diff --git a/cmd/task/task.go b/cmd/task/task.go
index 8eff5db5..20e4d612 100644
--- a/cmd/task/task.go
+++ b/cmd/task/task.go
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ func main() {
 
 		OutputStyle: output,
 	}
+
+	if (list || listAll) && silent {
+		e.ListTaskNames(listAll)
+		return
+	}
+
 	if err := e.Setup(); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/help.go b/help.go
index ca0d7841..315daaae 100644
--- a/help.go
+++ b/help.go
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ package task
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
 	"github.com/go-task/task/v3/internal/logger"
@@ -70,3 +73,30 @@ func (e *Executor) tasksWithDesc() (tasks []*taskfile.Task) {
 	sort.Slice(tasks, func(i, j int) bool { return tasks[i].Task < tasks[j].Task })
 	return
 }
+
+// PrintTaskNames prints only the task names in a Taskfile.
+// Only tasks with a non-empty description are printed if allTasks is false.
+// Otherwise, all task names are printed.
+func (e *Executor) ListTaskNames(allTasks bool) {
+	// if called from cmd/task.go, e.Taskfile has not yet been parsed
+	if nil == e.Taskfile && e.readTaskfile() != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	// use stdout if no output defined
+	var w io.Writer = os.Stdout
+	if e.Stdout != nil {
+		w = e.Stdout
+	}
+	// create a string slice from all map values (*taskfile.Task)
+	s := make([]string, 0, len(e.Taskfile.Tasks))
+	for _, t := range e.Taskfile.Tasks {
+		if allTasks || t.Desc != "" {
+			s = append(s, strings.TrimRight(t.Task, ":"))
+		}
+	}
+	// sort and print all task names
+	sort.Strings(s)
+	for _, t := range s {
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, t)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/task.go b/task.go
index 672d3e60..6b9cc39e 100644
--- a/task.go
+++ b/task.go
@@ -104,8 +104,13 @@ func (e *Executor) Run(ctx context.Context, calls ...taskfile.Call) error {
 	return g.Wait()
 }
 
-// Setup setups Executor's internal state
-func (e *Executor) Setup() error {
+// readTaskfile selects and parses the entrypoint.
+func (e *Executor) readTaskfile() error {
+	// select the default entrypoint if not provided
+	if e.Entrypoint == "" {
+		e.Entrypoint = "Taskfile.yml"
+	}
+
 	var err error
 	e.Taskfile, err = read.Taskfile(&read.ReaderNode{
 		Dir:        e.Dir,
@@ -113,6 +118,12 @@ func (e *Executor) Setup() error {
 		Parent:     nil,
 		Optional:   false,
 	})
+	return err
+}
+
+// Setup setups Executor's internal state
+func (e *Executor) Setup() error {
+	err := e.readTaskfile()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}