diff --git a/core/assignment.go b/core/assignment.go
index 431428e641..ecabb18771 100644
--- a/core/assignment.go
+++ b/core/assignment.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"math/big"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -35,6 +36,21 @@ func (id OperatorID) Hex() string {
 	return hex.EncodeToString(id[:])
 }
 
+// The "s" is an operatorId in hex string format, which may or may not have the "0x" prefix.
+func OperatorIDFromHex(s string) (OperatorID, error) {
+	opID := [32]byte{}
+	s = strings.TrimPrefix(s, "0x")
+	if len(s) != 64 {
+		return OperatorID(opID), errors.New("operatorID hex string must be 64 bytes, or 66 bytes if starting with 0x")
+	}
+	opIDslice, err := hex.DecodeString(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return OperatorID(opID), err
+	}
+	copy(opID[:], opIDslice)
+	return OperatorID(opID), nil
+}
+
 type OperatorIndex = uint
 
 type ChunkNumber = uint
diff --git a/core/thegraph/state.go b/core/thegraph/state.go
index c797e51960..1fba78946d 100644
--- a/core/thegraph/state.go
+++ b/core/thegraph/state.go
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ package thegraph
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Layr-Labs/eigenda/core"
@@ -271,16 +269,12 @@ func (ics *indexedChainState) getRegisteredIndexedOperatorInfo(ctx context.Conte
 			return nil, err
 		}
 
-		id := strings.TrimPrefix(string(operator.Id), "0x")
-		operatorIdBytes, err := hex.DecodeString(id)
+		// convert graphql.String to [32]byte
+		// example: "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001" -> [32]byte{0x01}
+		operatorId, err := core.OperatorIDFromHex(string(operator.Id))
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-
-		// convert graphql.String to [32]byte
-		// example: "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001" -> [32]byte{0x01}
-		var operatorId [32]byte
-		copy(operatorId[:], operatorIdBytes)
 		operators[operatorId] = operatorIndexedInfo
 	}
 	return operators, nil
diff --git a/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_handler.go b/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_handler.go
index 56f434b773..957b858bae 100644
--- a/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_handler.go
+++ b/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_handler.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package dataapi
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"sort"
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ func (s *server) getOperatorNonsigningRate(ctx context.Context, startTime, endTi
 					return nil, err
 				}
 
-				opID, err := OperatorIDFromString(op)
+				opID, err := core.OperatorIDFromHex(op)
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
@@ -209,12 +208,11 @@ func getNonSigners(batches []*BatchNonSigningInfo) ([]core.OperatorID, error) {
 	}
 	nonsigners := make([]core.OperatorID, 0)
 	for op := range nonsignerSet {
-		hexstr := strings.TrimPrefix(op, "0x")
-		b, err := hex.DecodeString(hexstr)
+		id, err := core.OperatorIDFromHex(op)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		nonsigners = append(nonsigners, core.OperatorID(b))
+		nonsigners = append(nonsigners, id)
 	}
 	sort.Slice(nonsigners, func(i, j int) bool {
 		for k := range nonsigners[i] {
diff --git a/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_utils.go b/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_utils.go
index 7bc7713836..0fcf020f0f 100644
--- a/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_utils.go
+++ b/disperser/dataapi/nonsigner_utils.go
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 package dataapi
 
 import (
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
-
-	"github.com/Layr-Labs/eigenda/core"
 )
 
 // NumBatchesAtBlock represents the number of batches at current block.
@@ -283,14 +280,3 @@ func getUpperBoundIndex(intervals []*NumBatchesAtBlock, blockNum uint32) int {
 	}
 	return high + 1
 }
-
-func OperatorIDFromString(op string) (core.OperatorID, error) {
-	opID := [32]byte{}
-	opIDslice, err := hex.DecodeString(op)
-	if err != nil {
-		return opID, err
-	}
-	copy(opID[:], opIDslice)
-
-	return opID, nil
-}
diff --git a/disperser/dataapi/server_test.go b/disperser/dataapi/server_test.go
index ad9978b942..eab2777029 100644
--- a/disperser/dataapi/server_test.go
+++ b/disperser/dataapi/server_test.go
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ var (
 	config = dataapi.Config{ServerMode: "test", SocketAddr: ":8080", AllowOrigins: []string{"*"}, DisperserHostname: "localhost:32007", ChurnerHostname: "localhost:32009"}
 
 	mockTx            = &coremock.MockTransactor{}
-	opId0, _          = dataapi.OperatorIDFromString("e22dae12a0074f20b8fc96a0489376db34075e545ef60c4845d264a732568311")
-	opId1, _          = dataapi.OperatorIDFromString("e23cae12a0074f20b8fc96a0489376db34075e545ef60c4845d264b732568312")
+	opId0, _          = core.OperatorIDFromHex("e22dae12a0074f20b8fc96a0489376db34075e545ef60c4845d264a732568311")
+	opId1, _          = core.OperatorIDFromHex("e23cae12a0074f20b8fc96a0489376db34075e545ef60c4845d264b732568312")
 	mockChainState, _ = coremock.NewChainDataMock(map[uint8]map[core.OperatorID]int{
 		0: {
 			opId0: 1,