diff --git a/client/src/main/java/client/exception/DuplicateIngredientException.java b/client/src/main/java/client/exception/DuplicateIngredientException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..af04346
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/main/java/client/exception/DuplicateIngredientException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package client.exception;
+
+public class DuplicateIngredientException extends Exception{
+    private final String ingredientName;
+
+    public DuplicateIngredientException(String ingredientName){
+        super("An ingredient with name " + ingredientName + " already exists, please provide a different name");
+        this.ingredientName = ingredientName;
+    }
+
+    public  DuplicateIngredientException(String ingredientName, String message){
+        super(message);
+        this.ingredientName = ingredientName;
+    }
+
+    public String getIngredientName() {
+        return ingredientName;
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/FoodpalApplicationCtrl.java b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/FoodpalApplicationCtrl.java
index 3242d21..d553712 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/FoodpalApplicationCtrl.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/FoodpalApplicationCtrl.java
@@ -534,13 +534,18 @@ public class FoodpalApplicationCtrl implements LocaleAware {
         // Wait for the user to enter a value
         Optional<String> result = dialog.showAndWait();
 
-        result.ifPresent(name -> {
-            // Create a new Ingredient object
-            Ingredient newIngredient = new Ingredient();
-            newIngredient.setName(name);
-
-            // Add the new ingredient to the ListView
-            ingredientListView.getItems().add(newIngredient);
+        result.ifPresent(recipeName ->{
+            String trim = recipeName.trim();
+            if(trim.isEmpty()){
+                showError("Invalid Input", "Cannot have empty ingredient name");
+                return;
+            }
+            if(ingredientListView.getItems().stream()
+                    .map(Ingredient::getName)
+                    .anyMatch(ingName -> ingName.equalsIgnoreCase(trim))){
+                showError("Duplicate Ingredient", "Cannot have duplicate ingredients," +
+                        " Please provide unique Ingredient names");
+            }
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/Ingredient/IngredientListCtrl.java b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/Ingredient/IngredientListCtrl.java
index 329eb56..38e6077 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/Ingredient/IngredientListCtrl.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/Ingredient/IngredientListCtrl.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package client.scenes.Ingredient;
 
+import client.exception.DuplicateIngredientException;
 import client.scenes.nutrition.NutritionDetailsCtrl;
 import client.utils.LocaleAware;
 import client.utils.LocaleManager;
@@ -113,6 +114,8 @@ public class IngredientListCtrl implements LocaleAware {
             refresh();                      // reload list from server
         } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
             showError("Failed to create ingredient: " + e.getMessage());
+        } catch (DuplicateIngredientException e) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/recipe/IngredientsPopupCtrl.java b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/recipe/IngredientsPopupCtrl.java
index de27245..091befd 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/recipe/IngredientsPopupCtrl.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/client/scenes/recipe/IngredientsPopupCtrl.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package client.scenes.recipe;
 
 import client.utils.server.ServerUtils;
+import client.exception.DuplicateIngredientException;
 import commons.Ingredient;
 import jakarta.inject.Inject;
 import javafx.fxml.FXML;
@@ -67,8 +68,15 @@ public class IngredientsPopupCtrl {
             server.createIngredient(name);  // calls POST /api/ingredients
             refresh();                      // reload list from server
         } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
+
             showError("Failed to create ingredient: " + e.getMessage());
+        } catch (DuplicateIngredientException e) {
+            showError("An ingredient with the name " + name + " already exists." +
+                    " Please provide a different name."); //checks if error received has the DUPLICATE string and creates a showError instance with an appropriate error message and description
+
         }
+
+
     }
 
 
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/client/utils/server/ServerUtils.java b/client/src/main/java/client/utils/server/ServerUtils.java
index b82d478..8bd7f3b 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/client/utils/server/ServerUtils.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/client/utils/server/ServerUtils.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package client.utils.server;
 
 import client.utils.ConfigService;
+import client.exception.DuplicateIngredientException;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.type.TypeReference;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ public class ServerUtils {
 
     //creates new ingredients in the ingredient list
 
-    public Ingredient createIngredient(String name) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+    public Ingredient createIngredient(String name) throws IOException, InterruptedException, DuplicateIngredientException {
         Ingredient ingredient = new Ingredient(name, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
         String json = objectMapper.writeValueAsString(ingredient);
 
@@ -275,6 +276,11 @@ public class ServerUtils {
                 .build();
 
         HttpResponse<String> response = client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
+        final int DUPLICATE_STATUS_CODE = 409;
+        if (response.statusCode() == DUPLICATE_STATUS_CODE) {
+            throw new DuplicateIngredientException(name);
+        }
+
         if (response.statusCode() != statusOK) {
             throw new IOException("Failed to create ingredient. Server responds with: " + response.body());
         }