diff --git a/crates/togl-cli/src/cli.rs b/crates/togl-cli/src/cli.rs
index b6b3720..cb42995 100644
--- a/crates/togl-cli/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/togl-cli/src/cli.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub struct Cli {
     pub recursive: bool,
 
     /// List all section IDs found in files (discovery mode, no toggling)
-    #[arg(long = "list-sections")]
+    #[arg(long = "list-sections", group = "operation")]
     pub list_sections: bool,
 
     /// Detail level for --list-sections text output [default: lines]
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ pub struct Cli {
     pub fields: ListFields,
 
     /// Remove a named section (requires -S <ID>). Recursive with -R. See --remove-mode.
-    #[arg(long = "remove")]
+    #[arg(long = "remove", group = "operation")]
     pub remove: bool,
 
     /// What --remove strips: markers | commented | all [default: commented]
@@ -63,16 +63,16 @@ pub struct Cli {
     pub remove_mode: RemoveMode,
 
     /// With --remove, exit non-zero if -S <ID> matched no sections.
-    #[arg(long = "require-match")]
+    #[arg(long = "require-match", requires = "remove")]
     pub require_match: bool,
 
     /// Insert a toggle:start/end marker pair around a single -l range (single file).
     /// Requires exactly one -S <ID> and one -l <range>. Leaves the body uncommented.
-    #[arg(long = "insert")]
+    #[arg(long = "insert", group = "operation")]
     pub insert: bool,
 
     /// Description for the inserted section marker (use with --insert).
-    #[arg(long = "desc")]
+    #[arg(long = "desc", requires = "insert")]
     pub desc: Option<String>,
 
     /// Force toggle state (on/off/invert)
@@ -132,15 +132,15 @@ pub struct Cli {
     pub backup: Option<String>,
 
     /// Extend the last --line range to the end of file
-    #[arg(long = "to-end")]
+    #[arg(long = "to-end", requires = "lines")]
     pub to_end: bool,
 
     /// Scan for section IDs without modifying files
-    #[arg(long = "scan")]
+    #[arg(long = "scan", group = "operation")]
     pub scan: bool,
 
     /// Validate section integrity without modifying files. Requires --scan.
-    #[arg(long = "check")]
+    #[arg(long = "check", requires = "scan")]
     pub check: bool,
 
     /// Enforce exactly 2 variants in the targeted group; error otherwise.
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ pub struct Cli {
 
     /// Disable backup creation in atomic mode. Only valid with --atomic.
     /// WARNING: Without backups, rollback is not possible if the rename phase fails.
-    #[arg(long = "no-backup")]
+    #[arg(long = "no-backup", requires = "atomic")]
     pub no_backup: bool,
 
     /// Recover from an interrupted atomic operation. Default: rollback.
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ pub struct Cli {
 
     /// Complete an interrupted atomic commit instead of rolling back.
     /// Must be combined with --recover.
-    #[arg(long = "recover-forward")]
+    #[arg(long = "recover-forward", requires = "recover")]
     pub recover_forward: bool,
 
     /// Generate shell completions for the given shell to stdout.
diff --git a/crates/togl-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/togl-cli/src/main.rs
index e5f1339..4ceaa20 100644
--- a/crates/togl-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/togl-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -193,12 +193,8 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
     if cli.atomic && cli.dry_run {
         return Err(UsageError("--atomic cannot be combined with --dry-run.".into()).into());
     }
-    if cli.no_backup && !cli.atomic {
-        return Err(UsageError("--no-backup is only valid with --atomic.".into()).into());
-    }
-    if cli.recover_forward && !cli.recover {
-        return Err(UsageError("--recover-forward requires --recover.".into()).into());
-    }
+    // --no-backup requires --atomic, --recover-forward requires --recover:
+    // enforced declaratively in cli.rs via clap `requires`.
     // Note: --atomic --stdout is not applicable (no --stdout flag exists yet)
     // Note: --atomic --in-place is not applicable (no --in-place flag exists yet)
 
@@ -249,9 +245,7 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
     // Handle --scan mode early (read-only, no toggle options needed).
     // Per PRD §0.14.2, --scan -S <id> is the detailed group view, so --section is allowed here.
     if cli.scan {
-        if cli.insert {
-            return Err(UsageError("--scan cannot be combined with --insert".into()).into());
-        }
+        // --scan vs --insert: enforced by the `operation` arg-group in cli.rs.
         if !cli.lines.is_empty() {
             return Err(UsageError("--scan cannot be combined with --line".into()).into());
         }
@@ -261,9 +255,7 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
         return run_scan(cli);
     }
 
-    if cli.check && !cli.scan {
-        return Err(UsageError("--check requires --scan".into()).into());
-    }
+    // --check requires --scan: enforced declaratively in cli.rs via clap `requires`.
 
     // Validate --comment-style: must be 1 or 3 values
     if cli.comment_style.len() == 2 {
@@ -273,10 +265,7 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
         .into());
     }
 
-    // Validate --to-end requires --line
-    if cli.to_end && cli.lines.is_empty() {
-        return Err(UsageError("--to-end requires at least one --line range".into()).into());
-    }
+    // --to-end requires --line: enforced declaratively in cli.rs via clap `requires`.
 
     // Validate --pair: pre-execution guard per PRD §0.13.4
     if cli.pair {
@@ -301,15 +290,11 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
     }
     // --remove validation (P06)
     if cli.remove {
+        // Mutual exclusion with other modes (--insert/--list-sections/--scan) is
+        // enforced by the `operation` arg-group in cli.rs.
         if cli.sections.len() != 1 {
             return Err(UsageError("--remove requires exactly one -S <ID>".into()).into());
         }
-        if cli.insert || cli.list_sections || cli.scan {
-            return Err(UsageError(
-                "--remove cannot be combined with --insert, --list-sections, or --scan".into(),
-            )
-            .into());
-        }
         if cli.atomic {
             return Err(UsageError("--remove cannot be combined with --atomic".into()).into());
         }
@@ -329,11 +314,8 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
 
     // ── --insert mode validation (P05) ──
     if cli.insert {
-        if cli.list_sections {
-            return Err(
-                UsageError("--insert cannot be combined with --list-sections".into()).into(),
-            );
-        }
+        // Mutual exclusion with --list-sections (and other modes) is enforced by
+        // the `operation` arg-group in cli.rs.
         if cli.force.is_some() {
             return Err(UsageError(
                 "--insert does not take --force (the body is left uncommented)".into(),
@@ -357,9 +339,8 @@ fn run(cli: &Cli) -> Result<()> {
         if cli.lines.len() != 1 {
             return Err(UsageError("--insert requires exactly one -l <range>".into()).into());
         }
-    } else if cli.desc.is_some() {
-        return Err(UsageError("--desc is only valid with --insert".into()).into());
     }
+    // --desc requires --insert: enforced declaratively in cli.rs via clap `requires`.
 
     let opts = ToggleOptions {
         force: &effective_force,
diff --git a/crates/togl-cli/tests/integration.rs b/crates/togl-cli/tests/integration.rs
index ed90dce..3470364 100644
--- a/crates/togl-cli/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/crates/togl-cli/tests/integration.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ fn test_to_end_without_line_errors() {
         .args([path.to_str().unwrap(), "--to-end"])
         .assert()
         .failure()
-        .stderr(predicates::str::contains("--to-end requires"));
+        .stderr(predicates::str::contains(
+            "required arguments were not provided",
+        ));
 }
 
 // ── Multi-line comment support (Phase 2) ──
@@ -1721,7 +1723,7 @@ fn test_no_backup_without_atomic_errors() {
         .assert()
         .failure()
         .stderr(predicates::str::contains(
-            "--no-backup is only valid with --atomic",
+            "required arguments were not provided",
         ));
 }
 
@@ -1739,7 +1741,7 @@ fn test_recover_forward_without_recover_errors() {
         .assert()
         .failure()
         .stderr(predicates::str::contains(
-            "--recover-forward requires --recover",
+            "required arguments were not provided",
         ));
 }
 
@@ -2457,7 +2459,9 @@ fn check_without_scan_errors() {
         .args(["--check", dir.path().to_str().unwrap()])
         .assert()
         .failure()
-        .stderr(predicate::str::contains("--check requires --scan"));
+        .stderr(predicate::str::contains(
+            "required arguments were not provided",
+        ));
 }
 
 #[test]