diff --git a/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/Configuration.java b/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/Configuration.java
index 3d95a101a5..284354b0a5 100644
--- a/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/Configuration.java
+++ b/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/Configuration.java
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ import io.smallrye.config.SmallRyeConfig;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.config.spi.ConfigProviderResolver;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.config.spi.ConfigSource;
 import org.keycloak.config.Option;
-import org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.Environment;
 import org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.mappers.PropertyMapper;
 import org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.mappers.PropertyMappers;
+import org.keycloak.utils.StringUtil;
 
 import static org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.MicroProfileConfigProvider.NS_KEYCLOAK_PREFIX;
 
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ public final class Configuration {
         return getOptionalBooleanValue(propertyName).orElse(false);
     }
 
+    public static boolean isBlank(Option<String> option) {
+        return getOptionalKcValue(option.getKey())
+                .map(StringUtil::isBlank)
+                .orElse(true);
+    }
+
     public static boolean contains(Option<?> option, String value) {
         return getOptionalValue(NS_KEYCLOAK_PREFIX + option.getKey())
                 .filter(f -> f.contains(value))
diff --git a/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/mappers/ExportPropertyMappers.java b/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/mappers/ExportPropertyMappers.java
index 8a8d53c78c..a2d101fb20 100644
--- a/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/mappers/ExportPropertyMappers.java
+++ b/quarkus/runtime/src/main/java/org/keycloak/quarkus/runtime/configuration/mappers/ExportPropertyMappers.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.keycloak.config.ExportOptions;
 import org.keycloak.config.Option;
 import org.keycloak.config.OptionBuilder;
 import org.keycloak.config.OptionCategory;
+import org.keycloak.exportimport.UsersExportStrategy;
 import org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.cli.PropertyException;
 import org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.Configuration;
 
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ import java.util.Optional;
 
 import static org.keycloak.exportimport.ExportImportConfig.PROVIDER;
 import static org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.Configuration.getOptionalValue;
+import static org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.Configuration.isBlank;
 import static org.keycloak.quarkus.runtime.configuration.mappers.PropertyMapper.fromOption;
 
 public final class ExportPropertyMappers {
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ public final class ExportPropertyMappers {
                         .build(),
                 fromOption(ExportOptions.USERS)
                         .to("kc.spi-export-dir-users-export-strategy")
-                        .isEnabled(ExportPropertyMappers::isDirProvider)
+                        .validator(ExportPropertyMappers::validateUsersUsage)
                         .paramLabel("strategy")
                         .build(),
                 fromOption(ExportOptions.USERS_PER_FILE)
@@ -78,6 +80,18 @@ public final class ExportPropertyMappers {
         };
     }
 
+    private static void validateUsersUsage(PropertyMapper<?> mapper, ConfigValue value) {
+        mapper.validateExpectedValues(value, mapper::validateSingleValue);
+
+        if (!isBlank(ExportOptions.FILE) && isBlank(ExportOptions.DIR)) {
+            var sameFileIsSpecified = UsersExportStrategy.SAME_FILE.toString().toLowerCase().equals(value.getValue());
+
+            if (!sameFileIsSpecified) {
+                throw new PropertyException("Property '--users' can be used only when exporting to a directory, or value set to 'same_file' when exporting to a file.");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public static void validateConfig() {
         if (getOptionalValue(EXPORTER_PROPERTY).isEmpty() && System.getProperty(PROVIDER) == null) {
             throw new PropertyException("Must specify either --dir or --file options.");
diff --git a/quarkus/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/keycloak/it/cli/dist/ExportDistTest.java b/quarkus/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/keycloak/it/cli/dist/ExportDistTest.java
index f688eb714b..2f1b4a02d4 100644
--- a/quarkus/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/keycloak/it/cli/dist/ExportDistTest.java
+++ b/quarkus/tests/integration/src/test/java/org/keycloak/it/cli/dist/ExportDistTest.java
@@ -39,5 +39,16 @@ public class ExportDistTest {
 
         cliResult = dist.run("export", "--realm=master");
         cliResult.assertError("Must specify either --dir or --file options.");
+
+        cliResult = dist.run("export", "--file=master", "--users=skip");
+        cliResult.assertError("Property '--users' can be used only when exporting to a directory, or value set to 'same_file' when exporting to a file.");
+
+        cliResult = dist.run("export", "--file=some-file", "--users=same_file");
+        cliResult.assertNoError("Property '--users' can be used only when exporting to a directory, or value set to 'same_file' when exporting to a file.");
+        cliResult.assertMessage("Exporting model into file");
+
+        cliResult = dist.run("export", "--dir=some-dir", "--users=skip");
+        cliResult.assertMessage("Realm 'master' - data exported");
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/quarkus/tests/junit5/src/main/java/org/keycloak/it/junit5/extension/CLIResult.java b/quarkus/tests/junit5/src/main/java/org/keycloak/it/junit5/extension/CLIResult.java
index 11226d30d6..8e8f51f98d 100644
--- a/quarkus/tests/junit5/src/main/java/org/keycloak/it/junit5/extension/CLIResult.java
+++ b/quarkus/tests/junit5/src/main/java/org/keycloak/it/junit5/extension/CLIResult.java
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ public interface CLIResult extends LaunchResult {
                 () -> "The Error Output:\n " + getErrorOutput() + "\ndoesn't contains " + msg);
     }
 
+    default void assertNoError(String msg) {
+        assertFalse(getErrorOutput().contains(msg),
+                () -> "The Error Output:\n " + getErrorOutput() + "\n contains " + msg);
+    }
+
     default void assertMessage(String message) {
         assertThat(getOutput(), containsString(message));
     }