diff --git a/internal/cmd/affinity-groups/create/create_test.go b/internal/cmd/affinity-groups/create/create_test.go
index e547a4990..f58fe7dc9 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/affinity-groups/create/create_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/affinity-groups/create/create_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,26 @@ func TestParseInput(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			),
 		},
+		{
+			description: "fails public project without network area and without billing reference",
+			flagValues: fixtureFlagValues(
+				func(flagValues map[string]string) {
+					flagValues["label"] = "scope=PUBLIC"
+					delete(flagValues, "network-area-id")
+				},
+			),
+			isValid: false,
+		},
+		{
+			description: "fails public project with empty billing reference",
+			flagValues: fixtureFlagValues(
+				func(flagValues map[string]string) {
+					flagValues["label"] = "scope=PUBLIC,billingReference="
+					delete(flagValues, "network-area-id")
+				},
+			),
+			isValid: false,
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.description, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/cmd/project/create/create.go b/internal/cmd/project/create/create.go
index ef95167e9..5343934f2 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/project/create/create.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/project/create/create.go
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ func configureFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 func parseInput(p *print.Printer, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) (*inputModel, error) {
 	globalFlags := globalflags.Parse(p, cmd)
 
+	networkAreaId := flags.FlagToStringPointer(p, cmd, networkAreaIdFlag)
+
 	labels := flags.FlagToStringToStringPointer(p, cmd, labelFlag)
 	if labels != nil {
 		labelKeyRegex := regexp.MustCompile(labelKeyRegex)
@@ -131,6 +133,18 @@ func parseInput(p *print.Printer, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) (*inputModel,
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		if scope, hasScope := (*labels)["scope"]; hasScope && scope == "PUBLIC" {
+			billingReference, hasBilling := (*labels)["billingReference"]
+
+			if networkAreaId == nil && (!hasBilling || billingReference == "") {
+				return nil, &errors.FlagValidationError{
+					Flag:    labelFlag,
+					Details: "creating a standalone public project (without a network area) requires a 'billingReference' label (e.g., --label billingReference=<value>)",
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	model := inputModel{