diff --git a/api/server/services/Files/Audio/getCustomConfigSpeech.js b/api/server/services/Files/Audio/getCustomConfigSpeech.js
index eca49f711b..d22a143574 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Files/Audio/getCustomConfigSpeech.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Files/Audio/getCustomConfigSpeech.js
@@ -15,37 +15,43 @@ const getCustomConfig = require('~/server/services/Config/getCustomConfig');
 async function getCustomConfigSpeech(req, res) {
   try {
     const customConfig = await getCustomConfig();
+    const sttExternal = !!customConfig.speech?.stt;
+    const ttsExternal = !!customConfig.speech?.tts;
+    let settings = {
+      sttExternal,
+      ttsExternal,
+    };
 
     if (!customConfig || !customConfig.speech?.speechTab) {
-      throw new Error('Configuration or speechTab schema is missing');
+      return res.status(200).send(settings);
     }
 
-    const ttsSchema = customConfig.speech?.speechTab;
-    let settings = {};
+    const speechTab = customConfig.speech.speechTab;
 
-    if (ttsSchema.advancedMode !== undefined) {
-      settings.advancedMode = ttsSchema.advancedMode;
+    if (speechTab.advancedMode !== undefined) {
+      settings.advancedMode = speechTab.advancedMode;
     }
 
-    if (ttsSchema.speechToText) {
-      for (const key in ttsSchema.speechToText) {
-        if (ttsSchema.speechToText[key] !== undefined) {
-          settings[key] = ttsSchema.speechToText[key];
+    if (speechTab.speechToText) {
+      for (const key in speechTab.speechToText) {
+        if (speechTab.speechToText[key] !== undefined) {
+          settings[key] = speechTab.speechToText[key];
         }
       }
     }
 
-    if (ttsSchema.textToSpeech) {
-      for (const key in ttsSchema.textToSpeech) {
-        if (ttsSchema.textToSpeech[key] !== undefined) {
-          settings[key] = ttsSchema.textToSpeech[key];
+    if (speechTab.textToSpeech) {
+      for (const key in speechTab.textToSpeech) {
+        if (speechTab.textToSpeech[key] !== undefined) {
+          settings[key] = speechTab.textToSpeech[key];
         }
       }
     }
 
     return res.status(200).send(settings);
   } catch (error) {
-    res.status(200).send();
+    console.error('Failed to get custom config speech settings:', error);
+    res.status(500).send('Internal Server Error');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/STT/EngineSTTDropdown.tsx b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/STT/EngineSTTDropdown.tsx
index 01771399b0..caaedbb886 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/STT/EngineSTTDropdown.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/STT/EngineSTTDropdown.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
+import React from 'react';
 import { useRecoilState } from 'recoil';
 import { Dropdown } from '~/components/ui';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
 import store from '~/store';
 
-export default function EngineSTTDropdown() {
+interface EngineSTTDropdownProps {
+  external: boolean;
+}
+
+const EngineSTTDropdown: React.FC<EngineSTTDropdownProps> = ({ external }) => {
   const localize = useLocalize();
   const [engineSTT, setEngineSTT] = useRecoilState<string>(store.engineSTT);
-  const endpointOptions = [
-    { value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') },
-    { value: 'external', display: localize('com_nav_external') },
-  ];
+
+  const endpointOptions = external
+    ? [
+      { value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') },
+      { value: 'external', display: localize('com_nav_external') },
+    ]
+    : [{ value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') }];
 
   const handleSelect = (value: string) => {
     setEngineSTT(value);
@@ -28,4 +36,6 @@ export default function EngineSTTDropdown() {
       />
     </div>
   );
-}
+};
+
+export default EngineSTTDropdown;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/Speech.tsx b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/Speech.tsx
index f382fa3fb2..9ae1138e85 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/Speech.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/Speech.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ function Speech() {
   const { data } = useGetCustomConfigSpeechQuery();
   const isSmallScreen = useMediaQuery('(max-width: 767px)');
 
+  const [sttExternal, setSttExternal] = useState(false);
+  const [ttsExternal, setTtsExternal] = useState(false);
   const [advancedMode, setAdvancedMode] = useRecoilState(store.advancedMode);
   const [autoTranscribeAudio, setAutoTranscribeAudio] = useRecoilState(store.autoTranscribeAudio);
   const [conversationMode, setConversationMode] = useRecoilState(store.conversationMode);
@@ -53,6 +55,8 @@ function Speech() {
   const updateSetting = useCallback(
     (key, newValue) => {
       const settings = {
+        sttExternal: { value: sttExternal, setFunc: setSttExternal },
+        ttsExternal: { value: ttsExternal, setFunc: setTtsExternal },
         conversationMode: { value: conversationMode, setFunc: setConversationMode },
         advancedMode: { value: advancedMode, setFunc: setAdvancedMode },
         speechToText: { value: speechToText, setFunc: setSpeechToText },
@@ -79,6 +83,8 @@ function Speech() {
       setting.setFunc(newValue);
     },
     [
+      sttExternal,
+      ttsExternal,
       conversationMode,
       advancedMode,
       speechToText,
@@ -95,6 +101,8 @@ function Speech() {
       languageTTS,
       automaticPlayback,
       playbackRate,
+      setSttExternal,
+      setTtsExternal,
       setConversationMode,
       setAdvancedMode,
       setSpeechToText,
@@ -123,6 +131,9 @@ function Speech() {
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [data]);
 
+  console.log(sttExternal);
+  console.log(ttsExternal);
+
   const contentRef = useRef(null);
   useOnClickOutside(contentRef, () => confirmClear && setConfirmClear(false), []);
 
@@ -175,21 +186,21 @@ function Speech() {
 
         <Tabs.Content value={'simple'}>
           <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 text-sm text-black dark:text-gray-50">
-            <div className="border-b pb-3 last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
+            <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <SpeechToTextSwitch />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
-              <EngineSTTDropdown />
+              <EngineSTTDropdown external={sttExternal} />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <LanguageSTTDropdown />
             </div>
             <div className="h-px bg-black/20 bg-white/20" role="none" />
-            <div className="border-b pb-3 last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
+            <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <TextToSpeechSwitch />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
-              <EngineTTSDropdown />
+              <EngineTTSDropdown external={ttsExternal} />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <VoiceDropdown />
@@ -199,15 +210,15 @@ function Speech() {
 
         <Tabs.Content value={'advanced'}>
           <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 text-sm text-black dark:text-gray-50">
-            <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
+            <div className="border-b pb-3 last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <ConversationModeSwitch />
             </div>
             <div className="h-px bg-black/20 bg-white/20" role="none" />
-            <div className="border-b pb-3 last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
+            <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <SpeechToTextSwitch />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
-              <EngineSTTDropdown />
+              <EngineSTTDropdown external={sttExternal} />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <LanguageSTTDropdown />
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ function Speech() {
               <AutomaticPlaybackSwitch />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
-              <EngineTTSDropdown />
+              <EngineTTSDropdown external={ttsExternal} />
             </div>
             <div className="border-b last-of-type:border-b-0 dark:border-gray-700">
               <VoiceDropdown />
diff --git a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/TTS/EngineTTSDropdown.tsx b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/TTS/EngineTTSDropdown.tsx
index 8f0242d749..c52c6eb701 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/TTS/EngineTTSDropdown.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Nav/SettingsTabs/Speech/TTS/EngineTTSDropdown.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
+import React from 'react';
 import { useRecoilState } from 'recoil';
 import { Dropdown } from '~/components/ui';
 import { useLocalize } from '~/hooks';
 import store from '~/store';
 
-export default function EngineTTSDropdown() {
+interface EngineTTSDropdownProps {
+  external: boolean;
+}
+
+const EngineTTSDropdown: React.FC<EngineTTSDropdownProps> = ({ external }) => {
   const localize = useLocalize();
   const [engineTTS, setEngineTTS] = useRecoilState<string>(store.engineTTS);
-  const endpointOptions = [
-    { value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') },
-    { value: 'external', display: localize('com_nav_external') },
-  ];
+
+  const endpointOptions = external
+    ? [
+      { value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') },
+      { value: 'external', display: localize('com_nav_external') },
+    ]
+    : [{ value: 'browser', display: localize('com_nav_browser') }];
 
   const handleSelect = (value: string) => {
     setEngineTTS(value);
@@ -28,4 +36,6 @@ export default function EngineTTSDropdown() {
       />
     </div>
   );
-}
+};
+
+export default EngineTTSDropdown;