diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_graph_node.pyx b/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_graph_node.pyx
index c9d1786caa..e4e00d5c5f 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_graph_node.pyx
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_graph_node.pyx
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from cpython.ref cimport Py_INCREF
+
 from libc.stddef cimport size_t
 from libc.stdint cimport uintptr_t
 from libc.string cimport memset as c_memset
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ from cuda.core._utils.cuda_utils cimport HANDLE_RETURN, _parse_fill_value
 from cuda.core.graph._utils cimport (
     _attach_host_callback_to_graph,
     _attach_user_object,
+    _py_host_destructor,
 )
 
 import weakref
@@ -617,6 +620,12 @@ cdef inline KernelNode GN_launch(GraphNode self, LaunchConfig conf, Kernel ker,
     _attach_user_object(as_cu(h_graph), <void*>new KernelHandle(ker._h_kernel),
                         <cydriver.CUhostFn>_destroy_kernel_handle_copy)
 
+    cdef object kernel_args = ker_args.kernel_args
+    if kernel_args is not None:
+        Py_INCREF(kernel_args)
+        _attach_user_object(as_cu(h_graph), <void*>kernel_args,
+                            <cydriver.CUhostFn>_py_host_destructor)
+
     return _registered(KernelNode._create_with_params(
         create_graph_node_handle(new_node, h_graph),
         conf.grid, conf.block, conf.shmem_size,
diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_utils.pxd b/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_utils.pxd
index 63fdb00ac4..13d3742cc0 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_utils.pxd
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/graph/_utils.pxd
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ from cuda.bindings cimport cydriver
 
 cdef bint _is_py_host_trampoline(cydriver.CUhostFn fn) noexcept nogil
 
+cdef void _py_host_destructor(void* data) noexcept with gil
+
 cdef void _attach_user_object(
     cydriver.CUgraph graph, void* ptr,
     cydriver.CUhostFn destroy) except *
diff --git a/cuda_core/tests/graph/test_graph_definition_lifetime.py b/cuda_core/tests/graph/test_graph_definition_lifetime.py
index e231016c8a..c53009a572 100644
--- a/cuda_core/tests/graph/test_graph_definition_lifetime.py
+++ b/cuda_core/tests/graph/test_graph_definition_lifetime.py
@@ -3,13 +3,34 @@
 
 """Tests for GraphDefinition resource lifetime management and RAII correctness."""
 
+import ctypes
 import gc
+import time
+import weakref
 
 import pytest
 from helpers.graph_kernels import compile_common_kernels
 from helpers.misc import try_create_condition
 
-from cuda.core import Device, EventOptions, Kernel, LaunchConfig
+
+def _wait_until(predicate, timeout=2.0, interval=0.01):
+    """Poll predicate() until True or timeout, driving gc each iteration.
+
+    Used for assertions about resource cleanup that may be delayed by CUDA's
+    asynchronous user-object destructor pump (DPC) or, on free-threaded
+    Python, by deferred reference-count processing. A bounded poll keeps the
+    test correct without depending on undocumented driver timing guarantees.
+    """
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + timeout
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        gc.collect()
+        if predicate():
+            return
+        time.sleep(interval)
+    raise AssertionError(f"condition not satisfied within {timeout}s")
+
+
+from cuda.core import Device, DeviceMemoryResource, EventOptions, Kernel, LaunchConfig
 from cuda.core.graph import (
     ChildGraphNode,
     ConditionalNode,
@@ -485,3 +506,87 @@ def test_kernel_node_reconstruction_preserves_validity(init_cuda):
     stream = Device().create_stream()
     graph.launch(stream)
     stream.sync()
+
+
+# =============================================================================
+# Kernel argument lifetime — kernel nodes should keep argument objects alive
+# =============================================================================
+
+
+def test_kernel_args_buffer_lifetime(init_cuda):
+    """Buffer passed as a kernel arg is kept alive by the graph, the kernel
+    executes against its memory after the original Python ref drops, and the
+    Buffer is released once the graph is destroyed.
+
+    Without the user-object attachment, the ParamHolder is destroyed when the
+    kernel node is added, the Buffer is GC'd, and the graph is left with a
+    stale device pointer.
+
+    The final freeing assertion uses a bounded poll because CUgraphExec
+    releases its user-object references via an asynchronous DPC, and on
+    free-threaded Python the resulting Py_DECREF chain may need an extra
+    GC pass to settle.
+    """
+    from cuda.core._utils.cuda_utils import driver, handle_return
+
+    _skip_if_no_mempool()
+    dev = Device()
+    mr = DeviceMemoryResource(dev)
+    add_one = compile_common_kernels().get_kernel("add_one")
+    buf = mr.allocate(ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_int), stream=dev.default_stream)
+    buf.fill(0, stream=dev.default_stream)
+    dev.default_stream.sync()
+    buf_weak = weakref.ref(buf)
+    dptr = int(buf.handle)
+
+    g = GraphDefinition()
+    g.launch(LaunchConfig(grid=1, block=1), add_one, buf)
+
+    del buf
+    gc.collect()
+    assert buf_weak() is not None  # graph kept the Buffer alive
+
+    stream = dev.create_stream()
+    g.instantiate().launch(stream)
+    stream.sync()
+
+    out = (ctypes.c_int * 1)(0)
+    handle_return(driver.cuMemcpyDtoH(out, dptr, ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_int)))
+    assert out[0] == 1
+
+    del g
+    _wait_until(lambda: buf_weak() is None)
+
+
+def test_kernel_args_survive_graph_clone(init_cuda):
+    """Cloned graph keeps Buffer alive via CUDA user objects.
+
+    A graph clone does not inherit Python-level references, so only user
+    objects (which propagate through cuGraphClone) can keep the args alive.
+    """
+    from cuda.core._utils.cuda_utils import driver, handle_return
+
+    _skip_if_no_mempool()
+    dev = Device()
+    mr = DeviceMemoryResource(dev)
+    add_one = compile_common_kernels().get_kernel("add_one")
+    buf = mr.allocate(ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_int), stream=dev.default_stream)
+    buf.fill(0, stream=dev.default_stream)
+    dev.default_stream.sync()
+    dptr = int(buf.handle)
+
+    g = GraphDefinition()
+    g.launch(LaunchConfig(grid=1, block=1), add_one, buf)
+    cloned_cu_graph = handle_return(driver.cuGraphClone(driver.CUgraph(g.handle)))
+
+    del buf, g
+    gc.collect()
+
+    graph_exec = handle_return(driver.cuGraphInstantiate(cloned_cu_graph, 0))
+    stream = dev.create_stream()
+    handle_return(driver.cuGraphLaunch(graph_exec, driver.CUstream(int(stream.handle))))
+    stream.sync()
+
+    out = (ctypes.c_int * 1)(0)
+    handle_return(driver.cuMemcpyDtoH(out, dptr, ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_int)))
+    assert out[0] == 1