diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditions.java b/src/main/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditions.java
index cbe854d0..0127fb4f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditions.java
@@ -220,6 +220,54 @@ public static <T> void checkArgumentNotNull(T reference, String errorMessageTemp
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Ensures that only one of two given arguments is null.
+     * Throws {@link IllegalArgumentException} if both are null or both are non-null.
+     *
+     * @param first  the first argument
+     * @param second the second argument
+     * @param <T>    the object type
+     */
+    public static <T> void checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(T first, T second) {
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(isOnlyOneNull(first, second));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensures that only one of two given arguments is null.
+     * Throws {@link IllegalArgumentException} if both are null or both are non-null.
+     *
+     * @param first   the first argument
+     * @param second  the second argument
+     * @param message the error message to use if the check fails
+     * @param <T>     the object type
+     */
+    public static <T> void checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(T first, T second, String message) {
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(isOnlyOneNull(first, second), message);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Ensures that only one of two given arguments is null.
+     * Throws {@link IllegalArgumentException} if both are null or both are non-null.
+     *
+     * @param first                the first argument
+     * @param second               the second argument
+     * @param errorMessageTemplate a template for the exception message should the check fail, according to how
+     *                             {@link KiwiStrings#format(String, Object...)} handles placeholders
+     * @param errorMessageArgs     the arguments to be substituted into the message template. Arguments
+     *                             are converted to strings using {@link String#valueOf(Object)}.
+     * @param <T>                  the object type
+     */
+    public static <T> void checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(T first,
+                                                      T second,
+                                                      String errorMessageTemplate,
+                                                      Object... errorMessageArgs) {
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(isOnlyOneNull(first, second), errorMessageTemplate, errorMessageArgs);
+    }
+
+    private static <T> boolean isOnlyOneNull(T left, T right) {
+        return (nonNull(left) && isNull(right)) || (isNull(left) && nonNull(right));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Ensures that an object reference passed as a parameter to the calling method is null, throwing
      * an {@link IllegalArgumentException} if not null.
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditionsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditionsTest.java
index 9cb1ae84..a245af3b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditionsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/kiwiproject/base/KiwiPreconditionsTest.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.catchThrowable;
 import static org.assertj.core.util.Sets.newLinkedHashSet;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertAll;
 import static org.kiwiproject.base.KiwiPreconditions.MAX_PORT_NUMBER;
 import static org.kiwiproject.base.KiwiPreconditions.checkArgumentNotNull;
 import static org.kiwiproject.base.KiwiPreconditions.requireNotBlank;
@@ -212,6 +213,78 @@ void testCheckArgumentNotNull_MessageWithTemplate(SoftAssertions softly) {
         softly.assertThat(catchThrowable(() -> checkArgumentNotNull(new Object(), errorMessageTemplate, errorMessageArgs))).isNull();
     }
 
+    @Nested
+    class CheckOnlyOneArgumentIsNull {
+
+        @Test
+        void shouldCheckWithNoErrorMessage() {
+            assertAll(
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() -> KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull("a", null))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() -> KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(null, "b"))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
+                            .isThrownBy(() -> KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(null, null))
+                            .withMessage(null),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
+                            .isThrownBy(() -> KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull("a", "b"))
+                            .withMessage(null)
+            );
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void shouldCheckWithErrorMessage() {
+            var message = "only one can be non-null";
+            assertAll(
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() ->
+                            KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull("a", null, message))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() ->
+                            KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(null, "b", message))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() ->
+                                    KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(null, null, message))
+                            .withMessage(message),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() ->
+                                    KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull("a", "b", message))
+                            .withMessage(message)
+            );
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void shouldCheckWithErrorMessageTemplate() {
+            var errorMessageTemplate = "only %s or %s can be non-null";
+            var expectedMessage = "only a or b can be non-null";
+            assertAll(
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() ->
+                            KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(
+                                    "a", null, errorMessageTemplate, "a", "b"))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatCode(() ->
+                            KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(
+                                    null, "b", errorMessageTemplate, "a", "b"))
+                            .doesNotThrowAnyException(),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() ->
+                                    KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(
+                                            null, null, errorMessageTemplate, "a", "b"))
+                            .withMessage(expectedMessage),
+
+                    () -> assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() ->
+                                    KiwiPreconditions.checkOnlyOneArgumentIsNull(
+                                            "a", "b", errorMessageTemplate, "a", "b"))
+                            .withMessage(expectedMessage)
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     @Nested
     class CheckArgumentIsNull {