diff --git a/lib/inspec/input.rb b/lib/inspec/input.rb
index 6c1987418..62df7ea79 100644
--- a/lib/inspec/input.rb
+++ b/lib/inspec/input.rb
@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ module Inspec
     # not been assigned a value. This allows a user to explicitly assign nil
     # to an input.
     class NO_VALUE_SET # rubocop: disable Naming/ClassAndModuleCamelCase
-      def initialize(name)
+      def initialize(name, warn_on_create = true)
         @name = name
 
         # output warn message if we are in a exec call
-        if Inspec::BaseCLI.inspec_cli_command == :exec
+        if warn_on_create && Inspec::BaseCLI.inspec_cli_command == :exec
           Inspec::Log.warn(
             "Input '#{@name}' does not have a value. "\
-            "Use --input-file to provide a value for '#{@name}' or specify a  "\
-            "value with `attribute('#{@name}', value: 'somevalue', ...)`."
+            "Use --input-file or --input to provide a value for '#{@name}' or specify a  "\
+            "value with `input('#{@name}', value: 'somevalue', ...)`."
           )
         end
       end
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ module Inspec
     end
 
     # Determine the current winning value, but don't validate it
-    def current_value
+    def current_value(warn_on_missing = true)
       # Examine the events to determine highest-priority value. Tie-break
       # by using the last one set.
       events_that_set_a_value = events.select(&:value_has_been_set?)
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ module Inspec
 
       if winning_event.nil?
         # No value has been set - return special no value object
-        NO_VALUE_SET.new(name)
+        NO_VALUE_SET.new(name, warn_on_missing)
       else
         winning_event.value # May still be nil
       end
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ module Inspec
     end
 
     def has_value?
-      !current_value.is_a? NO_VALUE_SET
+      !current_value(false).is_a? NO_VALUE_SET
     end
 
     def to_hash
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ module Inspec
       # skip if we are not doing an exec call (archive/vendor/check)
       return unless Inspec::BaseCLI.inspec_cli_command == :exec
 
-      proposed_value = current_value
+      proposed_value = current_value(false)
       if proposed_value.nil? || proposed_value.is_a?(NO_VALUE_SET)
         error = Inspec::Input::RequiredError.new
         error.input_name = name
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ module Inspec
       type_req = type
       return if type_req == "Any"
 
-      proposed_value = current_value
+      proposed_value = current_value(false)
 
       invalid_type = false
       if type_req == "Regexp"
diff --git a/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/controls/required.rb b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/controls/required.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..438b51a0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/controls/required.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+
+control 'start_marker' do
+  describe('dummy_test_01') do
+    it { should cmp 'dummy_test_01'}
+  end
+end
+
+discard_me = input('required_01')
+
+control 'end_marker' do
+  describe('dummy_test_04') do
+    it { should cmp 'dummy_test_04'}
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/files/inputs.yaml b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/files/inputs.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46945bfcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/files/inputs.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+required_01: "required_01"
diff --git a/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/inspec.yml b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/inspec.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0009c8c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/required/inspec.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+name: required_inputs
+title: InSpec Profile
+maintainer: The Authors
+copyright: The Authors
+copyright_email: you@example.com
+license: Apache-2.0
+summary: A profile mentioning an input in a control file that is required
+version: 0.1.0
+
+inputs:
+  - name: required_01
+    required: true
+    type: string
diff --git a/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/undeclared/controls/undeclared.rb b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/undeclared/controls/undeclared.rb
index 815c666df..ba0fe5e66 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/undeclared/controls/undeclared.rb
+++ b/test/fixtures/profiles/inputs/undeclared/controls/undeclared.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# Note this one is outside a control block
+discard_me = input('undeclared_00') 
+
 control 'start_marker' do
   describe('dummy_test_01') do
     it { should cmp 'dummy_test_01'}
diff --git a/test/functional/inputs_test.rb b/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
index 26dd75233..f13cd122b 100644
--- a/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/inputs_test.rb
@@ -293,4 +293,39 @@ describe "inputs" do
       assert_json_controls_passing(result)
     end
   end
+
+  # Addresses https://github.com/inspec/inspec/issues/4769
+  describe "when using a profile with required inputs" do
+    describe "when the values are not provided" do
+      it "should emit an error and exit code 1" do
+        cmd = "exec #{inputs_profiles_path}/required"
+
+        result = run_inspec_process(cmd, json: true)
+
+        _(result.stderr).must_include "Input 'required_01'"
+        _(result.stderr).must_include "does not have a value"
+        assert_exit_code 1, result
+      end
+    end
+    describe "when the values are provided by an input file" do
+      it "should not warn and run normally" do
+        cmd = "exec #{inputs_profiles_path}/required --input-file #{inputs_profiles_path}/required/files/inputs.yaml"
+
+        result = run_inspec_process(cmd, json: true)
+
+        _(result.stderr).must_be_empty
+        assert_json_controls_passing(result)
+      end
+    end
+    describe "when the values are provided by a CLI flag" do
+      it "should not warn and run normally" do
+        cmd = "exec #{inputs_profiles_path}/required --input required_01=anything"
+
+        result = run_inspec_process(cmd, json: true)
+
+        _(result.stderr).must_be_empty
+        assert_json_controls_passing(result)
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end