diff --git a/q2cli/click/option.py b/q2cli/click/option.py
index f2567823..3c4b41eb 100644
--- a/q2cli/click/option.py
+++ b/q2cli/click/option.py
@@ -107,13 +107,22 @@ def consume_value(self, ctx, opts):
 
     def _consume_metadata(self, ctx, opts):
         # double consume
+        # this consume deals with the metadata file
         md_file, source = super().consume_value(ctx, opts)
         # consume uses self.name, so mutate but backup for after
         backup, self.name = self.name, self.q2_extra_dest
-        md_col, _ = super().consume_value(ctx, opts)
+        try:
+            # this consume deals with the metadata column
+            md_col, _ = super().consume_value(ctx, opts)
+        # If `--m-metadata-column` isn't provided, need to set md_col to None
+        # in order for the click.MissingParameter errors below to be raised
+        except click.MissingParameter:
+            md_col = None
 
         self.name = backup
-
+        # These branches won't get hit unless there's a value associated with
+        # md_col - the try/except case above handled the situation where the
+        # metadata_column parameter itself wasn't provided (vs just a value)
         if (md_col is None) != (md_file is None):
             # missing one or the other
             if md_file is None:
diff --git a/q2cli/tests/test_cli.py b/q2cli/tests/test_cli.py
index de4689a0..76a3c6d9 100644
--- a/q2cli/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/q2cli/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -569,7 +569,8 @@ def test_invalid_metadata_merge(self):
 
 
 class TestMetadataColumnSupport(MetadataTestsBase):
-    def test_required_missing(self):
+    # Neither md file or column params provided
+    def test_required_missing_file_and_column(self):
         result = self._run_command(
             'identity-with-metadata-column', '--i-ints', self.input_artifact,
             '--o-out', self.output_artifact)
@@ -578,6 +579,27 @@ def test_required_missing(self):
         self.assertTrue(result.output.startswith('Usage:'))
         self.assertIn("Missing option '--m-metadata-file'", result.output)
 
+    # md file param missing, md column param & value provided
+    def test_required_missing_file(self):
+        result = self._run_command(
+            'identity-with-metadata-column', '--i-ints', self.input_artifact,
+            '--m-metadata-column', 'a', '--o-out', self.output_artifact)
+
+        self.assertEqual(result.exit_code, 1)
+        self.assertTrue(result.output.startswith('Usage:'))
+        self.assertIn("Missing option '--m-metadata-file'", result.output)
+
+    # md file param & value provided, md column param missing
+    def test_required_missing_column(self):
+        result = self._run_command(
+            'identity-with-metadata-column', '--i-ints', self.input_artifact,
+            '--m-metadata-file', self.metadata_file1,
+            '--o-out', self.output_artifact)
+
+        self.assertEqual(result.exit_code, 1)
+        self.assertTrue(result.output.startswith('Usage:'))
+        self.assertIn("Missing option '--m-metadata-column'", result.output)
+
     def test_optional_metadata_missing(self):
         result = self._run_command(
             'identity-with-optional-metadata-column', '--i-ints',