diff --git a/src/utils/parseTextTemplate.ts b/src/utils/parseTextTemplate.ts
index f370dad7..57d9fd60 100644
--- a/src/utils/parseTextTemplate.ts
+++ b/src/utils/parseTextTemplate.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ export function parseTextTemplate<const Parts extends readonly TextTemplatePart[
         if (typeof textPart === "string")
             continue;
 
+        const matchingPartIndex = parts.findIndex((part) => part.text === textPart.separator);
+        if (matchingPartIndex < partIndex) {
+            const matchingPart = parts[matchingPartIndex]!;
+            if (result[matchingPart.key as Parts[number]["key"]] != null)
+                throw new Error(`Template must contain exactly one "${matchingPart.text}"`);
+
+            throw new Error(`Template must contain "${matchingPart.text}" before "${parts[partIndex - 1]!.text}"`);
+        }
+
         for (; partIndex < parts.length; partIndex++) {
             const part = parts[partIndex]!;
 
diff --git a/test/standalone/chatWrappers/generic/TemplateChatWrapper.test.ts b/test/standalone/chatWrappers/generic/TemplateChatWrapper.test.ts
index b0bc1e0c..069c356d 100644
--- a/test/standalone/chatWrappers/generic/TemplateChatWrapper.test.ts
+++ b/test/standalone/chatWrappers/generic/TemplateChatWrapper.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,42 @@ import {defaultChatSystemPrompt} from "../../../../src/config.js";
 
 
 describe("TemplateChatWrapper", () => {
+    test.each([
+        {template: "{{history}}model: {{completion}} done {{completion}}", part: "{{completion}}"},
+        {template: "{{history}}model: {{completion}} done {{history}}", part: "{{history}}"}
+    ] as const)("rejects a trailing $part", ({template, part}) => {
+        expect(() => new TemplateChatWrapper({
+            template,
+            historyTemplate: {
+                system: "system: {{message}}\n",
+                user: "user: {{message}}\n",
+                model: "model: {{message}}\n"
+            }
+        })).toThrow(`Template must contain exactly one "${part}"`);
+    });
+
+    test("rejects duplicate history message placeholders", () => {
+        expect(() => new TemplateChatWrapper({
+            template: "{{history}}model: {{completion}}\nuser: ",
+            historyTemplate: {
+                system: "system: {{message}}\n",
+                user: "user: {{message}} / {{message}}\n",
+                model: "model: {{message}}\n"
+            }
+        })).toThrow('Template must contain exactly one "{{message}}"');
+    });
+
+    test("rejects a system prompt after completion", () => {
+        expect(() => new TemplateChatWrapper({
+            template: "{{history}}model: {{completion}}\nuser: {{systemPrompt}}",
+            historyTemplate: {
+                system: "system: {{message}}\n",
+                user: "user: {{message}}\n",
+                model: "model: {{message}}\n"
+            }
+        })).toThrow('Template must contain "{{systemPrompt}}" before "{{completion}}"');
+    });
+
     const conversationHistory: ChatHistoryItem[] = [{
         type: "system",
         text: defaultChatSystemPrompt
diff --git a/test/standalone/utils/parseTextTemplate.test.ts b/test/standalone/utils/parseTextTemplate.test.ts
index 8a39e012..501490e8 100644
--- a/test/standalone/utils/parseTextTemplate.test.ts
+++ b/test/standalone/utils/parseTextTemplate.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,34 @@ import {parseTextTemplate} from "../../../src/utils/parseTextTemplate.js";
 
 describe("utils", () => {
     describe("parseTextTemplate", () => {
+        test.each(["{{name}}", "{{thing}}"])("rejects trailing duplicate %s", (part) => {
+            expect(() => parseTextTemplate(
+                `Hello, {{name}}! What is the {{thing}}? ${part} ignored text`,
+                [{key: "name", text: "{{name}}"}, {key: "thing", text: "{{thing}}"}]
+            )).toThrow(`Template must contain exactly one "${part}"`);
+        });
+
+        test("rejects a duplicate in a single-part template", () => {
+            expect(() => parseTextTemplate(
+                "{{message}} / {{message}} trailing text",
+                [{key: "message", text: "{{message}}"}]
+            )).toThrow('Template must contain exactly one "{{message}}"');
+        });
+
+        test("rejects a duplicate before a trailing optional part", () => {
+            expect(() => parseTextTemplate(
+                "{{name}} / {{name}} trailing text",
+                [{key: "name", text: "{{name}}"}, {key: "thing", text: "{{thing}}", optional: true}]
+            )).toThrow('Template must contain exactly one "{{name}}"');
+        });
+
+        test("rejects a skipped optional part after later parts", () => {
+            expect(() => parseTextTemplate(
+                "{{thing}} / {{name}} trailing text",
+                [{key: "name", text: "{{name}}", optional: true}, {key: "thing", text: "{{thing}}"}]
+            )).toThrow('Template must contain "{{name}}" before "{{thing}}"');
+        });
+
         test("normal", async () => {
             const res = parseTextTemplate(
                 "Hello, {{name}}! What is the {{thing}}?",