diff --git a/state-manager/app/controller/create_states.py b/state-manager/app/controller/create_states.py
index 435825e7..77d5cc81 100644
--- a/state-manager/app/controller/create_states.py
+++ b/state-manager/app/controller/create_states.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ async def create_states(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: CreateReques
         
         return CreateResponseModel(
             status=StateStatusEnum.CREATED,
-            states=[ResponseStateModel(state_id=str(state.id), node_name=state.node_name, graph_name=state.graph_name, inputs=state.inputs, created_at=state.created_at) for state in newStates]
+            states=[ResponseStateModel(state_id=str(state.id), identifier=state.identifier, node_name=state.node_name, graph_name=state.graph_name, inputs=state.inputs, created_at=state.created_at) for state in newStates]
         )
 
     except Exception as e:
diff --git a/state-manager/app/controller/upsert_graph_template.py b/state-manager/app/controller/upsert_graph_template.py
index ea956ded..1fabb381 100644
--- a/state-manager/app/controller/upsert_graph_template.py
+++ b/state-manager/app/controller/upsert_graph_template.py
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 from app.models.graph_models import UpsertGraphTemplateRequest, UpsertGraphTemplateResponse
 from app.models.db.graph_template_model import GraphTemplate
 from app.models.graph_template_validation_status import GraphTemplateValidationStatus
+from app.tasks.verify_graph import verify_graph
+
+from fastapi import BackgroundTasks
 from beanie.operators import Set
 
 logger = LogsManager().get_logger()
 
-async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: UpsertGraphTemplateRequest, x_exosphere_request_id: str) -> UpsertGraphTemplateResponse:
+async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: UpsertGraphTemplateRequest, x_exosphere_request_id: str, background_tasks: BackgroundTasks) -> UpsertGraphTemplateResponse:
     try:
         graph_template = await GraphTemplate.find_one(
             GraphTemplate.name == graph_name,
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@ async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: Upse
                 ).set_secrets(body.secrets)
             )
 
+        background_tasks.add_task(verify_graph, graph_template)
+
         return UpsertGraphTemplateResponse(
             nodes=graph_template.nodes,
             validation_status=graph_template.validation_status,
diff --git a/state-manager/app/routes.py b/state-manager/app/routes.py
index f532687c..659256d9 100644
--- a/state-manager/app/routes.py
+++ b/state-manager/app/routes.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from fastapi import APIRouter, status, Request, Depends, HTTPException
+from fastapi import APIRouter, status, Request, Depends, HTTPException, BackgroundTasks
 from uuid import uuid4
 from bson import ObjectId
 
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 from .models.secrets_response import SecretsResponseModel
 from .controller.get_secrets import get_secrets
 
-
 logger = LogsManager().get_logger()
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/v0/namespace/{namespace_name}")
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ async def errored_state_route(namespace_name: str, state_id: str, body: ErroredR
     response_description="Graph template upserted successfully",
     tags=["graph"]
 )   
-async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: UpsertGraphTemplateRequest, request: Request, api_key: str = Depends(check_api_key)):
+async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: UpsertGraphTemplateRequest, request: Request, background_tasks: BackgroundTasks, api_key: str = Depends(check_api_key)):
     x_exosphere_request_id = getattr(request.state, "x_exosphere_request_id", str(uuid4()))
 
     if api_key:
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ async def upsert_graph_template(namespace_name: str, graph_name: str, body: Upse
         logger.error(f"API key is invalid for namespace {namespace_name}", x_exosphere_request_id=x_exosphere_request_id)
         raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED, detail="Invalid API key")
 
-    return await upsert_graph_template_controller(namespace_name, graph_name, body, x_exosphere_request_id)
+    return await upsert_graph_template_controller(namespace_name, graph_name, body, x_exosphere_request_id, background_tasks)
 
 
 @router.put(
diff --git a/state-manager/app/tasks/__init__.py b/state-manager/app/tasks/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/state-manager/app/tasks/verify_graph.py b/state-manager/app/tasks/verify_graph.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ca70d0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state-manager/app/tasks/verify_graph.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+from app.models.db.graph_template_model import GraphTemplate, NodeTemplate
+from app.models.graph_template_validation_status import GraphTemplateValidationStatus
+from app.models.db.registered_node import RegisteredNode
+from app.singletons.logs_manager import LogsManager
+from beanie.operators import In
+
+logger = LogsManager().get_logger()
+
+async def verify_nodes_names(nodes: list[NodeTemplate], errors: list[str]):
+    for node in nodes:
+        if node.node_name is None or node.node_name == "":
+            errors.append(f"Node {node.identifier} has no name")
+
+async def verify_nodes_namespace(nodes: list[NodeTemplate], graph_namespace: str, errors: list[str]):
+    for node in nodes:
+        if node.namespace != graph_namespace and node.namespace != "exospherehost":
+            errors.append(f"Node {node.identifier} has invalid namespace '{node.namespace}'. Must match graph namespace '{graph_namespace}' or use universal namespace 'exospherehost'")
+
+async def verify_node_exists(nodes: list[NodeTemplate], graph_namespace: str, errors: list[str]):
+    graph_namespace_node_names = [
+        node.node_name for node in nodes if node.namespace == graph_namespace
+    ]
+    graph_namespace_database_nodes = await RegisteredNode.find(
+        In(RegisteredNode.name, graph_namespace_node_names),
+        RegisteredNode.namespace == graph_namespace
+    ).to_list()
+    exospherehost_node_names = [
+        node.node_name for node in nodes if node.namespace == "exospherehost"
+    ]
+    exospherehost_database_nodes = await RegisteredNode.find(
+        In(RegisteredNode.name, exospherehost_node_names),
+        RegisteredNode.namespace == "exospherehost"
+    ).to_list()
+    
+    template_nodes = set([(node.node_name, node.namespace) for node in nodes])
+    database_nodes = set([(node.name, node.namespace) for node in graph_namespace_database_nodes + exospherehost_database_nodes])
+
+    nodes_not_found = template_nodes - database_nodes
+    
+    for node in nodes_not_found:
+        errors.append(f"Node {node[0]} in namespace {node[1]} does not exist.")
+
+async def verify_node_identifiers(nodes: list[NodeTemplate], errors: list[str]):
+    identifier_to_nodes = {}
+
+    # First pass: collect all nodes by identifier
+    for node in nodes:
+        if node.identifier is None or node.identifier == "":
+            errors.append(f"Node {node.node_name} in namespace {node.namespace} has no identifier")
+            continue
+        
+        if node.identifier not in identifier_to_nodes:
+            identifier_to_nodes[node.identifier] = []
+        identifier_to_nodes[node.identifier].append(node)
+
+    # Check for duplicates and report all nodes sharing the same identifier
+    for identifier, nodes_with_identifier in identifier_to_nodes.items():
+        if len(nodes_with_identifier) > 1:
+            node_list = ", ".join([f"{node.node_name} in namespace {node.namespace}" for node in nodes_with_identifier])
+            errors.append(f"Duplicate identifier '{identifier}' found in nodes: {node_list}")
+
+    # Check next_nodes references using the valid identifiers
+    valid_identifiers = set(identifier_to_nodes.keys())
+    for node in nodes:
+        if node.next_nodes is None:
+            continue
+        for next_node in node.next_nodes:
+            if next_node not in valid_identifiers:
+                errors.append(f"Node {node.node_name} in namespace {node.namespace} has a next node {next_node} that does not exist in the graph")
+
+async def verify_graph(graph_template: GraphTemplate):
+    try:
+        errors = []
+        await verify_nodes_names(graph_template.nodes, errors)
+        await verify_nodes_namespace(graph_template.nodes, graph_template.namespace, errors)
+        await verify_node_exists(graph_template.nodes, graph_template.namespace, errors)
+        await verify_node_identifiers(graph_template.nodes, errors)
+
+        if errors:
+            graph_template.validation_status = GraphTemplateValidationStatus.INVALID
+            graph_template.validation_errors = errors
+            await graph_template.save()
+            return
+        
+        graph_template.validation_status = GraphTemplateValidationStatus.VALID
+        graph_template.validation_errors = None
+        await graph_template.save()
+        
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Exception during graph validation for graph template {graph_template.id}: {str(e)}", exc_info=True)
+        graph_template.validation_status = GraphTemplateValidationStatus.INVALID
+        graph_template.validation_errors = [f"Validation failed due to unexpected error: {str(e)}"]
+        await graph_template.save()
\ No newline at end of file