diff --git a/.golangci.example.yml b/.golangci.example.yml
index ce12ab0bf2f3..496cb5e485b2 100644
--- a/.golangci.example.yml
+++ b/.golangci.example.yml
@@ -506,6 +506,11 @@ linters-settings:
       - map
       - chan
 
+  nlreturn:
+    # size of the block (including return statement that is still "OK")
+    # so no return split required.
+    block-size: 1
+
   nolintlint:
     # Enable to ensure that nolint directives are all used. Default is true.
     allow-unused: false
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index db6d32e1f25d..93626f501a84 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.2.1
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.8.1
-	github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.1.0
+	github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.2.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0
 	github.com/tdakkota/asciicheck v0.0.0-20200416200610-e657995f937b
 	github.com/tetafro/godot v1.4.10
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2682f888e8b8..ed597ae306bf 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -653,6 +653,10 @@ github.com/spf13/viper v1.8.1 h1:Kq1fyeebqsBfbjZj4EL7gj2IO0mMaiyjYUWcUsl2O44=
 github.com/spf13/viper v1.8.1/go.mod h1:o0Pch8wJ9BVSWGQMbra6iw0oQ5oktSIBaujf1rJH9Ns=
 github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.1.0 h1:6/s4Rc49L6Uo6RLjhWZGBpWWjfzk2yrf1nIW8m4wgVA=
 github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:E/iiPB78hV7Szg2YfRgyIrk1AD6JVMTRkkxBiELzh2I=
+github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.2.1-0.20210917114810-3d6ba68b229e h1://7YGfVLvQOQ5CkrrpKj0hZO9EaH0fpcV7zTeNcV1Y0=
+github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.2.1-0.20210917114810-3d6ba68b229e/go.mod h1:E/iiPB78hV7Szg2YfRgyIrk1AD6JVMTRkkxBiELzh2I=
+github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.2.1 h1:X4XDI7jstt3ySqGU86YGAURbxw3oTDPK9sPEi6YEwQ0=
+github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2 v2.2.1/go.mod h1:E/iiPB78hV7Szg2YfRgyIrk1AD6JVMTRkkxBiELzh2I=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.1 h1:2vfRuCMp5sSVIDSqO8oNnWJq7mPa6KVP3iPIwFBuy8A=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.1/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
diff --git a/pkg/config/linters_settings.go b/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
index b0d1d7cd7690..9ef297f9c35f 100644
--- a/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
+++ b/pkg/config/linters_settings.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ type LintersSettings struct {
 	Nakedret         NakedretSettings
 	Nestif           NestifSettings
 	NilNil           NilNilSettings
+	Nlreturn         NlreturnSettings
 	NoLintLint       NoLintLintSettings
 	Prealloc         PreallocSettings
 	Predeclared      PredeclaredSettings
@@ -365,6 +366,10 @@ type NilNilSettings struct {
 	CheckedTypes []string `mapstructure:"checked-types"`
 }
 
+type NlreturnSettings struct {
+	BlockSize int `mapstructure:"block-size"`
+}
+
 type NoLintLintSettings struct {
 	RequireExplanation bool     `mapstructure:"require-explanation"`
 	AllowLeadingSpace  bool     `mapstructure:"allow-leading-space"`
diff --git a/pkg/golinters/nlreturn.go b/pkg/golinters/nlreturn.go
index 3b661c64c83c..fb4919f8a953 100644
--- a/pkg/golinters/nlreturn.go
+++ b/pkg/golinters/nlreturn.go
@@ -4,16 +4,24 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn/v2/pkg/nlreturn"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/analysis"
 
+	"github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pkg/golinters/goanalysis"
 )
 
-func NewNLReturn() *goanalysis.Linter {
+func NewNLReturn(settings *config.NlreturnSettings) *goanalysis.Linter {
+	a := nlreturn.NewAnalyzer()
+
+	cfg := map[string]map[string]interface{}{}
+	if settings != nil {
+		cfg[a.Name] = map[string]interface{}{
+			"block-size": settings.BlockSize,
+		}
+	}
+
 	return goanalysis.NewLinter(
-		"nlreturn",
+		a.Name,
 		"nlreturn checks for a new line before return and branch statements to increase code clarity",
-		[]*analysis.Analyzer{
-			nlreturn.NewAnalyzer(),
-		},
-		nil,
+		[]*analysis.Analyzer{a},
+		cfg,
 	).WithLoadMode(goanalysis.LoadModeSyntax)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/lint/lintersdb/manager.go b/pkg/lint/lintersdb/manager.go
index 5e7fcd380cb8..ecc2efec97e3 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/lintersdb/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/lintersdb/manager.go
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ func (m Manager) GetAllSupportedLinterConfigs() []*linter.Config {
 	var thelperCfg *config.ThelperSettings
 	var unusedCfg *config.StaticCheckSettings
 	var wrapcheckCfg *config.WrapcheckSettings
+	var nlreturnCfg *config.NlreturnSettings
 
 	if m.cfg != nil {
 		cyclopCfg = &m.cfg.LintersSettings.Cyclop
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ func (m Manager) GetAllSupportedLinterConfigs() []*linter.Config {
 		thelperCfg = &m.cfg.LintersSettings.Thelper
 		unusedCfg = &m.cfg.LintersSettings.Unused
 		wrapcheckCfg = &m.cfg.LintersSettings.Wrapcheck
+		nlreturnCfg = &m.cfg.LintersSettings.Nlreturn
 	}
 
 	const megacheckName = "megacheck"
@@ -414,7 +416,7 @@ func (m Manager) GetAllSupportedLinterConfigs() []*linter.Config {
 			WithPresets(linter.PresetBugs, linter.PresetSQL).
 			WithLoadForGoAnalysis().
 			WithURL("https://github.com/ryanrolds/sqlclosecheck"),
-		linter.NewConfig(golinters.NewNLReturn()).
+		linter.NewConfig(golinters.NewNLReturn(nlreturnCfg)).
 			WithSince("v1.30.0").
 			WithPresets(linter.PresetStyle).
 			WithURL("https://github.com/ssgreg/nlreturn"),
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/nlreturn.yml b/test/testdata/configs/nlreturn.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..edb719386f54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/nlreturn.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+linters-settings:
+  nlreturn:
+    block-size: 2
diff --git a/test/testdata/nlreturn-block-size.go b/test/testdata/nlreturn-block-size.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5cf9563446b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/nlreturn-block-size.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// args: -Enlreturn
+// config_path: testdata/configs/nlreturn.yml
+package testdata
+
+func foo0(n int) int {
+	if n == 1 {
+		n2 := n * n
+		return n2
+	}
+
+	return 1
+}
+
+func foo1(n int) int {
+	if n == 1 {
+		n2 := n * n
+		n3 := n2 * n
+		return n3 // ERROR "return with no blank line before"
+	}
+
+	return 1
+}