diff --git a/libgalois/include/katana/PropertyGraph.h b/libgalois/include/katana/PropertyGraph.h
index ae6c3a48f6..4d62fd635c 100644
--- a/libgalois/include/katana/PropertyGraph.h
+++ b/libgalois/include/katana/PropertyGraph.h
@@ -88,16 +88,46 @@ class KATANA_EXPORT PropertyGraph {
   /// The edge EntityTypeID for each edge's most specific type
   EntityTypeIDArray edge_entity_type_ids_;
 
-  // List of node and edge indexes on this graph.
+  // List of node indexes on this graph.
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PropertyIndex<GraphTopology::Node>>>
       node_indexes_;
+  //And the columns that created them to persist in json
+  std::vector<std::string> node_property_indexes_column_name_;
+
+  // List of edge indexes on this graph.
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<PropertyIndex<GraphTopology::Edge>>>
       edge_indexes_;
+  //And the columns that created them to persist in json
+  std::vector<std::string> edge_property_indexes_column_name_;
 
   PGViewCache pg_view_cache_;
 
   friend class PropertyGraphRetractor;
 
+  // recreate indexes from json
+  katana::Result<void> recreate_node_property_indexes() {
+    node_property_indexes_column_name_ =
+        rdg_.node_property_indexes_column_name();
+    for (const std::string& column_name : node_property_indexes_column_name_) {
+      auto result = MakeNodeIndex(column_name);
+      if (!result) {
+        return result.error();
+      }
+    }
+    return katana::ResultSuccess();
+  }
+  katana::Result<void> recreate_edge_property_indexes() {
+    edge_property_indexes_column_name_ =
+        rdg_.edge_property_indexes_column_name();
+    for (const std::string& column_name : edge_property_indexes_column_name_) {
+      auto result = MakeEdgeIndex(column_name);
+      if (!result) {
+        return result.error();
+      }
+    }
+    return katana::ResultSuccess();
+  }
+
 public:
   /// PropertyView provides a uniform interface when you don't need to
   /// distinguish operating on edge or node properties
diff --git a/libgalois/src/PropertyGraph.cpp b/libgalois/src/PropertyGraph.cpp
index d01baf12f5..040f9eb91e 100644
--- a/libgalois/src/PropertyGraph.cpp
+++ b/libgalois/src/PropertyGraph.cpp
@@ -216,6 +216,8 @@ katana::PropertyGraph::Make(
   katana::GraphTopology topo =
       KATANA_CHECKED(MapTopology(rdg.topology_file_storage()));
 
+  std::unique_ptr<katana::PropertyGraph> property_graph;
+
   if (rdg.IsEntityTypeIDsOutsideProperties()) {
     KATANA_LOG_DEBUG("loading EntityType data from outside properties");
 
@@ -233,7 +235,7 @@ katana::PropertyGraph::Make(
     EntityTypeManager edge_type_manager =
         KATANA_CHECKED(rdg.edge_entity_type_manager());
 
-    return std::make_unique<PropertyGraph>(
+    property_graph = std::make_unique<PropertyGraph>(
         std::move(rdg_file), std::move(rdg), std::move(topo),
         std::move(node_type_ids), std::move(edge_type_ids),
         std::move(node_type_manager), std::move(edge_type_manager));
@@ -262,11 +264,23 @@ katana::PropertyGraph::Make(
     KATANA_ASSERT(topo.num_nodes() == node_type_ids.size());
     KATANA_ASSERT(topo.num_edges() == edge_type_ids.size());
 
-    return std::make_unique<PropertyGraph>(
+    property_graph = std::make_unique<PropertyGraph>(
         std::move(rdg_file), std::move(rdg), std::move(topo),
         std::move(node_type_ids), std::move(edge_type_ids),
         std::move(node_type_manager), std::move(edge_type_manager));
   }
+
+  auto res = property_graph->recreate_node_property_indexes();
+  if (!res) {
+    return res.error();
+  }
+
+  res = property_graph->recreate_edge_property_indexes();
+  if (!res) {
+    return res.error();
+  }
+
+  return std::unique_ptr<katana::PropertyGraph>(std::move(property_graph));
 }
 
 katana::Result<std::unique_ptr<katana::PropertyGraph>>
@@ -956,6 +970,13 @@ katana::PropertyGraph::MakeNodeIndex(const std::string& column_name) {
 
   node_indexes_.push_back(std::move(index));
 
+  //save the column name the index was created from for easy assess dudring json load/store
+  node_property_indexes_column_name_.push_back(column_name);
+
+  //persist column names to json, index can now can be recreated using recreate_node_property_indexes()
+  rdg_.set_node_property_indexes_column_name(
+      node_property_indexes_column_name_);
+
   return katana::ResultSuccess();
 }
 
@@ -985,6 +1006,13 @@ katana::PropertyGraph::MakeEdgeIndex(const std::string& column_name) {
 
   edge_indexes_.push_back(std::move(index));
 
+  //save the column name the index was created from for easy assess dudring json load/store
+  edge_property_indexes_column_name_.push_back(column_name);
+
+  //persist column names to json, index can now can be recreated using recreate_edge_property_indexes()
+  rdg_.set_edge_property_indexes_column_name(
+      edge_property_indexes_column_name_);
+
   return katana::ResultSuccess();
 }
 
diff --git a/libtsuba/include/tsuba/RDG.h b/libtsuba/include/tsuba/RDG.h
index 0bf69755f1..91746db73e 100644
--- a/libtsuba/include/tsuba/RDG.h
+++ b/libtsuba/include/tsuba/RDG.h
@@ -229,6 +229,16 @@ class KATANA_EXPORT RDG {
   /// Remove all edge properties
   void DropEdgeProperties();
 
+  // write the list of node and edge column names persisted to json, private as it is called only when the node and edge property index vectors are pushed back
+  void set_node_property_indexes_column_name(
+      std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name);
+  void set_edge_property_indexes_column_name(
+      std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name);
+
+  // read the same as above and recreate indexes
+  std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name();
+  std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name();
+
   /// Remove topology data
   katana::Result<void> DropTopology();
 
diff --git a/libtsuba/src/RDG.cpp b/libtsuba/src/RDG.cpp
index 03e22ba37c..8b6b273139 100644
--- a/libtsuba/src/RDG.cpp
+++ b/libtsuba/src/RDG.cpp
@@ -272,6 +272,29 @@ tsuba::RDG::WritePartArrays(const katana::Uri& dir, tsuba::WriteGroup* desc) {
   return next_properties;
 }
 
+//write the list of node and edge column names persisted to json, private as it is called only when the node and edge property index vectors are pushed back
+void
+tsuba::RDG::set_node_property_indexes_column_name(
+    std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name) {
+  core_->part_header().set_node_property_indexes_column_name(
+      node_property_indexes_column_name);
+}
+void
+tsuba::RDG::set_edge_property_indexes_column_name(
+    std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name) {
+  core_->part_header().set_edge_property_indexes_column_name(
+      edge_property_indexes_column_name);
+}
+// read the same as above and recreate indexes
+std::vector<std::string>&
+tsuba::RDG::node_property_indexes_column_name() {
+  return core_->part_header().node_property_indexes_column_name();
+}
+std::vector<std::string>&
+tsuba::RDG::edge_property_indexes_column_name() {
+  return core_->part_header().edge_property_indexes_column_name();
+}
+
 katana::Result<void>
 tsuba::RDG::DoStoreTopology(
     RDGHandle handle, std::unique_ptr<FileFrame> topology_ff,
diff --git a/libtsuba/src/RDGPartHeader.h b/libtsuba/src/RDGPartHeader.h
index ed41e61a99..25844ddd1d 100644
--- a/libtsuba/src/RDGPartHeader.h
+++ b/libtsuba/src/RDGPartHeader.h
@@ -271,6 +271,30 @@ class KATANA_EXPORT RDGPartHeader {
     part_prop_info_list_ = std::move(part_prop_info_list);
   }
 
+  const std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name() const {
+    return node_property_indexes_column_name_;
+  }
+  std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name() {
+    return node_property_indexes_column_name_;
+  }
+  void set_node_property_indexes_column_name(
+      std::vector<std::string>& node_property_indexes_column_name) {
+    node_property_indexes_column_name_ =
+        std::move(node_property_indexes_column_name);
+  }
+
+  const std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name() const {
+    return edge_property_indexes_column_name_;
+  }
+  std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name() {
+    return edge_property_indexes_column_name_;
+  }
+  void set_edge_property_indexes_column_name(
+      std::vector<std::string>& edge_property_indexes_column_name) {
+    edge_property_indexes_column_name_ =
+        std::move(edge_property_indexes_column_name);
+  }
+
   const PartitionMetadata& metadata() const { return metadata_; }
   void set_metadata(const PartitionMetadata& metadata) { metadata_ = metadata; }
 
@@ -495,6 +519,12 @@ class KATANA_EXPORT RDGPartHeader {
   std::vector<PropStorageInfo> node_prop_info_list_;
   std::vector<PropStorageInfo> edge_prop_info_list_;
 
+  /// Column Names to create property index from on startup
+  std::vector<std::string>
+      node_property_indexes_column_name_;  //nhomann serializes this automagically. to/from json required if column name type is (in the future) changed from string to a custom one
+  std::vector<std::string>
+      edge_property_indexes_column_name_;  //nhomann serializes this automagically. to/from json required if column name type is (in the future) changed from string to a custom one
+
   /// Metadata filled in by CuSP, or from storage (meta partition file)
   PartitionMetadata metadata_;