diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
index fc836412a..f764de614 100644
--- a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
+++ b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
@@ -417,12 +417,7 @@ pub fn source_is_url(source: &str) -> bool {
 }
 
 pub fn resolve_path(source: &str, working_dir: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf> {
-    let path = Path::new(&source);
-    let path = if path.extension().is_none() {
-        path.with_extension(EXE_EXTENSION)
-    } else {
-        path.to_owned()
-    };
+    let path = source_to_path(source);
 
     // Search path within current working directory
     if let Ok(abs_path) = working_dir.join(&path).canonicalize() {
@@ -435,6 +430,16 @@ pub fn resolve_path(source: &str, working_dir: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf> {
     }
 }
 
+fn source_to_path(source: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let path = Path::new(&source);
+    let path = if path.extension().is_none() {
+        path.with_extension(EXE_EXTENSION)
+    } else {
+        path.to_owned()
+    };
+    path
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields)]
 pub struct PythonOperatorConfig {
diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs
index fe5580967..fe373cb93 100644
--- a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs
+++ b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::{
     adjust_shared_library_path,
     config::{DataId, Input, InputMapping, OperatorId, UserInputMapping},
-    descriptor::{self, source_is_url, CoreNodeKind, OperatorSource},
+    descriptor::{self, source_is_url, source_to_path, CoreNodeKind, OperatorSource},
     get_python_path,
 };
 
@@ -19,15 +19,24 @@ pub fn check_dataflow(dataflow: &Descriptor, working_dir: &Path) -> eyre::Result
     // check that nodes and operators exist
     for node in &nodes {
         match &node.kind {
-            descriptor::CoreNodeKind::Custom(node) => match node.source.as_str() {
+            descriptor::CoreNodeKind::Custom(custom) => match custom.source.as_str() {
                 SHELL_SOURCE => (),
                 source => {
                     if source_is_url(source) {
                         info!("{source} is a URL."); // TODO: Implement url check.
-                    } else {
+                    } else if node.deploy.machine.is_empty() {
                         resolve_path(source, working_dir)
                             .wrap_err_with(|| format!("Could not find source path `{}`", source))?;
-                    };
+                    } else {
+                        let path = source_to_path(source);
+                        if path.is_relative() {
+                            eyre::bail!(
+                                "paths of remote nodes must be absolute (node `{}`)",
+                                node.id
+                            );
+                        }
+                        info!("skipping path check for remote node `{}`", node.id);
+                    }
                 }
             },
             descriptor::CoreNodeKind::Runtime(node) => {