diff --git a/devnet-sdk/system/chain.go b/devnet-sdk/system/chain.go
index 14dfad31d3e3a..ef2d3e7f0570b 100644
--- a/devnet-sdk/system/chain.go
+++ b/devnet-sdk/system/chain.go
@@ -171,6 +171,81 @@ func (c *chain) SupportsEIP(ctx context.Context, eip uint64) bool {
 	return c.nodes[0].SupportsEIP(ctx, eip)
 }
 
+// validateChainDescriptor validates a Chain descriptor for common issues
+func validateChainDescriptor(d *descriptors.Chain) error {
+	if d == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("chain descriptor is nil")
+	}
+
+	if d.ID == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("chain ID is empty")
+	}
+
+	if len(d.Nodes) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("chain has no nodes")
+	}
+
+	for i, node := range d.Nodes {
+		if err := validateNodeDescriptor(&node, i); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("node %d validation failed: %w", i, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// validateNodeDescriptor validates a Node descriptor
+func validateNodeDescriptor(node *descriptors.Node, index int) error {
+	if node == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("node descriptor is nil")
+	}
+
+	elService, exists := node.Services["el"]
+	if !exists {
+		return fmt.Errorf("node missing required 'el' service")
+	}
+
+	if elService == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'el' service is nil")
+	}
+
+	rpcEndpoint, exists := elService.Endpoints["rpc"]
+	if !exists {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'el' service missing required 'rpc' endpoint")
+	}
+
+	if rpcEndpoint == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'rpc' endpoint is nil")
+	}
+
+	if rpcEndpoint.Host == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'rpc' endpoint host is empty")
+	}
+
+	if rpcEndpoint.Port <= 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("'rpc' endpoint port must be positive, got %d", rpcEndpoint.Port)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// validateL2ChainDescriptor validates an L2Chain descriptor
+func validateL2ChainDescriptor(d *descriptors.L2Chain) error {
+	if d == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("L2 chain descriptor is nil")
+	}
+
+	if d.Chain == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("L2 chain descriptor missing embedded Chain")
+	}
+
+	if err := validateChainDescriptor(d.Chain); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("embedded chain validation failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func checkHeader(ctx context.Context, client *sources.EthClient, check func(eth.BlockInfo) bool) bool {
 	info, err := client.InfoByLabel(ctx, eth.Unsafe)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -195,7 +270,10 @@ func newNodesFromDescriptor(d *descriptors.Chain) []Node {
 }
 
 func newChainFromDescriptor(d *descriptors.Chain) (*chain, error) {
-	// TODO: handle incorrect descriptors better. We could panic here.
+	// Validate descriptor before proceeding
+	if err := validateChainDescriptor(d); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid chain descriptor: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	nodes := newNodesFromDescriptor(d)
 	c := newChain(d.ID, nil, d.Config, AddressMap(d.Addresses), nodes) // Create chain first
@@ -221,7 +299,10 @@ func newChain(chainID string, wallets WalletMap, chainConfig *params.ChainConfig
 }
 
 func newL2ChainFromDescriptor(d *descriptors.L2Chain) (*l2Chain, error) {
-	// TODO: handle incorrect descriptors better. We could panic here.
+	// Validate descriptor before proceeding
+	if err := validateL2ChainDescriptor(d); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid L2 chain descriptor: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	nodes := newNodesFromDescriptor(d.Chain)
 	c := newL2Chain(d.ID, nil, nil, d.Config, AddressMap(d.L1Addresses), AddressMap(d.Addresses), nodes) // Create chain first
diff --git a/devnet-sdk/system/chain_test.go b/devnet-sdk/system/chain_test.go
index 5f9f7332e470a..998804fc62d46 100644
--- a/devnet-sdk/system/chain_test.go
+++ b/devnet-sdk/system/chain_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestChainFromDescriptor(t *testing.T) {
 	// Compare the underlying big.Int values
 	chainID := chain.ID()
 	expectedID := big.NewInt(1)
-	assert.Equal(t, 0, expectedID.Cmp(chainID))
+	assert.Equal(t, expectedID.Cmp(chainID), 0)
 }
 
 func TestL2ChainFromDescriptor(t *testing.T) {
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func TestL2ChainFromDescriptor(t *testing.T) {
 	// Compare the underlying big.Int values
 	chainID := chain.ID()
 	expectedID := big.NewInt(1)
-	assert.Equal(t, 0, expectedID.Cmp(chainID))
+	assert.Equal(t, expectedID.Cmp(chainID), 0)
 }
 
 func TestChainWallet(t *testing.T) {
@@ -247,3 +247,190 @@ func TestContractsRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Same(t, registry1, registry2)
 	})
 }
+
+// TestChainFromDescriptorValidation tests validation of invalid chain descriptors
+func TestChainFromDescriptorValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("nil descriptor", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(nil)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "chain descriptor is nil")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("empty chain ID", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": &descriptors.Service{
+							Endpoints: descriptors.EndpointMap{
+								"rpc": &descriptors.PortInfo{
+									Host: "localhost",
+									Port: 8545,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "chain ID is empty")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("no nodes", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID:    "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "chain has no nodes")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("missing el service", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "node missing required 'el' service")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("nil el service", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": nil,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'el' service is nil")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("missing rpc endpoint", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": &descriptors.Service{
+							Endpoints: descriptors.EndpointMap{},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'el' service missing required 'rpc' endpoint")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("nil rpc endpoint", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": &descriptors.Service{
+							Endpoints: descriptors.EndpointMap{
+								"rpc": nil,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'rpc' endpoint is nil")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("empty host", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": &descriptors.Service{
+							Endpoints: descriptors.EndpointMap{
+								"rpc": &descriptors.PortInfo{
+									Host: "",
+									Port: 8545,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'rpc' endpoint host is empty")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("invalid port", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.Chain{
+			ID: "1",
+			Nodes: []descriptors.Node{
+				{
+					Services: descriptors.ServiceMap{
+						"el": &descriptors.Service{
+							Endpoints: descriptors.EndpointMap{
+								"rpc": &descriptors.PortInfo{
+									Host: "localhost",
+									Port: -1,
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'rpc' endpoint port must be positive")
+	})
+}
+
+// TestL2ChainFromDescriptorValidation tests validation of invalid L2 chain descriptors
+func TestL2ChainFromDescriptorValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("nil descriptor", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := newL2ChainFromDescriptor(nil)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "L2 chain descriptor is nil")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("nil embedded chain", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.L2Chain{
+			Chain: nil,
+		}
+		_, err := newL2ChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "L2 chain descriptor missing embedded Chain")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("invalid embedded chain", func(t *testing.T) {
+		descriptor := &descriptors.L2Chain{
+			Chain: &descriptors.Chain{
+				ID:    "", // Invalid: empty ID
+				Nodes: []descriptors.Node{},
+			},
+		}
+		_, err := newL2ChainFromDescriptor(descriptor)
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "embedded chain validation failed")
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "chain ID is empty")
+	})
+}