diff --git a/R/standalone-types-check.R b/R/standalone-types-check.R
index 90a889f1b..22ea57ba8 100644
--- a/R/standalone-types-check.R
+++ b/R/standalone-types-check.R
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 #
 # ## Changelog
 #
+# 2024-08-15:
+# - `check_character()` gains an `allow_na` argument (@martaalcalde, #1724)
+#
 # 2023-03-13:
 # - Improved error messages of number checkers (@teunbrand)
 # - Added `allow_infinite` argument to `check_number_whole()` (@mgirlich).
@@ -457,15 +460,28 @@ check_formula <- function(x,
 
 # Vectors -----------------------------------------------------------------
 
+# TODO: Figure out what to do with logical `NA` and `allow_na = TRUE`
+
 check_character <- function(x,
                             ...,
+                            allow_na = TRUE,
                             allow_null = FALSE,
                             arg = caller_arg(x),
                             call = caller_env()) {
+
   if (!missing(x)) {
     if (is_character(x)) {
+      if (!allow_na && any(is.na(x))) {
+        abort(
+          sprintf("`%s` can't contain NA values.", arg),
+          arg = arg,
+          call = call
+        )
+      }
+
       return(invisible(NULL))
     }
+
     if (allow_null && is_null(x)) {
       return(invisible(NULL))
     }
@@ -475,7 +491,6 @@ check_character <- function(x,
     x,
     "a character vector",
     ...,
-    allow_na = FALSE,
     allow_null = allow_null,
     arg = arg,
     call = call
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/standalone-types-check.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/standalone-types-check.md
index 16af3ed25..a54db03a6 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/standalone-types-check.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/standalone-types-check.md
@@ -450,6 +450,12 @@
       <error/rlang_error>
       Error in `checker()`:
       ! `foo` must be a character vector or `NULL`, not a list.
+    Code
+      err(checker(c("a", NA), check_character, allow_na = FALSE))
+    Output
+      <error/rlang_error>
+      Error in `checker()`:
+      ! `foo` can't contain NA values.
 
 # `check_logical()` checks
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-standalone-types-check.R b/tests/testthat/test-standalone-types-check.R
index ce0a3dc0a..a8a6e177c 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-standalone-types-check.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-standalone-types-check.R
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ test_that("`check_environment()` checks", {
 test_that("`check_character()` checks", {
   expect_null(check_character(""))
   expect_null(check_character(na_chr))
+  expect_null(check_character(c("a", NA)))
   expect_null(check_character(chr()))
   expect_null(check_character("foo"))
   expect_null(check_character(letters))
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ test_that("`check_character()` checks", {
     err(checker(NA, check_character))
     err(checker(1, check_character))
     err(checker(list("foo", "bar"), check_character, allow_null = TRUE))
+    err(checker(c("a", NA), check_character, allow_na = FALSE))
   })
 })