diff --git a/integration-tests/registry_integration_test.go b/integration-tests/registry_integration_test.go
index d84a5c1..7675c9e 100644
--- a/integration-tests/registry_integration_test.go
+++ b/integration-tests/registry_integration_test.go
@@ -350,7 +350,6 @@ func TestRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(t, githubUrl, *createNodeResponse.(drip.CreateNode201JSONResponse).Repository)
 			assert.Equal(t, drip.NodeStatusActive, *createNodeResponse.(drip.CreateNode201JSONResponse).Status)
 			real_node_id = createNodeResponse.(drip.CreateNode201JSONResponse).Id
-
 		})
 
 		t.Run("Get Node", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -577,6 +576,35 @@ func TestRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(t, http.StatusBadRequest, err.(*echo.HTTPError).Code, "should return 400 bad request")
 		})
 
+		t.Run("Create Node Version with invalid node id", func(t *testing.T) {
+			for _, suffix := range []string{"LOWERCASEONLY", "invalidCharacter&"} {
+				nodeId := nodeId + suffix
+				res, err := withMiddleware(authz, impl.PublishNodeVersion)(ctx, drip.PublishNodeVersionRequestObject{
+					PublisherId: publisherId,
+					NodeId:      nodeId,
+					Body: &drip.PublishNodeVersionJSONRequestBody{
+						Node: drip.Node{
+							Id:          &nodeId,
+							Description: &nodeDescription,
+							Author:      &nodeAuthor,
+							License:     &nodeLicense,
+							Name:        &nodeName,
+							Tags:        &nodeTags,
+							Repository:  &source_code_repo,
+						},
+						NodeVersion: drip.NodeVersion{
+							Version:      &nodeVersionLiteral,
+							Changelog:    &changelog,
+							Dependencies: &dependencies,
+						},
+						PersonalAccessToken: *createPersonalAccessTokenResponse.(drip.CreatePersonalAccessToken201JSONResponse).Token,
+					},
+				})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				require.IsType(t, drip.PublishNodeVersion400JSONResponse{}, res)
+			}
+		})
+
 		t.Run("Create Node Version", func(t *testing.T) {
 			mockStorageService.On("GenerateSignedURL", mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return("test-url", nil)
 			mockStorageService.On("GetFileUrl", mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return("test-url", nil)
diff --git a/mapper/error.go b/mapper/error.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fc3faf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mapper/error.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package mapper
+
+import "errors"
+
+type errCode uint8
+
+const (
+	errCodeUnknown errCode = iota
+	errCodeBadRequest
+)
+
+type codedError struct {
+	code errCode
+	msg  string
+	err  []error
+}
+
+func (e codedError) Error() string {
+	return e.msg
+}
+
+func (e codedError) Unwrap() []error {
+	return e.err
+}
+
+func isCodedError(err error, code errCode) bool {
+	var e codedError
+	if !errors.As(err, &e) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return e.code == code
+}
+
+func NewErrorBadRequest(msg string, err ...error) error {
+	return codedError{code: errCodeBadRequest, msg: msg, err: err}
+}
+
+func IsErrorBadRequest(err error) (y bool) {
+	return isCodedError(err, errCodeBadRequest)
+}
diff --git a/mapper/node.go b/mapper/node.go
index 6bff70e..1a5aecf 100644
--- a/mapper/node.go
+++ b/mapper/node.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package mapper
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"registry-backend/drip"
 	"registry-backend/ent"
@@ -77,16 +76,16 @@ func ApiUpdateNodeToUpdateFields(nodeID string, node *drip.Node, client *ent.Cli
 func ValidateNode(node *drip.Node) error {
 	if node.Id != nil {
 		if len(*node.Id) > 100 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("node id is too long")
+			return NewErrorBadRequest("node id is too long")
 		}
-		isValid, err := IsValidNodeID(*node.Id)
+		isValid, msg := IsValidNodeID(*node.Id)
 		if !isValid {
-			return fmt.Errorf(err)
+			return NewErrorBadRequest(msg)
 		}
 	}
 	if node.Description != nil {
 		if len(*node.Description) > 1000 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("description is too long")
+			return NewErrorBadRequest("description is too long")
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/server/implementation/registry.go b/server/implementation/registry.go
index 1efc969..ba60887 100644
--- a/server/implementation/registry.go
+++ b/server/implementation/registry.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (s *DripStrictServerImplementation) CreateNode(
 	log.Ctx(ctx).Info().Msgf("CreateNode called with publisher ID: %s", request.PublisherId)
 
 	node, err := s.RegistryService.CreateNode(ctx, s.Client, request.PublisherId, request.Body)
-	if ent.IsConstraintError(err) {
+	if mapper.IsErrorBadRequest(err) || ent.IsConstraintError(err) {
 		log.Ctx(ctx).Error().Msgf(
 			"Failed to create node for publisher ID %s w/ err: %v", request.PublisherId, err)
 		return drip.CreateNode400JSONResponse{Message: "The node already exists", Error: err.Error()}, err
@@ -473,6 +473,10 @@ func (s *DripStrictServerImplementation) PublishNodeVersion(
 		return drip.PublishNodeVersion500JSONResponse{}, err
 	} else if err != nil {
 		node, err = s.RegistryService.CreateNode(ctx, s.Client, request.PublisherId, &request.Body.Node)
+		if mapper.IsErrorBadRequest(err) || ent.IsConstraintError(err) {
+			log.Ctx(ctx).Error().Msgf("Node creation failed w/ err: %v", err)
+			return drip.PublishNodeVersion400JSONResponse{Message: "Failed to create node", Error: err.Error()}, nil
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Ctx(ctx).Error().Msgf("Node creation failed w/ err: %v", err)
 			return drip.PublishNodeVersion500JSONResponse{Message: "Failed to create node", Error: err.Error()}, nil
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index f61e5f5..10e1a01 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start() error {
 	}
 
 	slackService := gateway.NewSlackService(s.Config)
-	algoliaService, err := algolia.NewFromEnv()
+	algoliaService, err := algolia.NewFromEnvOrNoop()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}