diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
index eb7f29b3e1f..3816004a28a 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/freeze.py
@@ -87,6 +87,15 @@ def add_options(self) -> None:
             action="store_true",
             help="Exclude dependency packages from output.",
         )
+        self.cmd_opts.add_option(
+            "--user-requested",
+            dest="user_requested",
+            action="store_true",
+            help=(
+                "List packages that were explicitly requested by user, either directly "
+                "via a command line argument or indirectly via a requirements file."
+            ),
+        )
         self.cmd_opts.add_option(cmdoptions.list_exclude())
 
         self.parser.insert_option_group(0, self.cmd_opts)
@@ -110,6 +119,7 @@ def run(self, options: Values, args: List[str]) -> int:
             skip=skip,
             exclude_editable=options.exclude_editable,
             exclude_dependencies=options.exclude_dependencies,
+            user_requested=options.user_requested,
         ):
             sys.stdout.write(line + "\n")
         return SUCCESS
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/list.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/list.py
index 0bbe26c0402..06cdce6a6d1 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/list.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/list.py
@@ -135,6 +135,15 @@ def add_options(self) -> None:
             action="store_true",
             help="Exclude dependency packages from output.",
         )
+        self.cmd_opts.add_option(
+            "--user-requested",
+            dest="user_requested",
+            action="store_true",
+            help=(
+                "List packages that were explicitly requested by user, either directly "
+                "via a command line argument or indirectly via a requirements file."
+            ),
+        )
         self.cmd_opts.add_option(cmdoptions.list_exclude())
         index_opts = cmdoptions.make_option_group(cmdoptions.index_group, self.parser)
 
@@ -183,6 +192,7 @@ def run(self, options: Values, args: List[str]) -> int:
                 editables_only=options.editable,
                 include_editables=options.include_editable,
                 exclude_dependencies=options.exclude_dependencies,
+                user_requested=options.user_requested,
                 skip=skip,
             )
         ]
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/metadata/base.py b/src/pip/_internal/metadata/base.py
index cba7dab7c3d..d30e5895a17 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/metadata/base.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/metadata/base.py
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ def iter_installed_distributions(
         editables_only: bool = False,
         user_only: bool = False,
         exclude_dependencies: bool = False,
+        user_requested: bool = False,
     ) -> Iterator[BaseDistribution]:
         """Return a list of installed distributions.
 
@@ -668,6 +669,9 @@ def iter_installed_distributions(
         site directory.
         :param exclude_dependencies: If True, dont't report distributions
         that are dependencies of other installed distributions.
+        :param user_requested: If True, report only distributions that were
+        explicitly requested by user, either directly via a command line argument
+        or indirectly via a requirements file.
         """
         if exclude_dependencies:
             dists = list(self.iter_all_distributions())
@@ -680,6 +684,8 @@ def iter_installed_distributions(
             it = (d for d in it if d.canonical_name not in dep_keys)
         else:
             it = self.iter_all_distributions()
+        if user_requested:
+            it = (d for d in it if d.requested)
         if local_only:
             it = (d for d in it if d.local)
         if not include_editables:
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/operations/freeze.py b/src/pip/_internal/operations/freeze.py
index a0e5a572ad8..b7dab2f1d0c 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/operations/freeze.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/operations/freeze.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ def freeze(
     isolated: bool = False,
     exclude_editable: bool = False,
     exclude_dependencies: bool = False,
+    user_requested: bool = False,
     skip: Container[str] = (),
 ) -> Generator[str, None, None]:
     installations: Dict[str, FrozenRequirement] = {}
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ def freeze(
         skip=(),
         user_only=user_only,
         exclude_dependencies=exclude_dependencies,
+        user_requested=user_requested,
     )
     for dist in dists:
         req = FrozenRequirement.from_dist(dist)