diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 5d677fce..d879f47c 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -80,6 +80,16 @@
             "projectName": "payment-service",
             "args": "",
             "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env"
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "java",
+            "name": "Spring Boot-TestCatalogServiceApplication<catalog-service>",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+            "mainClass": "com.example.catalogservice.TestCatalogServiceApplication",
+            "projectName": "catalog-service",
+            "args": "",
+            "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env"
         }
     ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/services/ProductService.java b/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/services/ProductService.java
index d6cf5d0e..9d6c4a1e 100644
--- a/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/services/ProductService.java
+++ b/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/services/ProductService.java
@@ -146,11 +146,27 @@ private Mono<InventoryResponse> getInventoryByProductCode(String code) {
     }
 
     @Observed(name = "product.findByCode", contextualName = "findByProductCode")
-    public Mono<ProductResponse> findProductByProductCode(String productCode) {
-        return productRepository
-                .findByCodeAllIgnoreCase(productCode)
-                .map(productMapper::toProductResponse)
-                .switchIfEmpty(Mono.error(new ProductNotFoundException(productCode)));
+    public Mono<ProductResponse> findProductByProductCode(
+            String productCode, boolean fetchInStock) {
+        Mono<ProductResponse> productResponseMono =
+                productRepository
+                        .findByCodeAllIgnoreCase(productCode)
+                        .map(productMapper::toProductResponse)
+                        .switchIfEmpty(Mono.error(new ProductNotFoundException(productCode)));
+
+        if (fetchInStock) {
+            return productResponseMono.flatMap(this::fetchInventoryAndUpdateProductResponse);
+        }
+        return productResponseMono;
+    }
+
+    private Mono<ProductResponse> fetchInventoryAndUpdateProductResponse(
+            ProductResponse productResponse) {
+        return getInventoryByProductCode(productResponse.code())
+                .map(
+                        inventoryResponse ->
+                                productResponse.withInStock(
+                                        inventoryResponse.availableQuantity() > 0));
     }
 
     // saves product to db and sends message that new product is available for inventory
diff --git a/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductController.java b/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductController.java
index 456543ba..7b82ff3b 100644
--- a/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductController.java
+++ b/catalog-service/src/main/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductController.java
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ public Mono<ResponseEntity<ProductResponse>> getProductById(@PathVariable Long i
 
     @GetMapping("/productCode/{productCode}")
     public Mono<ResponseEntity<ProductResponse>> getProductByProductCode(
-            @PathVariable String productCode) {
-        return productService.findProductByProductCode(productCode).map(ResponseEntity::ok);
+            @PathVariable String productCode,
+            @RequestParam(required = false) boolean fetchInStock) {
+        return productService
+                .findProductByProductCode(productCode, fetchInStock)
+                .map(ResponseEntity::ok);
     }
 
     @GetMapping("/exists")
diff --git a/catalog-service/src/test/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductControllerIT.java b/catalog-service/src/test/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductControllerIT.java
index ecd1992d..35ebe0f2 100644
--- a/catalog-service/src/test/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductControllerIT.java
+++ b/catalog-service/src/test/java/com/example/catalogservice/web/controllers/ProductControllerIT.java
@@ -427,7 +427,43 @@ void shouldFindProductByProductCode() {
                 .jsonPath("$.description")
                 .isEqualTo(product.getDescription())
                 .jsonPath("$.price")
-                .isEqualTo(product.getPrice());
+                .isEqualTo(product.getPrice())
+                .jsonPath("$.inStock")
+                .isEqualTo(false);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void shouldFindProductByProductCodeWithStock() throws JsonProcessingException {
+        Product product = savedProductList.getFirst();
+
+        mockBackendEndpoint(
+                200, objectMapper.writeValueAsString(new InventoryResponse(product.getCode(), 10)));
+        webTestClient
+                .get()
+                .uri(
+                        uriBuilder ->
+                                uriBuilder
+                                        .path("/api/catalog/productCode/{productCode}")
+                                        .queryParam("fetchInStock", true)
+                                        .build(product.getCode()))
+                .exchange()
+                .expectStatus()
+                .isOk()
+                .expectHeader()
+                .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+                .expectBody()
+                .jsonPath("$.id")
+                .isEqualTo(product.getId())
+                .jsonPath("$.code")
+                .isEqualTo(product.getCode())
+                .jsonPath("$.productName")
+                .isEqualTo(product.getProductName())
+                .jsonPath("$.description")
+                .isEqualTo(product.getDescription())
+                .jsonPath("$.price")
+                .isEqualTo(product.getPrice())
+                .jsonPath("$.inStock")
+                .isEqualTo(true);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/test-em-all.sh b/test-em-all.sh
index ca04e613..46cef785 100755
--- a/test-em-all.sh
+++ b/test-em-all.sh
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ function setupTestData() {
     # Update the product_1 available Quantity
     recreateComposite $(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r .id) "$body" "inventory-service/api/inventory/$(echo "$RESPONSE" | jq -r .id)" "PUT"
 
+    # Verify that communication between catalog-service and inventory service is established
+    assertCurl 200 "curl  -k http://$HOST:$PORT/catalog-service/api/catalog/productCode/$PROD_CODE_1?fetchInStock=true"
+    assertEqual $PROD_CODE_1 $(echo ${RESPONSE} | jq .code)
+    assertEqual \"true\" $(echo ${RESPONSE} | jq .inStock)
+
     body="{\"name\": \"$CUSTOMER_NAME"
     body+=\
 '","email": "docker@email.com","address": "docker Address","amountAvailable":1000}'