diff --git a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflag_groups.go b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflag_groups.go
index 112379c8b..aeabc4aec 100644
--- a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflag_groups.go
+++ b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflag_groups.go
@@ -122,14 +122,10 @@ func validateArtifactPFlags(uuidValid, indexValid bool) error {
 		return errors.New("either 'entry' or 'artifact' or 'artifact-hash' must be specified")
 	}
 
-	if viper.GetString("artifact-hash") != "" && viper.GetString("artifact") == "" {
-		return errors.New("'artifact-hash' can only be used with 'artifact'")
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
-func CreatePropsFromPflags() (*types.ArtifactProperties, error) {
+func CreatePropsFromPflags() *types.ArtifactProperties {
 	props := &types.ArtifactProperties{}
 
 	artifactString := viper.GetString("artifact")
@@ -142,9 +138,6 @@ func CreatePropsFromPflags() (*types.ArtifactProperties, error) {
 	}
 
 	props.ArtifactHash = viper.GetString("artifact-hash")
-	if props.ArtifactHash != "" && props.ArtifactPath == nil {
-		return nil, errors.New("'artifact-hash' can only be used with 'artifact'")
-	}
 
 	signatureString := viper.GetString("signature")
 	if signatureString != "" {
@@ -170,7 +163,7 @@ func CreatePropsFromPflags() (*types.ArtifactProperties, error) {
 		props.AdditionalAuthenticatedData, _ = base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(b64aad)
 	}
 
-	return props, nil
+	return props
 }
 
 //TODO: add tests for this
diff --git a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflags_test.go b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflags_test.go
index 807471584..6b1faa07b 100644
--- a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflags_test.go
+++ b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/pflags_test.go
@@ -433,10 +433,7 @@ func TestArtifactPFlags(t *testing.T) {
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Errorf("error parsing typeStr: %v", err)
 				}
-				props, err := CreatePropsFromPflags()
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Errorf("error creating props: %v", err)
-				}
+				props := CreatePropsFromPflags()
 				if _, err := types.NewProposedEntry(context.Background(), typeStr, versionStr, *props); err != nil {
 					t.Errorf("unexpected result in '%v' building entry: %v", tc.caseDesc, err)
 				}
diff --git a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/upload.go b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/upload.go
index 1f28371ae..32739e409 100644
--- a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/upload.go
+++ b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/upload.go
@@ -108,10 +108,7 @@ var uploadCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			props, err := CreatePropsFromPflags()
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
+			props := CreatePropsFromPflags()
 
 			entry, err = types.NewProposedEntry(context.Background(), typeStr, versionStr, *props)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/verify.go b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/verify.go
index 099ba826a..ead7b6457 100644
--- a/cmd/rekor-cli/app/verify.go
+++ b/cmd/rekor-cli/app/verify.go
@@ -113,10 +113,7 @@ var verifyCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				return nil, err
 			}
 
-			props, err := CreatePropsFromPflags()
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
+			props := CreatePropsFromPflags()
 
 			entry, err := types.NewProposedEntry(context.Background(), typeStr, versionStr, *props)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/alpine/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/alpine/v0.0.1/entry.go
index 0b283f9b1..3a68cebe1 100644
--- a/pkg/types/alpine/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/alpine/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ func (v V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props types
 	artifactBytes := props.ArtifactBytes
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/helm/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/helm/v0.0.1/entry.go
index 5f6406aa4..55f68fe30 100644
--- a/pkg/types/helm/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/helm/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -294,6 +294,9 @@ func (v V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props types
 	artifactBytes := props.ArtifactBytes
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/jar/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/jar/v0.0.1/entry.go
index 67378704c..d694c38b7 100644
--- a/pkg/types/jar/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/jar/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -283,6 +283,9 @@ func (v *V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props type
 	artifactBytes := props.ArtifactBytes
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/rekord/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/rekord/v0.0.1/entry.go
index 3603651a8..4c566a054 100644
--- a/pkg/types/rekord/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/rekord/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ func (v V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props types
 	artifactBytes := props.ArtifactBytes
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/rpm/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/rpm/v0.0.1/entry.go
index f6b5ec30f..b8b00a8f5 100644
--- a/pkg/types/rpm/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/rpm/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ func (v V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props types
 	artifactBytes := props.ArtifactBytes
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/types/tuf/v0.0.1/entry.go b/pkg/types/tuf/v0.0.1/entry.go
index 57923241b..e53e069a9 100644
--- a/pkg/types/tuf/v0.0.1/entry.go
+++ b/pkg/types/tuf/v0.0.1/entry.go
@@ -306,6 +306,9 @@ func (v V001Entry) CreateFromArtifactProperties(ctx context.Context, props types
 	re.TufObj.Metadata = &models.TUFV001SchemaMetadata{}
 	if artifactBytes == nil {
 		var artifactReader io.ReadCloser
+		if props.ArtifactPath == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("path to artifact file must be specified")
+		}
 		if props.ArtifactPath.IsAbs() {
 			artifactReader, err = util.FileOrURLReadCloser(ctx, props.ArtifactPath.String(), nil)
 			if err != nil {