diff --git a/compiler/main.nim b/compiler/main.nim
index efbf496d4f..2a90765350 100644
--- a/compiler/main.nim
+++ b/compiler/main.nim
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from icconfig import produceIcConfig
 when not defined(nimKochBootstrap):
   import nifbackend
   import deps
+  import idetools
 
 when not defined(leanCompiler):
   import docgen
@@ -415,7 +416,26 @@ proc mainCommand*(graph: ModuleGraph) =
 
       for it in conf.searchPaths: msgWriteln(conf, it.string)
   of cmdCheck:
-    commandCheck(graph)
+    when not defined(nimKochBootstrap):
+      if conf.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}:
+        # `nim check --def:`/`--usages:`: run a whole-project check that also
+        # emits each cleanly-compiled module's `.s.bif` (see
+        # pipelines.shouldWriteNif), then scan those NIF files to answer the
+        # goto-definition / find-usages query. The NIF writer needs the IC setup
+        # `cmdM` uses (disabled rod files + `useIc`) to serialize full module
+        # content; we keep `cmd == cmdCheck` for its error-tolerant sem and the
+        # VM guards that run compile-time code faithfully for this mode (see
+        # vm.nim/vmgen.nim), so the emitted NIF reflects macro/gorge symbols.
+        graph.config.symbolFiles = disabledSf
+        setUseIc(true)
+        excl conf.features, Feature.vtables
+        createDir(getNimcacheDir(conf).string)
+        commandCheck(graph)
+        runIdeQuery(conf)
+      else:
+        commandCheck(graph)
+    else:
+      commandCheck(graph)
   of cmdM:
     # cmdM uses NIF files, not ROD files
     graph.config.symbolFiles = disabledSf
diff --git a/compiler/pipelines.nim b/compiler/pipelines.nim
index aed7944b1c..7e9bd3a8ea 100644
--- a/compiler/pipelines.nim
+++ b/compiler/pipelines.nim
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ proc processPipeline(graph: ModuleGraph; semNode: PNode; bModule: PPassContext):
   of GenDependPass:
     result = addDotDependency(bModule, semNode)
   of SemPass:
-    # Return the semantic node for cmdM (NIF generation needs it)
-    # For regular check, we don't need the result
-    if graph.config.cmd == cmdM:
+    # Return the semantic node for cmdM (NIF generation needs it), and likewise
+    # for a `--def`/`--usages` query under cmdCheck which emits `.s.bif` too.
+    # For regular check, we don't need the result.
+    if graph.config.cmd == cmdM or graph.config.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}:
       result = semNode
     else:
       result = graph.emptyNode
@@ -167,7 +168,10 @@ proc processPipelineModule*(graph: ModuleGraph; module: PSym; idgen: IdGenerator
     s = stream
     graph.interactive = stream.kind == llsStdIn
   var topLevelStmts =
-    if optCompress in graph.config.globalOptions or graph.config.cmd == cmdM:
+    if optCompress in graph.config.globalOptions or graph.config.cmd == cmdM or
+       graph.config.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}:
+      # A `--def`/`--usages` query emits every module's `.s.bif` under cmdCheck
+      # (see shouldWriteNif below), which needs the collected top-level stmts.
       newNodeI(nkStmtList, module.info)
     else:
       nil
@@ -247,7 +251,18 @@ proc processPipelineModule*(graph: ModuleGraph; module: PSym; idgen: IdGenerator
     # current strongly-connected import group (`--icGroup`) are the exception:
     # they are compiled from source here, so each must write its own NIF.
     let shouldWriteNif =
-      if graph.config.ideActive:
+      if graph.config.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}:
+        # `nim check --def:`/`--usages:` query: this whole-project check runs
+        # under cmdCheck and emits each cleanly-compiled, non-dirty PROJECT
+        # module's `.s.bif` so `idetools.runIdeQuery` can scan them afterwards.
+        # Stdlib modules are skipped: they serialize robustly only via `nim ic`'s
+        # per-module `cmdM` build, and the common query targets a project symbol
+        # (whose def + uses all live in project modules). Skip the edited buffer
+        # and any module reached after an error (incomplete NIF).
+        graph.config.errorCounter == 0 and
+          not belongsToStdlib(graph, module) and
+          graph.config.m.fileInfos[module.position].dirtyFile.isEmpty
+      elif graph.config.ideActive:
         # nimsuggest (cmdM): persist NIF for cleanly-compiled, SAVED modules so
         # later queries load them instead of recompiling. Never persist the
         # actively edited buffer (it may hold unsaved/incomplete code) nor a
diff --git a/compiler/sem.nim b/compiler/sem.nim
index 7f777a7add..cf33a68d98 100644
--- a/compiler/sem.nim
+++ b/compiler/sem.nim
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ proc semWithPContext*(c: PContext, n: PNode): PNode =
       #if c.config.ideActive: findSuggest(c, n)
 
 proc reportUnusedModules(c: PContext) =
-  if c.config.cmd == cmdM: return
+  if c.config.cmd == cmdM or c.config.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}: return
   for (s, info) in c.unusedImports:
     if sfUsed notin s.flags:
       message(c.config, info, warnUnusedImportX, s.name.s)
diff --git a/compiler/semstmts.nim b/compiler/semstmts.nim
index ab3a30a29e..8ec82bd3cf 100644
--- a/compiler/semstmts.nim
+++ b/compiler/semstmts.nim
@@ -2892,9 +2892,10 @@ proc incMod(c: PContext, n: PNode, it: PNode, includeStmtResult, resolvedIncStmt
 proc evalInclude(c: PContext, n: PNode): PNode =
   result = newNodeI(nkStmtList, n.info)
   var resolvedIncStmt: PNode = nil
-  if optCompress in c.config.globalOptions or c.config.cmd == cmdM:
+  if optCompress in c.config.globalOptions or c.config.cmd == cmdM or
+     c.config.ideCmd in {ideDef, ideUse}:
     # New resolve the include filenames to string literals that contain absolute paths,
-    # nicer for IC:
+    # nicer for IC (also for a `--def`/`--usages` query, which emits `.s.bif`):
     resolvedIncStmt = newNodeI(nkIncludeStmt, n.info)
     result.add resolvedIncStmt
   else:
diff --git a/compiler/vm.nim b/compiler/vm.nim
index 0d9ab99b2e..90f6d43880 100644
--- a/compiler/vm.nim
+++ b/compiler/vm.nim
@@ -2033,7 +2033,11 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
       inc pc
       let rd = c.code[pc].regA
       createStr regs[ra]
-      if defined(nimsuggest) or c.config.cmd == cmdCheck:
+      if defined(nimsuggest) or (c.config.cmd == cmdCheck and c.config.ideCmd == ideNone):
+        # Don't run staticExec for plain `nim check` / `nim suggest`. A
+        # `--def`/`--usages` query (ideCmd != ideNone) is the exception: it wants
+        # faithful compile-time execution so the emitted `.bif` — which the query
+        # then scans — reflects macro/gorge-produced symbols. See idetools.nim.
         discard "don't run staticExec for 'nim suggest'"
         regs[ra].node.strVal = ""
       else:
diff --git a/compiler/vmgen.nim b/compiler/vmgen.nim
index a560665b68..c49380a31e 100644
--- a/compiler/vmgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/vmgen.nim
@@ -359,7 +359,9 @@ proc genBlock(c: PCtx; n: PNode; dest: var TDest) =
     #if c.prc.regInfo[i].kind in {slotFixedVar, slotFixedLet}:
     if i != dest:
       when not defined(release):
-        if c.config.cmd != cmdCheck:
+        # A `--def`/`--usages` query runs the VM faithfully (ideCmd != ideNone),
+        # so re-arm the leaking-temporary assert for it as in a real compile.
+        if c.config.cmd != cmdCheck or c.config.ideCmd != ideNone:
           if c.prc.regInfo[i].inUse and c.prc.regInfo[i].kind in {slotTempUnknown,
                                     slotTempInt,
                                     slotTempFloat,
@@ -1598,9 +1600,11 @@ proc setSlot(c: PCtx; v: PSym) =
     v.positionImpl = getFreeRegister(c, if v.kind == skLet: slotFixedLet else: slotFixedVar, start = 1)
 
 template cannotEval(c: PCtx; n: PNode) =
-  if c.config.cmd == cmdCheck and c.config.m.errorOutputs != {}:
+  if c.config.cmd == cmdCheck and c.config.ideCmd == ideNone and c.config.m.errorOutputs != {}:
     # nim check command with no error outputs doesn't need to cascade here,
-    # includes `tryConstExpr` case which should not continue generating code
+    # includes `tryConstExpr` case which should not continue generating code.
+    # A `--def`/`--usages` query (ideCmd != ideNone) falls through to the hard
+    # `globalError` below so its compile-time evaluation is faithful.
     localError(c.config, n.info, "cannot evaluate at compile time: " & n.renderTree)
     c.cannotEval = true
     return