diff --git a/changes/31581-output-from-packages-only b/changes/31581-output-from-packages-only
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04a70c353b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/31581-output-from-packages-only
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Output from packages_only=true returns software with available installers.
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles.go b/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles.go
index 01ff3a6158..57d458ec25 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles.go
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ func (ds *Datastore) ListSoftwareTitles(
 		return nil, 0, nil, fleet.NewInvalidArgumentError("query", "min_cvss_score, max_cvss_score, and exploit can only be provided with vulnerable=true")
 	}
 
+	if opt.TeamID == nil && opt.PackagesOnly {
+		return nil, 0, nil, fleet.NewInvalidArgumentError("query", "packages_only can only be provided with team_id")
+	}
+
 	dbReader := ds.reader(ctx)
 	getTitlesStmt, args, err := selectSoftwareTitlesSQL(opt)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -354,7 +358,8 @@ SELECT
 	{{end}}
 FROM software_titles st
 	{{if hasTeamID .}}
-		LEFT JOIN software_installers si ON si.title_id = st.id AND si.global_or_team_id = {{teamID .}}
+		{{$installerJoin := printf "%s JOIN software_installers si ON si.title_id = st.id AND si.global_or_team_id = %d" (yesNo .PackagesOnly "INNER" "LEFT") (teamID .)}}
+		{{$installerJoin}}
 		LEFT JOIN vpp_apps vap ON vap.title_id = st.id AND {{yesNo .PackagesOnly "FALSE" "TRUE"}}
 		LEFT JOIN vpp_apps_teams vat ON vat.adam_id = vap.adam_id AND vat.platform = vap.platform AND 
 			{{if .PackagesOnly}} FALSE {{else}} vat.global_or_team_id = {{teamID .}}{{end}}
@@ -395,8 +400,11 @@ WHERE
 		{{end}}
 		{{$additionalWhere}}
 	{{end}}
-	-- If teamID is set, defaults to "a software installer or VPP app exists", and see next condition.
-	{{with $defFilter := yesNo (hasTeamID .) "(si.id IS NOT NULL OR vat.adam_id IS NOT NULL)" "FALSE"}}
+	{{with $defFilter := "FALSE"}}
+		-- If teamID is set and PackagesOnly is false, defaults to "a software installer or VPP app exists", and see next condition.
+		{{if and (hasTeamID $) (not $.PackagesOnly) }}
+			{{$defFilter = "(si.id IS NOT NULL OR vat.adam_id IS NOT NULL)"}}
+		{{end}}
 		-- add software installed for hosts if we're not filtering for "available for install" only
 		{{if not $.AvailableForInstall}}
 			{{$defFilter = $defFilter | printf " ( %s OR sthc.hosts_count > 0 ) "}}
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles_test.go b/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles_test.go
index 68e841e3aa..b649f72061 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/software_titles_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func TestSoftwareTitles(t *testing.T) {
 		{"UpdateSoftwareTitleName", testUpdateSoftwareTitleName},
 		{"ListSoftwareTitlesDoesnotIncludeDuplicates", testListSoftwareTitlesDoesnotIncludeDuplicates},
 		{"ListSoftwareTitlesAllTeamsWithAutomaticInstallersInNoTeam", testListSoftwareTitlesAllTeamsWithAutomaticInstallersInNoTeam},
+		{"ListSoftwareTitlesPackagesOnly", testSoftwareTitlesPackagesOnly},
 	}
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -2073,3 +2074,87 @@ func testListSoftwareTitlesAllTeamsWithAutomaticInstallersInNoTeam(t *testing.T,
 	require.Len(t, allTeamsTitles, 1)
 	require.Nil(t, allTeamsTitles[0].SoftwarePackage)
 }
+
+func testSoftwareTitlesPackagesOnly(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	team1, err := ds.NewTeam(ctx, &fleet.Team{Name: "team1"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	host := test.NewHost(t, ds, "host1", "", "host1key", "host1uuid", time.Now())
+	require.NoError(t, ds.AddHostsToTeam(ctx, fleet.NewAddHostsToTeamParams(&team1.ID, []uint{host.ID})))
+
+	user := test.NewUser(t, ds, "Alice", "alice@example.com", true)
+
+	software := []fleet.Software{
+		{Name: "foo", Version: "1.0.0", Source: "deb_packages"},
+		{Name: "bar", Version: "2.0.0", Source: "apps"},
+		{Name: "baz", Version: "3.0.0", Source: "rpm_packages"},
+	}
+	_, err = ds.UpdateHostSoftware(ctx, host.ID, software)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, _, err = ds.MatchOrCreateSoftwareInstaller(ctx, &fleet.UploadSoftwareInstallerPayload{
+		Title:           "foo",
+		Source:          "deb_packages",
+		InstallScript:   "echo foo",
+		Filename:        "foo.pkg",
+		UserID:          user.ID,
+		TeamID:          &team1.ID,
+		ValidatedLabels: &fleet.LabelIdentsWithScope{},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, _, err = ds.MatchOrCreateSoftwareInstaller(ctx, &fleet.UploadSoftwareInstallerPayload{
+		Title:           "bar",
+		Source:          "apps",
+		InstallScript:   "echo bar",
+		Filename:        "bar.pkg",
+		UserID:          user.ID,
+		TeamID:          &team1.ID,
+		ValidatedLabels: &fleet.LabelIdentsWithScope{},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Sync and reconcile
+	require.NoError(t, ds.SyncHostsSoftware(ctx, time.Now()))
+	require.NoError(t, ds.ReconcileSoftwareTitles(ctx))
+	require.NoError(t, ds.SyncHostsSoftwareTitles(ctx, time.Now()))
+
+	t.Run("packages_only=false no team_id", func(t *testing.T) {
+		titles, _, _, err := ds.ListSoftwareTitles(ctx, fleet.SoftwareTitleListOptions{
+			PackagesOnly: false,
+		}, fleet.TeamFilter{User: &fleet.User{GlobalRole: ptr.String(fleet.RoleAdmin)}})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Len(t, titles, 3)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("packages_only=true no team_id", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, _, _, err := ds.ListSoftwareTitles(ctx, fleet.SoftwareTitleListOptions{
+			PackagesOnly: true,
+		}, fleet.TeamFilter{User: &fleet.User{GlobalRole: ptr.String(fleet.RoleAdmin)}})
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "packages_only can only be provided with team_id")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("packages_only=false with team_id", func(t *testing.T) {
+		titles, _, _, err := ds.ListSoftwareTitles(ctx, fleet.SoftwareTitleListOptions{
+			PackagesOnly: false,
+			TeamID:       &team1.ID,
+		}, fleet.TeamFilter{User: &fleet.User{GlobalRole: ptr.String(fleet.RoleAdmin)}})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Len(t, titles, 3)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("packages_only=true with team_id", func(t *testing.T) {
+		titles, _, _, err := ds.ListSoftwareTitles(ctx, fleet.SoftwareTitleListOptions{
+			PackagesOnly: true,
+			TeamID:       &team1.ID,
+		}, fleet.TeamFilter{User: &fleet.User{GlobalRole: ptr.String(fleet.RoleAdmin)}})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Len(t, titles, 2)
+		for _, title := range titles {
+			require.NotNil(t, title.SoftwarePackage)
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/testdata/select_software_titles_sql_fixture.gz b/server/datastore/mysql/testdata/select_software_titles_sql_fixture.gz
index aaad2d7228..0415aaa8a7 100644
Binary files a/server/datastore/mysql/testdata/select_software_titles_sql_fixture.gz and b/server/datastore/mysql/testdata/select_software_titles_sql_fixture.gz differ