diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 0b06da20a2..9eba1881b6 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             cd build-cmake
             ctest --output-junit results.xml --verbose -j4
+            cd ../hello_world_graph && ././hello_world_graph_test.sh
       - store_test_results:
           path: build-cmake
 
diff --git a/hello_world_graph/hello.cc b/hello_world_graph/hello.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a44fd6475d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hello_world_graph/hello.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// a simple test program to print "Hello World"
+#include <iostream>
+
+int main() {
+    std::cout << "Hello, World!" << std::endl;
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/hello_world_graph/hello_world_graph_test.sh b/hello_world_graph/hello_world_graph_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..e27940db2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hello_world_graph/hello_world_graph_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../build-cmake/ninja hello && test "$(./hello)" = "Hello, World!"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/shadowdash_docs/hello_world_graph_docs.md b/shadowdash_docs/hello_world_graph_docs.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47cdd918cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shadowdash_docs/hello_world_graph_docs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# Hello World Graph Documentation
+
+This document provides an overview of the updates to the **Hello World Graph** task in the Shadowdash project, including its structure, new content, and instructions on how to run it.
+
+---
+
+## **Overview**
+
+The `Hello World Graph` demonstrates a basic usage of Ninja's build system by introducing a simple graph structure that compiles and links a "Hello, World!" program. The primary updates in this task include:
+
+1. **Build Graph Definition**:
+    - A minimal build graph is defined using two custom rules: `compile` and `link`.
+    - Each rule is implemented as part of the Ninja state with inputs and outputs linked together.
+
+2. **Rules and Edges**:
+    - **Compile Rule**: Uses `g++` to compile `hello.cc` into `hello.o`.
+    - **Link Rule**: Links `hello.o` to produce the executable `hello`.
+
+3. **Integration**:
+    - The graph integrates seamlessly into the Ninja-based build system, leveraging Ninja's structure and performance.
+
+---
+
+## **Key Components**
+
+### 1. **Rules**
+
+- **Compile Rule**: Defines how the source file (`hello.cc`) is compiled:
+  ```plaintext
+  g++ -c hello.cc -o hello.o
+
+- **Link Rule**: Defines how the object file (hello.o) is linked to produce the executable:
+  ```plaintext
+  g++ hello.o -o hello
+
+### 2. **Edges**
+
+The edges connect the rules, defining the dependencies:
+- `hello.cc` → [Compile Rule] → `hello.o`
+- `hello.o` → [Link Rule] → `hello`
+
+---
+
+## **How to Run**
+
+1. **Prerequisites**:
+    - Ensure you have `g++` installed on your system.
+    - Ninja is required to run the build graph.
+
+2. **Steps to Build and Run**:
+    - Navigate to the project root directory:
+      ```bash
+      cd shadowdash
+      ```
+    - Run the `hello` target using the Ninja build system:
+      ```bash
+      ./build-cmake/ninja hello
+      ```
+    - Upon successful execution, you will see the compiled `hello` executable. Run it to verify the output:
+      ```bash
+      ./hello
+      ```
+    - Expected Output:
+      ```plaintext
+      Hello, World!
+      ```
+
+---
+
+## **File Structure**
+
+- `hello_world_graph/hello.cc`: The "Hello, World!" source file.
+- `build-cmake/ninja`: The Ninja executable for building the project.
+- Custom rules and graph logic are embedded in the build system to demonstrate the flow.
diff --git a/src/ninja.cc b/src/ninja.cc
index 2902359f15..eb517878bc 100644
--- a/src/ninja.cc
+++ b/src/ninja.cc
@@ -1616,9 +1616,75 @@ NORETURN void real_main(int argc, char** argv) {
   exit(1);
 }
 
+// routine to compile the example hello.cc by manually
+// constructing the graph
+void compile_hello(int argc, char** argv) {
+  // ninja initialization
+  const char* ninja_command = argv[0];
+  BuildConfig config;
+  Options options = {};
+
+  int exit_code = ReadFlags(&argc, &argv, &options, &config);
+  if (exit_code >= 0)
+    exit(exit_code);
+
+  Status* status = Status::factory(config);
+
+  NinjaMain ninja(ninja_command, config);
+
+  string* err;
+
+  // start building hello world graph
+
+  // create a compile rule
+  Rule* rule_compile = new Rule("compile");
+  EvalString value1;
+  value1.AddText("g++ -c ");
+  value1.AddSpecial("in");
+  value1.AddText(" -o ");
+  value1.AddSpecial("out");
+  rule_compile->AddBinding("command", value1);
+
+  // create a link rule
+  Rule* rule_link = new Rule("link");
+  EvalString value2;
+  value2.AddText("g++ ");
+  value2.AddSpecial("in");
+  value2.AddText(" -o ");
+  value2.AddSpecial("out");
+  rule_link->AddBinding("command", value2);
+
+  // add build from hello.cc to hello.o
+  Edge* edge_compile = ninja.state_.AddEdge(rule_compile);
+
+  ninja.state_.AddOut(edge_compile, "hello.o", 0, err);
+  ninja.state_.AddIn(edge_compile, "hello.cc", 0);
+
+  // add build from hello.o to hello
+  Edge* edge_link = ninja.state_.AddEdge(rule_link);
+
+  ninja.state_.AddOut(edge_link, "hello", 0, err);
+  ninja.state_.AddIn(edge_link, "hello.o", 0);
+
+  // feed to ninja and run the build
+  int result = ninja.RunBuild(argc, argv, status);
+  exit(result);
+}
+
 }  // anonymous namespace
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  // add a branch to run our hello world program
+  // compilation routine. We can cleanly seperate
+  // this in another file and generate a dedicated
+  // executable to compile hello.cc, but we believe
+  // this does not worth the effort since this task
+  // is more like an experiment
+  if(argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "hello"))
+  {
+    compile_hello(argc, argv);
+    return 0;
+  }
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
   // Set a handler to catch crashes not caught by the __try..__except
   // block (e.g. an exception in a stack-unwind-block).