diff --git a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/app.module.ts b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/app.module.ts
index 2512ceb7..11aa94fb 100644
--- a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/app.module.ts
+++ b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/app.module.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { JwtMiddleware } from '@/core/middleware/jwt.middleware';
 import { PrismaService } from '@/core/prisma.service';
 import { AssetEditController } from '@/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.controller';
 import { AssetEditRepo } from '@/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo';
+import { AssetEditService } from '@/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service';
 import { AssetInfoRepo } from '@/features/assets/asset-info.repo';
 import { AssetRepo } from '@/features/assets/asset.repo';
 import { AssetsController } from '@/features/assets/assets.controller';
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ import { WorkgroupsController } from '@/features/workgroups/workgroups.controlle
     provideElasticsearch,
     AssetEditRepo,
     AssetInfoRepo,
+    AssetEditService,
     AssetRepo,
     AssetSearchService,
     AssetSyncService,
diff --git a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.controller.ts b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.controller.ts
index f505b30d..b283a68c 100644
--- a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.controller.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,16 @@ import { authorize } from '@/core/authorize';
 import { CurrentUser } from '@/core/decorators/current-user.decorator';
 import { ParseBody } from '@/core/decorators/parse.decorator';
 import { AssetEditRepo } from '@/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo';
+import { AssetEditService } from '@/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service';
 import { AssetSearchService } from '@/features/assets/search/asset-search.service';
 
 @Controller('/asset-edit')
 export class AssetEditController {
-  constructor(private readonly assetEditRepo: AssetEditRepo, private readonly assetSearchService: AssetSearchService) {}
+  constructor(
+    private readonly assetEditRepo: AssetEditRepo,
+    private readonly assetEditService: AssetEditService,
+    private readonly assetSearchService: AssetSearchService
+  ) {}
 
   @Get('/:id')
   async show(@Param('id', ParseIntPipe) id: number, @CurrentUser() user: User): Promise<unknown> {
@@ -38,6 +43,8 @@ export class AssetEditController {
     authorize(AssetEditPolicy, user).canCreate();
     validatePatch(user, patch);
 
+    await this.assetEditService.validateReferencesOrThrow({ user, patch });
+
     const asset = await this.assetEditRepo.create({ user, patch });
     await this.assetSearchService.register(asset);
     return AssetEditDetail.encode(asset);
@@ -56,6 +63,7 @@ export class AssetEditController {
 
     authorize(AssetEditPolicy, user).canUpdate(record);
     validatePatch(user, patch, record);
+    await this.assetEditService.validateReferencesOrThrow({ user, patch }, id);
 
     const asset = await this.assetEditRepo.update(record.assetId, { user, patch });
     if (asset === null) {
diff --git a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo.ts b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo.ts
index 9397621d..bf14a32d 100644
--- a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo.ts
+++ b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.repo.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ export class AssetEditRepo implements Repo<AssetEditDetail, number, AssetEditDat
   }
 
   async create(data: AssetEditData): Promise<AssetEditDetail> {
-    await this.validateReferencesOrThrow(data);
     const asset = await this.prismaService.asset.create({
       select: { assetId: true },
       data: {
@@ -112,9 +111,6 @@ export class AssetEditRepo implements Repo<AssetEditDetail, number, AssetEditDat
     if (count === 0) {
       return null;
     }
-
-    await this.validateReferencesOrThrow(data, id);
-
     // Run the update in a transaction, as it consists of multiple prisma queries.
     // Note that all mutations within this transaction are no-ops if there is no asset for `id`.
     await this.prismaService.$transaction(async () => {
@@ -320,45 +316,6 @@ export class AssetEditRepo implements Repo<AssetEditDetail, number, AssetEditDat
     }
     return detailResult.right as AssetEditDetail;
   }
-
-  private async validateReferencesOrThrow(data: AssetEditData, id?: number): Promise<void> {
-    // check if any of the siblings are in another workgroup
-    for (const assetYId of data.patch.siblingAssetIds) {
-      const siblingCandidate = await this.prismaService.asset.findUnique({
-        where: { assetId: assetYId },
-        select: { workgroupId: true },
-      });
-      if (siblingCandidate?.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
-        throw new Error('Sibling assets must be in the same workgroup as the edited asset');
-      }
-    }
-
-    // check if the parent asset is in another workgroup
-    const assetMainId = O.toUndefined(data.patch.assetMainId);
-    if (assetMainId) {
-      const assetMain = await this.prismaService.asset.findUnique({
-        where: { assetId: assetMainId },
-        select: { workgroupId: true },
-      });
-      if (assetMain?.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
-        throw new Error('Cannot assign parent asset from different workgroup');
-      }
-    }
-
-    // check if any of the subordinate assets are in another workgroup for exisiting assets
-    if (id) {
-      const childAssets = await this.prismaService.asset.findMany({
-        where: { assetMainId: id },
-        select: { workgroupId: true },
-      });
-
-      for (const child of childAssets) {
-        if (child.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
-          throw new Error('Child assets must be in the same workgroup as the parent asset');
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service.ts b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service.ts
index 82a943b9..911d35b7 100644
--- a/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service.ts
+++ b/apps/server-asset-sg/src/features/asset-edit/asset-edit.service.ts
@@ -1,53 +1,55 @@
+import { HttpException, HttpStatus, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import * as O from 'fp-ts/Option';
 
-import { isNotNull, unknownToUnknownError } from '@asset-sg/core';
-import { BaseAssetEditDetail, PatchAsset } from '@asset-sg/shared';
-import { User } from '@asset-sg/shared/v2';
-import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
-import { pipe } from 'fp-ts/function';
-import * as TE from 'fp-ts/TaskEither';
-import * as C from 'io-ts/Codec';
-
-import { AssetEditRepo } from './asset-edit.repo';
-import { AssetSearchService } from '@/features/assets/search/asset-search.service';
-import { notFoundError } from '@/utils/errors';
-
-export const AssetEditDetail = C.struct({
-  ...BaseAssetEditDetail,
-  studies: C.array(C.struct({ assetId: C.number, studyId: C.string, geomText: C.string })),
-});
-export type AssetEditDetail = C.TypeOf<typeof AssetEditDetail>;
+import { AssetEditData } from './asset-edit.repo';
+import { PrismaService } from '@/core/prisma.service';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class AssetEditService {
-  constructor(private readonly assetEditRepo: AssetEditRepo, private readonly assetSearchService: AssetSearchService) {}
+  constructor(private readonly prismaService: PrismaService) {}
 
-  public createAsset(user: User, patch: PatchAsset) {
-    return pipe(
-      TE.tryCatch(
-        () => this.assetEditRepo.create({ user, patch }),
-        (e) => e as Error
-      ),
-      TE.chain(({ assetId }) =>
-        TE.tryCatch(
-          () => this.assetEditRepo.find(assetId),
-          (e) => e as Error
-        )
-      ),
-      TE.chainW(TE.fromPredicate(isNotNull, notFoundError)),
-      TE.tap((asset) => TE.tryCatch(() => this.assetSearchService.register(asset), unknownToUnknownError)),
-      TE.map((asset) => AssetEditDetail.encode(asset))
-    );
-  }
+  public async validateReferencesOrThrow(data: AssetEditData, id?: number): Promise<void> {
+    // check if any of the siblings are in another workgroup
+    for (const assetYId of data.patch.siblingAssetIds) {
+      const siblingCandidate = await this.prismaService.asset.findUnique({
+        where: { assetId: assetYId },
+        select: { workgroupId: true },
+      });
+      if (siblingCandidate?.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
+        throw new HttpException(
+          'Sibling assets must be in the same workgroup as the edited asset',
+          HttpStatus.UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY
+        );
+      }
+    }
+
+    // check if the parent asset is in another workgroup
+    const assetMainId = O.toUndefined(data.patch.assetMainId);
+    if (assetMainId) {
+      const assetMain = await this.prismaService.asset.findUnique({
+        where: { assetId: assetMainId },
+        select: { workgroupId: true },
+      });
+      if (assetMain?.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
+        throw new HttpException('Cannot assign parent asset from different workgroup', HttpStatus.UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // check if any of the subordinate assets are in another workgroup for exisiting assets
+    if (id) {
+      const childAssets = await this.prismaService.asset.findMany({
+        where: { assetMainId: id },
+        select: { workgroupId: true },
+      });
 
-  public updateAsset(user: User, assetId: number, patch: PatchAsset) {
-    return pipe(
-      TE.tryCatch(
-        () => this.assetEditRepo.update(assetId, { user, patch }),
-        (e) => e as Error
-      ),
-      TE.chainW(TE.fromPredicate(isNotNull, notFoundError)),
-      TE.tap((asset) => TE.tryCatch(() => this.assetSearchService.register(asset), unknownToUnknownError)),
-      TE.map((asset) => AssetEditDetail.encode(asset))
-    );
+      for (const child of childAssets) {
+        if (child.workgroupId !== data.patch.workgroupId) {
+          throw new HttpException(
+            'Child assets must be in the same workgroup as the parent asset',
+            HttpStatus.UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY
+          );
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 }