diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-panic-3962ad36788cab00.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-panic-3962ad36788cab00.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74156a42a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-panic-3962ad36788cab00.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixed an issue with the Dijkstra path functions:
+
+      * :func:`rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_paths`
+      * :func:`rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_path_lengths`
+      * :func:`rustworkx.bellman_ford_shortest_path_lengths`
+      * :func:`rustworkx.bellman_ford_shortest_paths`
+      * :func:`rustworkx.astar_shortest_path`
+
+    where a `Pyo3.PanicException`were raise with no much detail at the moment
+    of pass in the `source` argument the index of an out of bound node.
+    Fixed `#1117 <https://github.com/Qiskit/rustworkx/issues/1117>`__
diff --git a/src/shortest_path/mod.rs b/src/shortest_path/mod.rs
index 959b1cbdd..26429f1ff 100644
--- a/src/shortest_path/mod.rs
+++ b/src/shortest_path/mod.rs
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ pub fn graph_dijkstra_shortest_paths(
     default_weight: f64,
 ) -> PyResult<PathMapping> {
     let start = NodeIndex::new(source);
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{source}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let goal_index: Option<NodeIndex> = target.map(NodeIndex::new);
     let mut paths: DictMap<NodeIndex, Vec<NodeIndex>> = DictMap::with_capacity(graph.node_count());
 
@@ -217,6 +223,12 @@ pub fn digraph_dijkstra_shortest_paths(
     as_undirected: bool,
 ) -> PyResult<PathMapping> {
     let start = NodeIndex::new(source);
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{source}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let goal_index: Option<NodeIndex> = target.map(NodeIndex::new);
     let mut paths: DictMap<NodeIndex, Vec<NodeIndex>> = DictMap::with_capacity(graph.node_count());
     let cost_fn = CostFn::try_from((weight_fn, default_weight))?;
@@ -371,10 +383,16 @@ pub fn graph_dijkstra_shortest_path_lengths(
     edge_cost_fn: PyObject,
     goal: Option<usize>,
 ) -> PyResult<PathLengthMapping> {
-    let edge_cost_callable = CostFn::from(edge_cost_fn);
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
+    let edge_cost_callable = CostFn::from(edge_cost_fn);
     let goal_index: Option<NodeIndex> = goal.map(NodeIndex::new);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let res: Vec<Option<f64>> = dijkstra(
         &graph.graph,
         start,
@@ -445,6 +463,12 @@ pub fn digraph_dijkstra_shortest_path_lengths(
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
     let goal_index: Option<NodeIndex> = goal.map(NodeIndex::new);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let res: Vec<Option<f64>> = dijkstra(
         &graph.graph,
         start,
@@ -671,6 +695,12 @@ pub fn digraph_astar_shortest_path(
     let estimate_cost_callable = CostFn::from(estimate_cost_fn);
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let astar_res = astar(
         &graph.graph,
         start,
@@ -729,6 +759,12 @@ pub fn graph_astar_shortest_path(
     let estimate_cost_callable = CostFn::from(estimate_cost_fn);
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let astar_res = astar(
         &graph.graph,
         start,
@@ -1561,6 +1597,12 @@ pub fn digraph_bellman_ford_shortest_path_lengths(
 
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let res: Option<Vec<Option<f64>>> =
         bellman_ford(&graph.graph, start, |e| edge_cost(e.id()), None)?;
 
@@ -1640,6 +1682,12 @@ pub fn graph_bellman_ford_shortest_path_lengths(
 
     let start = NodeIndex::new(node);
 
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{node}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let res: Option<Vec<Option<f64>>> =
         bellman_ford(&graph.graph, start, |e| edge_cost(e.id()), None)?;
 
@@ -1715,6 +1763,13 @@ pub fn graph_bellman_ford_shortest_paths(
     default_weight: f64,
 ) -> PyResult<PathMapping> {
     let start = NodeIndex::new(source);
+
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{source}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let mut paths: DictMap<NodeIndex, Vec<NodeIndex>> = DictMap::with_capacity(graph.node_count());
 
     let edge_weights: Vec<Option<f64>> =
@@ -1801,6 +1856,13 @@ pub fn digraph_bellman_ford_shortest_paths(
     }
 
     let start = NodeIndex::new(source);
+
+    if !graph.graph.contains_node(start) {
+        return Err(PyIndexError::new_err(format!(
+            "Node source index \"{source}\" out of graph bound"
+        )));
+    }
+
     let mut paths: DictMap<NodeIndex, Vec<NodeIndex>> = DictMap::with_capacity(graph.node_count());
 
     let edge_weights: Vec<Option<f64>> =
diff --git a/tests/digraph/test_astar.py b/tests/digraph/test_astar.py
index 5a23f74d1..b3ee80997 100644
--- a/tests/digraph/test_astar.py
+++ b/tests/digraph/test_astar.py
@@ -112,3 +112,17 @@ def test_astar_with_invalid_weights(self):
                         edge_cost_fn=lambda _: invalid_weight,
                         estimate_cost_fn=lambda _: 0,
                     )
+
+    def test_astar_with_invalid_source_node(self):
+        g = rustworkx.PyDAG()
+        a = g.add_node("A")
+        b = g.add_node("B")
+        g.add_edge(a, b, 7)
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.digraph_astar_shortest_path(
+                g,
+                len(g.node_indices()) + 1,
+                goal_fn=lambda goal: goal == "B",
+                edge_cost_fn=lambda x: float(x),
+                estimate_cost_fn=lambda _: 0,
+            )
diff --git a/tests/digraph/test_bellman_ford.py b/tests/digraph/test_bellman_ford.py
index 7bab70a56..a502a6956 100644
--- a/tests/digraph/test_bellman_ford.py
+++ b/tests/digraph/test_bellman_ford.py
@@ -442,3 +442,15 @@ def test_raises_negative_cycle_all_pairs_bellman_ford_path_lenghts(self):
 
         with self.assertRaises(rustworkx.NegativeCycle):
             rustworkx.all_pairs_bellman_ford_path_lengths(graph, float)
+
+    def test_raises_index_error_bellman_ford_paths(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.digraph_bellman_ford_shortest_paths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, weight_fn=lambda x: float(x)
+            )
+
+    def test_raises_index_error_bellman_ford_path_lenghts(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.digraph_bellman_ford_shortest_path_lengths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, edge_cost_fn=lambda x: float(x)
+            )
diff --git a/tests/digraph/test_dijkstra.py b/tests/digraph/test_dijkstra.py
index 7ec146589..614503cbe 100644
--- a/tests/digraph/test_dijkstra.py
+++ b/tests/digraph/test_dijkstra.py
@@ -326,3 +326,13 @@ def all_pairs_dijkstra_lenghts_with_invalid_weights(self):
                     rustworkx.digraph_all_pairs_dijkstra_path_lengths(
                         graph, edge_cost_fn=lambda _: invalid_weight
                     )
+
+    def test_dijkstra_path_digraph_with_invalid_source(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_paths(self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1)
+
+    def test_dijkstra_path_digraph_lengths_with_invalid_source(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_path_lengths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, edge_cost_fn=lambda x: x
+            )
diff --git a/tests/graph/test_astar.py b/tests/graph/test_astar.py
index 2728c39e5..62bdf9b29 100644
--- a/tests/graph/test_astar.py
+++ b/tests/graph/test_astar.py
@@ -112,3 +112,17 @@ def test_astar_with_invalid_weights(self):
                         edge_cost_fn=lambda _: invalid_weight,
                         estimate_cost_fn=lambda _: 0,
                     )
+
+    def test_astar_with_invalid_source_node(self):
+        g = rustworkx.PyGraph()
+        a = g.add_node("A")
+        b = g.add_node("B")
+        g.add_edge(a, b, 7)
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.graph_astar_shortest_path(
+                g,
+                len(g.node_indices()) + 1,
+                goal_fn=lambda goal: goal == "B",
+                edge_cost_fn=lambda x: float(x),
+                estimate_cost_fn=lambda _: 0,
+            )
diff --git a/tests/graph/test_bellman_ford.py b/tests/graph/test_bellman_ford.py
index 12d87a2b8..d0dd3f106 100644
--- a/tests/graph/test_bellman_ford.py
+++ b/tests/graph/test_bellman_ford.py
@@ -306,3 +306,15 @@ def test_raises_negative_cycle_all_pairs_bellman_ford_path_lenghts(self):
 
         with self.assertRaises(rustworkx.NegativeCycle):
             rustworkx.all_pairs_bellman_ford_path_lengths(graph, float)
+
+    def test_raises_index_error_bellman_ford_paths(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.graph_bellman_ford_shortest_paths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, weight_fn=lambda x: float(x)
+            )
+
+    def test_raises_index_error_bellman_ford_path_lenghts(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.graph_bellman_ford_shortest_path_lengths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, edge_cost_fn=lambda x: float(x)
+            )
diff --git a/tests/graph/test_dijkstra.py b/tests/graph/test_dijkstra.py
index 3405036fe..745502761 100644
--- a/tests/graph/test_dijkstra.py
+++ b/tests/graph/test_dijkstra.py
@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@ def dijkstra_with_invalid_weights(self):
                             as_undirected=as_undirected,
                         )
 
+    def test_dijkstra_path_with_invalid_source(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_paths(self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1)
+
+    def test_dijkstra_path_lengths_with_invalid_source(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            rustworkx.dijkstra_shortest_path_lengths(
+                self.graph, len(self.graph.node_indices()) + 1, edge_cost_fn=float
+            )
+
     def dijkstra_lengths_with_invalid_weights(self):
         graph = rustworkx.generators.path_graph(2)
         for invalid_weight in [float("nan"), -1]:
diff --git a/tests/graph/test_max_weight_matching.py b/tests/graph/test_max_weight_matching.py
index 429036649..f95860cf1 100644
--- a/tests/graph/test_max_weight_matching.py
+++ b/tests/graph/test_max_weight_matching.py
@@ -53,17 +53,11 @@ def get_nx_weight(edge):
             if (u, v) not in nx_matches:
                 if (v, u) not in nx_matches:
                     print(
-                        "seed {} failed. Element {} and it's "
-                        "reverse {} not found in networkx output.\nrustworkx"
-                        " output: {}\nnetworkx output: {}\nedge list: {}\n"
-                        "falling back to checking for a valid solution".format(
-                            seed,
-                            (u, v),
-                            (v, u),
-                            rx_matches,
-                            nx_matches,
-                            list(rx_graph.weighted_edge_list()),
-                        )
+                        f"seed {seed} failed. Element {(u, v)} and it's "
+                        f"reverse {(v, u)} not found in networkx output.\nrustworkx"
+                        f" output: {rx_matches}\nnetworkx output: {nx_matches}"
+                        f"\nedge list: {list(rx_graph.weighted_edge_list())}\n"
+                        "falling back to checking for a valid solution"
                     )
                     not_match = True
                     break