diff --git a/src/dagmc.cpp b/src/dagmc.cpp
index 1acef12629..22f9d392a3 100644
--- a/src/dagmc.cpp
+++ b/src/dagmc.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void load_dagmc_geometry()
 
   // initialize cell objects
   model::n_cells = model::DAG->num_entities(3);
-
+  moab::EntityHandle graveyard = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < model::n_cells; i++) {
     moab::EntityHandle vol_handle = model::DAG->entity_by_index(3, i+1);
 
@@ -175,10 +175,22 @@ void load_dagmc_geometry()
     if (model::DAG->is_implicit_complement(vol_handle)) {
       if (model::DAG->has_prop(vol_handle, "mat")) {
         // if the implicit complement has been assigned a material, use it
-        std::string comp_mat = DMD.volume_material_property_data_eh[vol_handle];
-        // Note: material numbers are set by UWUW
-        int mat_number = uwuw.material_library[comp_mat].metadata["mat_number"].asInt();
-        c->material_.push_back(mat_number);
+        if (using_uwuw) {
+          std::string comp_mat = DMD.volume_material_property_data_eh[vol_handle];
+          // Note: material numbers are set by UWUW
+          int mat_number = uwuw.material_library[comp_mat].metadata["mat_number"].asInt();
+          c->material_.push_back(mat_number);
+        } else {
+          std::string mat_value;
+          rval= model::DAG->prop_value(vol_handle, "mat", mat_value);
+          MB_CHK_ERR_CONT(rval);
+          // remove _comp
+          std::string _comp = "_comp";
+          size_t _comp_pos = mat_value.find(_comp);
+          if (_comp_pos != std::string::npos) { mat_value.erase(_comp_pos, _comp.length()); }
+          // assign IC material by id
+          c->material_.push_back(std::stoi(mat_value));
+        }
       } else {
         // if no material is found, the implicit complement is void
         c->material_.push_back(MATERIAL_VOID);
@@ -199,6 +211,11 @@ void load_dagmc_geometry()
 
     std::string cmp_str = mat_value;
     to_lower(cmp_str);
+
+    if (cmp_str.find("graveyard") != std::string::npos) {
+      graveyard = vol_handle;
+    }
+
     // material void checks
     if (cmp_str.find("void") != std::string::npos   ||
         cmp_str.find("vacuum") != std::string::npos ||
@@ -231,6 +248,11 @@ void load_dagmc_geometry()
     model::overlap_check_count.resize(model::cells.size(), 0);
   }
 
+  if (!graveyard) {
+    warning("No graveyard volume found in the DagMC model."
+            "This may result in lost particles and rapid simulation failure.");
+  }
+
   /// Surfaces \\\
 
   // initialize surface objects
@@ -271,6 +293,17 @@ void load_dagmc_geometry()
       s->bc_ = BC_TRANSMIT;
     }
 
+    // graveyard check
+    moab::Range parent_vols;
+    rval = model::DAG->moab_instance()->get_parent_meshsets(surf_handle, parent_vols);
+    MB_CHK_ERR_CONT(rval);
+
+    // if this surface belongs to the graveyard
+    if (graveyard && parent_vols.find(graveyard) != parent_vols.end()) {
+      // set BC to vacuum
+      s->bc_ = BC_VACUUM;
+    }
+
     // add to global array and map
     model::surfaces[i] = s;
     model::surface_map[s->id_] = s->id_;
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/dagmc/dagmc.h5m b/tests/regression_tests/dagmc/dagmc.h5m
index 49c28c4f5e..a55e061dca 100644
Binary files a/tests/regression_tests/dagmc/dagmc.h5m and b/tests/regression_tests/dagmc/dagmc.h5m differ
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/uwuw/dagmc.h5m b/tests/regression_tests/uwuw/dagmc.h5m
index 8fca1fff14..4fbba3bb62 100644
Binary files a/tests/regression_tests/uwuw/dagmc.h5m and b/tests/regression_tests/uwuw/dagmc.h5m differ