diff --git a/diskann-tools/src/utils/gen_associated_data_from_range.rs b/diskann-tools/src/utils/gen_associated_data_from_range.rs
index 7d91ec865..e28ce7d21 100644
--- a/diskann-tools/src/utils/gen_associated_data_from_range.rs
+++ b/diskann-tools/src/utils/gen_associated_data_from_range.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use diskann_providers::storage::StorageWriteProvider;
 use diskann_utils::io::Metadata;
 
-use super::CMDResult;
+use super::{CMDResult, CMDToolError};
 
 pub fn gen_associated_data_from_range<S: StorageWriteProvider>(
     storage_provider: &S,
@@ -16,10 +16,21 @@ pub fn gen_associated_data_from_range<S: StorageWriteProvider>(
     start: u32,
     end: u32,
 ) -> CMDResult<()> {
+    if end < start {
+        return Err(CMDToolError {
+            details: format!(
+                "invalid range: end ({end}) must be greater than or equal to start ({start})"
+            ),
+        });
+    }
+
     let mut file = storage_provider.create_for_write(associated_data_path)?;
 
     // Calculate the number of integers and the number of integers in associated data
-    let num_ints = end - start + 1;
+    // Use checked arithmetic to avoid overflow when end == u32::MAX and start == 0
+    let num_ints = (end - start).checked_add(1).ok_or_else(|| CMDToolError {
+        details: format!("range [{start}, {end}] is too large: count overflows u32"),
+    })?;
     let int_length: u32 = 1;
 
     // Write the number of integers and the length of each integer as little endian
@@ -105,4 +116,37 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(actual, expected);
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_gen_associated_data_from_range_end_less_than_start() {
+        let storage_provider = VirtualStorageProvider::new_memory();
+        let path = "/test_gen_associated_data_invalid.bin";
+
+        let result = gen_associated_data_from_range(&storage_provider, path, 10, 5);
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            err.details.contains("end") && err.details.contains("start"),
+            "error message should mention end and start: {err}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            err.details.contains("5") && err.details.contains("10"),
+            "error message should include the specific values 5 and 10: {err}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_gen_associated_data_from_range_max_overflow() {
+        let storage_provider = VirtualStorageProvider::new_memory();
+        let path = "/test_gen_associated_data_overflow.bin";
+
+        // end == u32::MAX and start == 0 would make count == u32::MAX + 1, which overflows
+        let result = gen_associated_data_from_range(&storage_provider, path, 0, u32::MAX);
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert!(
+            err.details.contains("overflow") || err.details.contains("too large"),
+            "error message should mention overflow or too large: {err}"
+        );
+    }
 }