diff --git a/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/Main.java b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/Main.java
index 45066e8d..d25f779c 100644
--- a/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/Main.java
+++ b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/Main.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package hirs.swid;
 
 import hirs.swid.utils.Commander;
+import hirs.swid.utils.CredentialArgumentValidator;
 import hirs.swid.utils.TimestampArgumentValidator;
 import hirs.utils.rim.ReferenceManifestValidator;
 import com.beust.jcommander.JCommander;
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ public class Main {
         SwidTagGateway gateway;
         ReferenceManifestValidator validator;
         List<String> unknownOpts = commander.getUnknownOptions();
+        CredentialArgumentValidator credValidator;
 
         if (!unknownOpts.isEmpty()) {
             StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("Unknown options encountered: ");
@@ -53,7 +55,6 @@ public class Main {
                 }
                 String verifyFile = commander.getVerifyFile();
                 String rimel = commander.getRimEventLog();
-                String certificateFile = commander.getPublicCertificate();
                 String trustStore = commander.getTruststoreFile();
                     validator.setRim(verifyFile);
                     validator.setRimEventLog(rimel);
@@ -61,6 +62,13 @@ public class Main {
                     if (!certificateFile.isEmpty()) {
                         System.out.println("A single cert cannot be used for verification. " +
                                 "The signing cert will be searched for in the trust store.");
+                    credValidator = new CredentialArgumentValidator(trustStore,
+                            "","", true);
+                    if (credValidator.isValid()) {
+                        validator.setTrustStoreFile(trustStore);
+                    } else {
+                        System.out.println(credValidator.getErrorMessage());
+                        System.exit(1);
                     }
                     if (validator.validateSwidtagFile(verifyFile)) {
                         System.out.println("Successfully verified " + verifyFile);
@@ -75,7 +83,6 @@ public class Main {
                 }
                 String createType = commander.getCreateType().toUpperCase();
                 String attributesFile = commander.getAttributesFile();
-                String jksTruststoreFile = commander.getTruststoreFile();
                 String certificateFile = commander.getPublicCertificate();
                 String privateKeyFile = commander.getPrivateKeyFile();
                 boolean embeddedCert = commander.isEmbedded();
@@ -86,22 +93,26 @@ public class Main {
                         if (!attributesFile.isEmpty()) {
                             gateway.setAttributesFile(attributesFile);
                         }
-                        if (!jksTruststoreFile.isEmpty()) {
+                        if (!rimEventLog.isEmpty()) {
+                            gateway.setRimEventLog(rimEventLog);
+                        } else {
+                            System.out.println("Error: a support RIM is required!");
+                            System.exit(1);
+                        }
+                        credValidator = new CredentialArgumentValidator("" ,
+                                certificateFile, privateKeyFile, false);
+                        if (defaultKey){
                             gateway.setDefaultCredentials(true);
-                            gateway.setJksTruststoreFile(jksTruststoreFile);
-                        } else if (!certificateFile.isEmpty() && !privateKeyFile.isEmpty()) {
+                            gateway.setJksTruststoreFile(SwidTagConstants.DEFAULT_KEYSTORE_FILE);
+                        } else if (credValidator.isValid()) {
                             gateway.setDefaultCredentials(false);
                             gateway.setPemCertificateFile(certificateFile);
                             gateway.setPemPrivateKeyFile(privateKeyFile);
                             if (embeddedCert) {
                                 gateway.setEmbeddedCert(true);
                             }
-                        } else if (defaultKey){
-                            gateway.setDefaultCredentials(true);
-                            gateway.setJksTruststoreFile(SwidTagConstants.DEFAULT_KEYSTORE_FILE);
                         } else {
-                            exitWithErrorCode("A private key (-k) and public certificate (-p) " +
-                                    "are required, or the default key (-d) must be indicated.");
+                            exitWithErrorCode(credValidator.getErrorMessage());
                         }
                         if (rimEventLog.isEmpty()) {
                             exitWithErrorCode("A support RIM is required.");
diff --git a/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/SwidTagGateway.java b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/SwidTagGateway.java
index 0cd4ffc1..b9027b27 100644
--- a/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/SwidTagGateway.java
+++ b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/SwidTagGateway.java
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ import java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException;
 import java.security.KeyException;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
 import java.security.PrivateKey;
-import java.security.cert.CertificateException;
 import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
 import java.time.LocalDateTime;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
diff --git a/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/utils/CredentialArgumentValidator.java b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/utils/CredentialArgumentValidator.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b162349
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tcg_rim_tool/src/main/java/hirs/swid/utils/CredentialArgumentValidator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package hirs.swid.utils;
+
+public class CredentialArgumentValidator {
+    private String truststoreFile;
+    private String certificateFile;
+    private String privateKeyFile;
+    private String format;
+    private boolean isValidating;
+    private String errorMessage;
+    private static final String PEM = "PEM";
+
+    public CredentialArgumentValidator(String truststoreFile,
+                                       String certificateFile,
+                                       String privateKeyFile,
+                                       boolean isValidating) {
+        this.truststoreFile = truststoreFile;
+        this.certificateFile = certificateFile;
+        this.privateKeyFile = privateKeyFile;
+        this.isValidating = isValidating;
+        errorMessage = "";
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Getter for format property
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public String getFormat() {
+        return format;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Getter for error message
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public String getErrorMessage() {
+        return errorMessage;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This method checks for the following valid configurations of input arguments:
+     * 1.
+     * 2. truststore only for validating (PEM format)
+     * 3. certificate + private key for signing (PEM format)
+     * 4.
+     *
+     * @return true if the above are found, false otherwise
+     */
+    public boolean isValid() {
+        if (isValidating) {
+            if (!truststoreFile.isEmpty()) {
+                format = PEM;
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                errorMessage = "Validation requires a valid truststore file.";
+                return false;
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (!certificateFile.isEmpty() && !privateKeyFile.isEmpty()) {
+                format = PEM;
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                if (certificateFile.isEmpty()) {
+                    errorMessage = "A public certificate must be specified by \'-p\' " +
+                            "for signing operations.";
+                }
+                if (privateKeyFile.isEmpty()) {
+                    errorMessage = "A private key must be specified by \'-k\' " +
+                            "for signing operations.";
+                }
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}