diff --git a/src/validate.ts b/src/validate.ts
index b14aa41..a45fc95 100644
--- a/src/validate.ts
+++ b/src/validate.ts
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ export function validate(parse: { input: ParserInput; output: ParserOutput<any,
 
   function validateFlags() {
     for (let [name, flag] of Object.entries(parse.input.flags)) {
-      if (flag.required && !parse.output.flags[name]) {
-        throw new RequiredFlagError({parse, flag})
-      }
-      for (let also of flag.dependsOn || []) {
-        if (!parse.output.flags[also]) {
-          throw new CLIError(`--${also}= must also be provided when using --${name}=`)
+      if (parse.output.flags[name]) {
+        for (let also of flag.dependsOn || []) {
+          if (!parse.output.flags[also]) {
+            throw new CLIError(`--${also}= must also be provided when using --${name}=`)
+          }
         }
+      } else {
+        if (flag.required) throw new RequiredFlagError({parse, flag})
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/test/parse.test.ts b/test/parse.test.ts
index 4d40191..d9ceb32 100644
--- a/test/parse.test.ts
+++ b/test/parse.test.ts
@@ -415,6 +415,15 @@ See more help with --help`)
   })
 
   describe('dependsOn', () => {
+    it('ignores', () => {
+      parse([], {
+        flags: {
+          foo: flags.string({dependsOn: ['bar']}),
+          bar: flags.string({char: 'b'}),
+        },
+      })
+    })
+
     it('succeeds', () => {
       const out = parse(['--foo', 'a', '-bb'], {
         flags: {