diff --git a/src/Event.cc b/src/Event.cc
index 1fc707327a..4c6680415d 100644
--- a/src/Event.cc
+++ b/src/Event.cc
@@ -364,6 +364,14 @@ void EventMgr::InitPostScript() {
     if ( ! zeek::event_registry->RegisterMetadata(net_ts_val, zeek::base_type(zeek::TYPE_TIME)) )
         zeek::reporter->FatalError("Failed to register NETWORK_TIMESTAMP metadata");
 
+    // Remove this if there's ever a use-case to not use them together.
+    if ( BifConst::EventMetadata::add_missing_remote_network_timestamp &&
+         ! BifConst::EventMetadata::add_network_timestamp )
+        zeek::reporter->FatalError(
+            "Setting EventMetadata::add_missing_remote_network_timestamp is only valid together with "
+            "EventMetadata::add_network_timestamp");
+
+
     iosource_mgr->Register(this, true, false);
 }
 } // namespace zeek
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/core.event-metadata.add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error/.stderr b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.event-metadata.add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error/.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bfe7ca4e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/core.event-metadata.add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error/.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
+fatal error: Setting EventMetadata::add_missing_remote_network_timestamp is only valid together with EventMetadata::add_network_timestamp
diff --git a/testing/btest/core/event-metadata/add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error.zeek b/testing/btest/core/event-metadata/add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error.zeek
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df3c563689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/core/event-metadata/add-missing-remote-network-timestamp-error.zeek
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# @TEST-DOC: Using add_missing_remote_network_timestamp without add_network_timestamp is an error.
+#
+# @TEST-EXEC-FAIL: zeek -b %INPUT
+# @TEST-EXEC: TEST_DIFF_CANONIFIER=$SCRIPTS/diff-remove-abspath btest-diff .stderr
+
+redef EventMetadata::add_network_timestamp = F;
+redef EventMetadata::add_missing_remote_network_timestamp = T;