diff --git a/dataproxy/service.go b/dataproxy/service.go
index 05b364daf..ff90cba8e 100644
--- a/dataproxy/service.go
+++ b/dataproxy/service.go
@@ -138,6 +138,18 @@ func (s Service) CreateDownloadLink(ctx context.Context, req *service.CreateDown
 		return nil, errors.NewFlyteAdminErrorf(codes.Internal, "no deckUrl found for request [%+v]", req)
 	}
 
+	// Check if the native url exists
+	metadata, err := s.dataStore.Head(ctx, storage.DataReference(nativeURL))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.NewFlyteAdminErrorf(codes.Internal, "Failed to check the existence of the URL [%s]. Error: %v", nativeURL, err)
+	}
+	if !metadata.Exists() {
+		return nil, errors.NewFlyteAdminErrorf(
+			codes.NotFound,
+			"URL [%s] does not exist yet. Please try again later. If you are using the real-time deck, this could be because the 'persist' function has not been called yet.",
+			nativeURL)
+	}
+
 	signedURLResp, err := s.dataStore.CreateSignedURL(ctx, storage.DataReference(nativeURL), storage.SignedURLProperties{
 		Scope:     stow.ClientMethodGet,
 		ExpiresIn: req.ExpiresIn.AsDuration(),
diff --git a/dataproxy/service_test.go b/dataproxy/service_test.go
index efaae1da1..7b4ba7d28 100644
--- a/dataproxy/service_test.go
+++ b/dataproxy/service_test.go
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ func TestCreateUploadLocation(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCreateDownloadLink(t *testing.T) {
 	dataStore := commonMocks.GetMockStorageClient()
+	dataStore.ComposedProtobufStore.(*commonMocks.TestDataStore).HeadCb = func(ctx context.Context, reference storage.DataReference) (storage.Metadata, error) {
+		return existsMetadata{}, nil
+	}
 	nodeExecutionManager := &mocks.MockNodeExecutionManager{}
 	nodeExecutionManager.SetGetNodeExecutionFunc(func(ctx context.Context, request admin.NodeExecutionGetRequest) (*admin.NodeExecution, error) {
 		return &admin.NodeExecution{
@@ -127,6 +130,19 @@ func TestCreateDownloadLink(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 	})
+
+	t.Run("nonexistent URI", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dataStore.ComposedProtobufStore.(*commonMocks.TestDataStore).HeadCb = func(ctx context.Context, reference storage.DataReference) (storage.Metadata, error) {
+			return nonexistentMetadata{}, nil
+		}
+		_, err = s.CreateDownloadLink(context.Background(), &service.CreateDownloadLinkRequest{
+			ArtifactType: service.ArtifactType_ARTIFACT_TYPE_DECK,
+			Source: &service.CreateDownloadLinkRequest_NodeExecutionId{
+				NodeExecutionId: &core.NodeExecutionIdentifier{},
+			},
+		})
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestCreateDownloadLocation(t *testing.T) {
@@ -350,3 +366,23 @@ func TestService_Error(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Error(t, err, "no task executions")
 	})
 }
+
+type existsMetadata struct{}
+
+func (e existsMetadata) Exists() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+func (e existsMetadata) Size() int64 {
+	return int64(1)
+}
+
+type nonexistentMetadata struct{}
+
+func (e nonexistentMetadata) Exists() bool {
+	return false
+}
+
+func (e nonexistentMetadata) Size() int64 {
+	return int64(0)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution.go b/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution.go
index 7eb57a70b..d3f615d6d 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ func addNodeRunningState(request *admin.NodeExecutionEventRequest, nodeExecution
 			"failed to marshal occurredAt into a timestamp proto with error: %v", err)
 	}
 	closure.StartedAt = startedAtProto
+	closure.DeckUri = request.Event.DeckUri
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution_test.go b/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution_test.go
index 88ef8fc26..49fbb50ba 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution_test.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/transformers/node_execution_test.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ var childExecutionID = &core.WorkflowExecutionIdentifier{
 const dynamicWorkflowClosureRef = "s3://bucket/admin/metadata/workflow"
 
 const testInputURI = "fake://bucket/inputs.pb"
+const DeckURI = "fake://bucket/deck.html"
 
 var testInputs = &core.LiteralMap{
 	Literals: map[string]*core.Literal{
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func TestAddRunningState(t *testing.T) {
 		Event: &event.NodeExecutionEvent{
 			Phase:      core.NodeExecution_RUNNING,
 			OccurredAt: startedAtProto,
+			DeckUri:    DeckURI,
 		},
 	}
 	nodeExecutionModel := models.NodeExecution{}
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@ func TestAddRunningState(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, startedAt, *nodeExecutionModel.StartedAt)
 	assert.True(t, proto.Equal(startedAtProto, closure.StartedAt))
+	assert.Equal(t, DeckURI, closure.DeckUri)
 }
 
 func TestAddTerminalState_OutputURI(t *testing.T) {
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ func TestAddTerminalState_OutputURI(t *testing.T) {
 				OutputUri: outputURI,
 			},
 			OccurredAt: occurredAtProto,
+			DeckUri:    DeckURI,
 		},
 	}
 	startedAt := occurredAt.Add(-time.Minute)
@@ -103,6 +107,7 @@ func TestAddTerminalState_OutputURI(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.EqualValues(t, outputURI, closure.GetOutputUri())
 	assert.Equal(t, time.Minute, nodeExecutionModel.Duration)
+	assert.Equal(t, DeckURI, closure.DeckUri)
 }
 
 func TestAddTerminalState_OutputData(t *testing.T) {