diff --git a/src/commands/query.mjs b/src/commands/query.mjs
index 5dd7cbd9..2fda3def 100644
--- a/src/commands/query.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/query.mjs
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ async function queryCommand(argv) {
     performanceHints,
     color,
     include,
+    maxAttempts,
+    maxBackoff,
+    maxContentionRetries,
   } = argv;
 
   // resolve the input
@@ -114,6 +117,9 @@ async function queryCommand(argv) {
       performanceHints,
       format: outputFormat,
       color: useColor,
+      maxAttempts,
+      maxBackoff,
+      maxContentionRetries,
     });
 
     if (include.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/commands/shell.mjs b/src/commands/shell.mjs
index 94ef2ca9..f941f9de 100644
--- a/src/commands/shell.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/shell.mjs
@@ -158,12 +158,23 @@ async function buildCustomEval(argv) {
 
   return async (cmd, ctx, _filename, cb) => {
     try {
+      if (cmd.trim() === "") return cb();
+
       const logger = container.resolve("logger");
 
-      if (cmd.trim() === "") return cb();
+      const secret = await getSecret(argv);
 
       // These are options used for querying and formatting the response
-      const { apiVersion, color } = argv;
+      const {
+        apiVersion,
+        color,
+        timeout,
+        typecheck,
+        url,
+        maxAttempts,
+        maxBackoff,
+        maxContentionRetries,
+      } = argv;
       const include = getArgvOrCtx("include", argv, ctx);
       const performanceHints = getArgvOrCtx("performanceHints", argv, ctx);
 
@@ -180,9 +191,6 @@ async function buildCustomEval(argv) {
 
       let res;
       try {
-        const secret = await getSecret(argv);
-        const { color, timeout, typecheck, url } = argv;
-
         res = await runQueryFromString(cmd, {
           apiVersion,
           secret,
@@ -191,6 +199,9 @@ async function buildCustomEval(argv) {
           typecheck,
           performanceHints,
           format: outputFormat,
+          maxAttempts,
+          maxBackoff,
+          maxContentionRetries,
         });
 
         // If any query info should be displayed, print to stderr.
diff --git a/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs b/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
index 54d8d255..b8a844b6 100644
--- a/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/fauna-client.mjs
@@ -53,18 +53,35 @@ export const runQueryFromString = (expression, argv) => {
   const faunaV10 = container.resolve("faunaClientV10");
 
   if (argv.apiVersion === "4") {
-    const { secret, url, timeout } = argv;
+    const { secret, url, timeout, maxContentionRetries } = argv;
+    let headers;
+    if (maxContentionRetries) {
+      headers = {
+        "x-fauna-max-contention-retries": maxContentionRetries,
+      };
+    }
     return retryInvalidCredsOnce(secret, (secret) =>
       faunaV4.runQueryFromString({
         expression,
         secret,
         url,
         client: undefined,
-        options: { queryTimeout: timeout },
+        options: { queryTimeout: timeout, headers },
       }),
     );
   } else {
-    const { secret, url, timeout, format, performanceHints, ...rest } = argv;
+    const {
+      secret,
+      url,
+      timeout,
+      format,
+      performanceHints,
+      maxAttempts,
+      maxBackoff,
+      maxContentionRetries,
+      ...rest
+    } = argv;
+
     let apiFormat = "decorated";
     if (format === Format.JSON) {
       apiFormat = "simple";
@@ -80,6 +97,9 @@ export const runQueryFromString = (expression, argv) => {
           /* eslint-disable camelcase */
           query_timeout_ms: timeout,
           performance_hints: performanceHints,
+          max_attempts: maxAttempts,
+          max_backoff: maxBackoff,
+          max_contention_retries: maxContentionRetries,
           /* eslint-enable camelcase */
           format: apiFormat,
           ...rest,
diff --git a/src/lib/options.mjs b/src/lib/options.mjs
index da42b1b8..a96c38b1 100644
--- a/src/lib/options.mjs
+++ b/src/lib/options.mjs
@@ -133,11 +133,32 @@ export const QUERY_OPTIONS = {
     default: false,
     group: "API:",
   },
+  "max-attempts": {
+    type: "number",
+    description:
+      "Maximum number of retry attempts when queries fail with throttling errors. Only applies to v10 queries.",
+    default: undefined,
+    group: "API:",
+  },
+  "max-backoff": {
+    type: "number",
+    description:
+      "Maximum backoff time (in milliseconds) between retry attempts. Only applies to v10 queries.",
+    default: undefined,
+    group: "API:",
+  },
+  "max-contention-retries": {
+    type: "number",
+    description:
+      "Maximum number of retry attempts when queries fail with contention errors.",
+    default: undefined,
+    group: "API:",
+  },
   include: {
     type: "array",
     choices: ["all", "none", ...QUERY_INFO_CHOICES],
     default: ["summary"],
-    describe:
+    description:
       "Query response info to output. Pass values as a space-separated list. Ex: --include summary queryTags.",
   },
 };
diff --git a/test/commands/query/v10.mjs b/test/commands/query/v10.mjs
index 851cb3b6..3cdb961c 100644
--- a/test/commands/query/v10.mjs
+++ b/test/commands/query/v10.mjs
@@ -122,25 +122,21 @@ describe("query v10", function () {
     );
   });
 
-  it("can set the typecheck option to true", async function () {
-    await run(`query "Database.all()" --typecheck --secret=foo`, container);
-    expect(runQueryFromString).to.have.been.calledWith(
-      '"Database.all()"',
-      sinon.match({
-        typecheck: true,
-      }),
-    );
-  });
-
-  it("can set the performanceHints option to true", async function () {
+  it("can set various query options", async function () {
     await run(
-      `query "Database.all()" --performance-hints --secret=foo`,
+      `query "Database.all()" --secret=foo --typecheck --performance-hints --max-attempts 5 --max-backoff 2000 --timeout 10000 --max-contention-retries 3`,
       container,
     );
+
     expect(runQueryFromString).to.have.been.calledWith(
-      '"Database.all()"',
+      sinon.match(""),
       sinon.match({
+        timeout: 10000,
+        typecheck: true,
         performanceHints: true,
+        maxAttempts: 5,
+        maxBackoff: 2000,
+        maxContentionRetries: 3,
       }),
     );
   });
diff --git a/test/commands/query/v4.mjs b/test/commands/query/v4.mjs
index beb887b0..7ed8aecd 100644
--- a/test/commands/query/v4.mjs
+++ b/test/commands/query/v4.mjs
@@ -103,6 +103,20 @@ describe("query v4", function () {
     );
   });
 
+  it("can set various query options", async function () {
+    await run(
+      `query "Collection('test')" --apiVersion 4 --secret=foo --timeout 10000 --max-contention-retries 3`,
+      container,
+    );
+    expect(runQueryFromString).to.have.been.calledWith(
+      sinon.match(""),
+      sinon.match({
+        timeout: 10000,
+        maxContentionRetries: 3,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   describe("query info", function () {
     it("displays metrics if `--include stats` is used", async function () {
       const testResponse = createV4QuerySuccess("test response");
diff --git a/test/commands/shell.mjs b/test/commands/shell.mjs
index f82185bf..43371988 100644
--- a/test/commands/shell.mjs
+++ b/test/commands/shell.mjs
@@ -338,25 +338,33 @@ describe("shell", function () {
 
     it.skip("does not colorize output if --no-color is used", async function () {});
 
-    it.skip("can eval a query with typechecking enabled", async function () {
-      container.resolve("performV10Query").resolves(v10Object1);
+    it("can open a shell and run queries with options", async function () {
+      runQueryFromString.resolves(v10Object1);
       let query = "Database.all().take(1)";
 
-      // start the shell
-      const runPromise = run(`shell --secret "secret" --typecheck`, container);
+      const runPromise = run(
+        "shell --secret=foo --typecheck --performance-hints --max-attempts 5 --max-backoff 2000 --timeout 10000 --max-contention-retries 3",
+        container,
+      );
 
       // send one command
       stdin.push(`${query}\n`);
       stdin.push(null);
       await stdout.waitForWritten();
-      await runPromise;
 
-      expect(container.resolve("performV10Query")).to.have.been.calledWith(
+      expect(runQueryFromString).to.have.been.calledWith(
         sinon.match.any,
-        sinon.match(query),
-        undefined,
-        sinon.match({ version: "10", typecheck: true }),
+        sinon.match({
+          timeout: 10000,
+          typecheck: true,
+          performanceHints: true,
+          maxAttempts: 5,
+          maxBackoff: 2000,
+          maxContentionRetries: 3,
+        }),
       );
+
+      return runPromise;
     });
 
     it("can display performance hints", async function () {