diff --git a/checkpoint.json b/checkpoint.json
index dce7c0761..49bb9c1cd 100644
--- a/checkpoint.json
+++ b/checkpoint.json
@@ -1,30 +1,34 @@
 {
-  "timestamp": "2026-03-27T19:07:07.153225Z",
-  "current_node": "implement",
+  "timestamp": "2026-03-27T19:07:07.473919Z",
+  "current_node": "validate",
   "completed_nodes": [
     "start",
     "plan",
-    "implement"
+    "implement",
+    "validate"
   ],
   "node_retries": {},
   "context_values": {
     "failure_signature": "",
-    "current.preamble": "Goal: Implement and validate a feature\n\n## Completed stages\n- **plan**: success\n",
+    "current.preamble": "Goal: Implement and validate a feature\n\n## Completed stages\n- **plan**: success\n- **implement**: success\n",
     "thread.start.current_node": "plan",
     "internal.retry_count.implement": 0,
     "internal.retry_count.start": 0,
     "outcome": "success",
     "failure_class": "",
-    "current_node": "implement",
-    "last_response": "[Simulated] Response for stage: implement",
+    "current_node": "validate",
+    "last_response": "[Simulated] Response for stage: validate",
     "internal.run_id": "01KMRB2JHK10TZ54R97Z7XKHFJ",
     "internal.retry_count.plan": 0,
-    "last_stage": "implement",
+    "thread.implement.current_node": "validate",
+    "last_stage": "validate",
     "thread.plan.current_node": "implement",
     "response.implement": "[Simulated] Response for stage: implement",
+    "internal.retry_count.validate": 0,
+    "response.validate": "[Simulated] Response for stage: validate",
     "graph.goal": "Implement and validate a feature",
     "response.plan": "[Simulated] Response for stage: plan",
-    "internal.thread_id": "plan",
+    "internal.thread_id": "implement",
     "internal.fidelity": "compact",
     "graph.rankdir": "LR",
     "internal.node_visit_count": 1
@@ -40,6 +44,16 @@
       "notes": "[Simulated] implement",
       "usage": null
     },
+    "validate": {
+      "status": "success",
+      "context_updates": {
+        "last_response": "[Simulated] Response for stage: validate",
+        "response.validate": "[Simulated] Response for stage: validate",
+        "last_stage": "validate"
+      },
+      "notes": "[Simulated] validate",
+      "usage": null
+    },
     "plan": {
       "status": "success",
       "context_updates": {
@@ -56,10 +70,11 @@
       "usage": null
     }
   },
-  "next_node_id": "validate",
+  "next_node_id": "gate",
   "node_visits": {
     "start": 1,
     "plan": 1,
-    "implement": 1
+    "implement": 1,
+    "validate": 1
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nodes/validate/status.json b/nodes/validate/status.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5481999fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodes/validate/status.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "status": "success",
+  "notes": "[Simulated] validate",
+  "failure_reason": null,
+  "timestamp": "2026-03-27T19:07:07.473640+00:00"
+}
\ No newline at end of file