diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d9aee9303..e90bb6bea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           # this might remove tools that are actually needed,
           # if set to "true" but frees about 6 GB
-          tool-cache: false
+          tool-cache: true
 
           # all of these default to true, but feel free to set to
           # "false" if necessary for your workflow
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ jobs:
           haskell: true
           large-packages: false
           docker-images: true
-          swap-storage: false
+          swap-storage: true
       - name: Free disk Space (Windows)
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
         run: |
diff --git a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
index 099aed2e8..413fc1d0f 100644
--- a/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/binaries/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -332,9 +332,13 @@ fn run() -> eyre::Result<()> {
                 .parent()
                 .ok_or_else(|| eyre::eyre!("dataflow path has no parent dir"))?
                 .to_owned();
-            dataflow_descriptor
-                .check(&working_dir)
-                .wrap_err("Could not validate yaml")?;
+            if !coordinator_addr.is_loopback() {
+                dataflow_descriptor.check_in_daemon(&working_dir, &[], true)?;
+            } else {
+                dataflow_descriptor
+                    .check(&working_dir)
+                    .wrap_err("Could not validate yaml")?;
+            }
 
             let mut session = connect_to_coordinator((coordinator_addr, coordinator_port).into())
                 .wrap_err("failed to connect to dora coordinator")?;
diff --git a/binaries/coordinator/src/run/mod.rs b/binaries/coordinator/src/run/mod.rs
index f37613581..534b857bb 100644
--- a/binaries/coordinator/src/run/mod.rs
+++ b/binaries/coordinator/src/run/mod.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,17 @@ pub(super) async fn spawn_dataflow(
     daemon_connections: &mut HashMap<String, DaemonConnection>,
     clock: &HLC,
 ) -> eyre::Result<SpawnedDataflow> {
-    dataflow.check(&working_dir)?;
+    let remote_machine_id: Vec<_> = daemon_connections
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|(id, c)| {
+            if !c.listen_socket.ip().is_loopback() {
+                Some(id.as_str())
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        })
+        .collect();
+    dataflow.check_in_daemon(&working_dir, &remote_machine_id, false)?;
 
     let nodes = dataflow.resolve_aliases_and_set_defaults()?;
     let uuid = Uuid::new_v7(Timestamp::now(NoContext));
diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
index fc836412a..5300eeec4 100644
--- a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
+++ b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
@@ -133,7 +133,23 @@ impl Descriptor {
     }
 
     pub fn check(&self, working_dir: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
-        validate::check_dataflow(self, working_dir).wrap_err("Dataflow could not be validated.")
+        validate::check_dataflow(self, working_dir, None, false)
+            .wrap_err("Dataflow could not be validated.")
+    }
+
+    pub fn check_in_daemon(
+        &self,
+        working_dir: &Path,
+        remote_machine_id: &[&str],
+        coordinator_is_remote: bool,
+    ) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+        validate::check_dataflow(
+            self,
+            working_dir,
+            Some(remote_machine_id),
+            coordinator_is_remote,
+        )
+        .wrap_err("Dataflow could not be validated.")
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/validate.rs
index fe5580967..9c4e89dde 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, CoreNodeKind, OperatorSource, EXE_EXTENSION},
     get_python_path,
 };
 
@@ -12,18 +12,45 @@ use tracing::info;
 use super::{resolve_path, Descriptor, SHELL_SOURCE};
 const VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
 
-pub fn check_dataflow(dataflow: &Descriptor, working_dir: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+pub fn check_dataflow(
+    dataflow: &Descriptor,
+    working_dir: &Path,
+    remote_daemon_id: Option<&[&str]>,
+    coordinator_is_remote: bool,
+) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let nodes = dataflow.resolve_aliases_and_set_defaults()?;
     let mut has_python_operator = false;
 
     // 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 if let Some(remote_daemon_id) = remote_daemon_id {
+                        if remote_daemon_id.contains(&node.deploy.machine.as_str())
+                            || coordinator_is_remote
+                        {
+                            let path = Path::new(&source);
+                            let path = if path.extension().is_none() {
+                                path.with_extension(EXE_EXTENSION)
+                            } else {
+                                path.to_owned()
+                            };
+                            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);
+                        } else {
+                            resolve_path(source, working_dir).wrap_err_with(|| {
+                                format!("Could not find source path `{}`", source)
+                            })?;
+                        }
                     } else {
                         resolve_path(source, working_dir)
                             .wrap_err_with(|| format!("Could not find source path `{}`", source))?;