diff --git a/api/entities/entity_encoder.py b/api/entities/entity_encoder.py
index dfc9ed2f..13d722dd 100644
--- a/api/entities/entity_encoder.py
+++ b/api/entities/entity_encoder.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 from falkordb import Node, Edge, Path
 
 def encode_node(n: Node) -> dict:
-    n.labels.remove('Searchable')
-    return vars(n)
+    result = vars(n).copy()
+    result['labels'] = [l for l in n.labels if l != 'Searchable']
+    return result
 
 def encode_edge(e: Edge) -> dict:
     return vars(e)
diff --git a/tests/test_entity_encoder.py b/tests/test_entity_encoder.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..643df163
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_entity_encoder.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+import os
+import pytest
+from falkordb import Node
+
+# Import entity_encoder directly without triggering api/__init__.py
+_spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(
+    "entity_encoder",
+    os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "api", "entities", "entity_encoder.py"),
+)
+_mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(_spec)
+_spec.loader.exec_module(_mod)
+encode_node = _mod.encode_node
+
+
+def make_node(labels, props=None):
+    return Node(node_id=1, alias="n", labels=labels, properties=props or {})
+
+
+def test_encode_node_removes_searchable():
+    n = make_node(['File', 'Searchable'])
+    result = encode_node(n)
+    assert 'Searchable' not in result['labels']
+    assert 'File' in result['labels']
+
+
+def test_encode_node_does_not_mutate_original():
+    n = make_node(['File', 'Searchable'])
+    encode_node(n)
+    assert 'Searchable' in n.labels
+
+
+def test_encode_node_twice_does_not_raise():
+    n = make_node(['File', 'Searchable'])
+    encode_node(n)
+    # Second call must not raise ValueError
+    result = encode_node(n)
+    assert 'Searchable' not in result['labels']
+
+
+def test_encode_node_without_searchable():
+    n = make_node(['Class'])
+    result = encode_node(n)
+    assert result['labels'] == ['Class']