diff --git a/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs b/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
index 009e1b81c..c68f16686 100644
--- a/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
+++ b/apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ use dora_message::{
 use eyre::{bail, WrapErr};
 use shared_memory_extended::{Shmem, ShmemConf};
 use std::{
-    collections::{HashMap, VecDeque},
+    collections::{BTreeSet, HashMap, VecDeque},
     ops::{Deref, DerefMut},
     sync::Arc,
     time::Duration,
 };
-use tracing::info;
+use tracing::{info, warn};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "tracing")]
 use dora_tracing::set_up_tracing;
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ pub struct DoraNode {
     cache: VecDeque<ShmemHandle>,
 
     dataflow_descriptor: Descriptor,
+    warn_once: BTreeSet<DataId>,
 }
 
 impl DoraNode {
@@ -157,10 +158,25 @@ impl DoraNode {
             drop_stream,
             cache: VecDeque::new(),
             dataflow_descriptor,
+            warn_once: BTreeSet::new(),
         };
         Ok((node, event_stream))
     }
 
+    fn validate_output(&mut self, output_id: &DataId) -> bool {
+        if !self.node_config.outputs.contains(output_id) {
+            if self.warn_once.contains(output_id) {
+                warn!("Output {output_id} is not part of the node's output list.");
+                self.warn_once.insert(output_id.clone());
+            } else {
+                self.warn_once.insert(output_id.clone());
+            }
+            false
+        } else {
+            true
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Send data from the node to the other nodes.
     /// We take a closure as an input to enable zero copy on send.
     ///
@@ -194,6 +210,9 @@ impl DoraNode {
     where
         F: FnOnce(&mut [u8]),
     {
+        if !self.validate_output(&output_id) {
+            return Ok(());
+        };
         let mut sample = self.allocate_data_sample(data_len)?;
         data(&mut sample);
 
@@ -208,6 +227,10 @@ impl DoraNode {
         parameters: MetadataParameters,
         data: impl Array,
     ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        if !self.validate_output(&output_id) {
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+
         let arrow_array = data.to_data();
 
         let total_len = required_data_size(&arrow_array);
@@ -228,6 +251,9 @@ impl DoraNode {
         data_len: usize,
         data: &[u8],
     ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        if !self.validate_output(&output_id) {
+            return Ok(());
+        };
         self.send_output_raw(output_id, parameters, data_len, |sample| {
             sample.copy_from_slice(data)
         })
@@ -244,6 +270,10 @@ impl DoraNode {
     where
         F: FnOnce(&mut [u8]),
     {
+        if !self.validate_output(&output_id) {
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+
         let mut sample = self.allocate_data_sample(data_len)?;
         data(&mut sample);
 
@@ -259,9 +289,6 @@ impl DoraNode {
     ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
         self.handle_finished_drop_tokens()?;
 
-        if !self.node_config.outputs.contains(&output_id) {
-            eyre::bail!("unknown dora node output `{output_id}` called by `send_output`. Double-check if this output is defined within your dataflow YAML file.",);
-        }
         let metadata = Metadata::from_parameters(self.clock.new_timestamp(), type_info, parameters);
 
         let (data, shmem) = match sample {