diff --git a/api/server/services/Endpoints/custom/initializeClient.js b/api/server/services/Endpoints/custom/initializeClient.js
index 18ca8c4455..a80f5efaa7 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Endpoints/custom/initializeClient.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Endpoints/custom/initializeClient.js
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ const initializeClient = async ({ req, res, endpointOption }) => {
     }
   }
 
-  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues.apiKey : CUSTOM_API_KEY;
-  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues.baseURL : CUSTOM_BASE_URL;
+  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues?.apiKey : CUSTOM_API_KEY;
+  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues?.baseURL : CUSTOM_BASE_URL;
 
   if (!apiKey) {
     throw new Error(`${endpoint} API key not provided.`);
diff --git a/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.js b/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.js
index a596c7820b..2920a58917 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.js
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ const initializeClient = async ({ req, res, endpointOption }) => {
     }
   }
 
-  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues.apiKey : credentials[endpoint];
-  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues.baseURL : baseURLOptions[endpoint];
+  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues?.apiKey : credentials[endpoint];
+  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues?.baseURL : baseURLOptions[endpoint];
 
   const clientOptions = {
     contextStrategy,
diff --git a/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.spec.js b/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.spec.js
index 01718c31d2..1b7147d9f7 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.spec.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Endpoints/gptPlugins/initializeClient.spec.js
@@ -340,9 +340,10 @@ describe('gptPlugins/initializeClient', () => {
   test('should initialize client with default options when certain env vars are not set', async () => {
     delete process.env.DEBUG_OPENAI;
     delete process.env.OPENAI_SUMMARIZE;
+    process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = 'some-api-key';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.gptPlugins },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
diff --git a/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.js b/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.js
index 06dad5963a..9dd9765dd0 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.js
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ const initializeClient = async ({ req, res, endpointOption }) => {
     }
   }
 
-  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues.apiKey : credentials[endpoint];
-  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues.baseURL : baseURLOptions[endpoint];
+  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues?.apiKey : credentials[endpoint];
+  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues?.baseURL : baseURLOptions[endpoint];
 
   const clientOptions = {
     debug: isEnabled(DEBUG_OPENAI),
diff --git a/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.spec.js b/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.spec.js
index bf31d2d9bf..1a53f95b3d 100644
--- a/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.spec.js
+++ b/api/server/services/Endpoints/openAI/initializeClient.spec.js
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     process.env.OPENAI_SUMMARIZE = 'false';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     process.env.DEBUG_OPENAI = 'true';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     process.env.OPENAI_SUMMARIZE = 'true';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     process.env.PROXY = 'http://proxy';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
 
     const expiresAt = new Date(Date.now() - 10000).toISOString(); // Expired
     const req = {
-      body: { key: expiresAt, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: expiresAt, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     delete process.env.AZURE_API_KEY;
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     const req = {
       body: {
         key: new Date(Date.now() + 10000).toISOString(),
-        endpoint: 'openAI',
+        endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI,
       },
       user: {
         id: '123',
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
   test('should throw an error if the user-provided key is invalid', async () => {
     const invalidKey = new Date(Date.now() - 100000).toISOString();
     const req = {
-      body: { key: invalidKey, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: invalidKey, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
   test('should throw an error when user-provided values are not valid JSON', async () => {
     process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = 'user_provided';
     const req = {
-      body: { key: new Date(Date.now() + 10000).toISOString(), endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: new Date(Date.now() + 10000).toISOString(), endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -315,9 +315,10 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
   test('should initialize client with default options when certain env vars are not set', async () => {
     delete process.env.DEBUG_OPENAI;
     delete process.env.OPENAI_SUMMARIZE;
+    process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = 'some-api-key';
 
     const req = {
-      body: { key: null, endpoint: 'openAI' },
+      body: { key: null, endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI },
       user: { id: '123' },
       app,
     };
@@ -336,7 +337,7 @@ describe('initializeClient', () => {
     const req = {
       body: {
         key: new Date(Date.now() + 10000).toISOString(),
-        endpoint: 'openAI',
+        endpoint: EModelEndpoint.openAI,
       },
       user: {
         id: '123',