LogLevel.DEBUG,
+						new NodeQuery.Config()
+							.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+							.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]")
+							.withSelectorName("test1")
+					)
+				)
+				.run(session, true);
+		});
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_customCounter() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]")
+						.withCounterName("cnt")
+						.withHops(
+							Collections.singletonList(
+								new RunScript.Config()
+									.withExtension("jexl")
+									.withCode("writer.print('#' + (cnt+1) + ' node: ' + node.getPath())")
+							)
+						)
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler).print("#1 node: /content/child");
+		verify(mockRunHandler).print("#2 node: /content/child/one");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sql2_limitAndOffset() throws HopperException, RepositoryException {
+		builder
+			.build(
+				new Script(
+					LogLevel.DEBUG,
+					new NodeQuery.Config()
+						.withQueryType(Query.JCR_SQL2)
+						.withQuery("SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]")
+						.withLimit(1)
+						.withOffset(1)
+				)
+			)
+			.run(session, true);
+
+		verify(mockRunHandler, never()).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.DEBUG, "Found node /content/child/one for JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Pa…", null, null);
+		verify(mockRunHandler).log(LogLevel.INFO, "Processed 1 nodes from JCR-SQL2 query SELECT * FROM [cq:Page]", null, null);
+	}
+}