diff --git a/chatapi/src/models/chat.model.ts b/chatapi/src/models/chat.model.ts
index 23fde46663..b606a6e56b 100644
--- a/chatapi/src/models/chat.model.ts
+++ b/chatapi/src/models/chat.model.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-type ProviderName = 'openai' | 'perplexity' | 'deepseek' | 'gemini';
+export type ProviderName = 'openai' | 'perplexity' | 'deepseek' | 'gemini';
 
 export interface AIProvider {
   name: ProviderName;
diff --git a/chatapi/src/models/db-doc.model.ts b/chatapi/src/models/db-doc.model.ts
index 2992372dfc..9cee15656e 100644
--- a/chatapi/src/models/db-doc.model.ts
+++ b/chatapi/src/models/db-doc.model.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ChatItem } from './chat.model';
+import { ChatItem, ProviderName } from './chat.model';
 
 export interface DbDoc {
   _id: string;
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export interface DbDoc {
   user: any;
   title: string;
   createdDate: number;
-  aiProvider: string;
+  aiProvider?: ProviderName;
   conversations: ChatItem[];
 }
 
diff --git a/chatapi/src/services/chat.service.ts b/chatapi/src/services/chat.service.ts
index 3295c21967..34150de158 100644
--- a/chatapi/src/services/chat.service.ts
+++ b/chatapi/src/services/chat.service.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { DocumentInsertResponse } from 'nano';
 import { chatDB } from '../config/nano.config';
 import { retrieveChatHistory } from '../utils/db.utils';
 import { aiChat } from '../utils/chat.utils';
-import { AIProvider, ChatMessage } from '../models/chat.model';
+import { AIProvider, ChatMessage, ProviderName } from '../models/chat.model';
 
 function handleChatError(error: any) {
   if (error.response) {
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ export async function chat(data: any, stream?: boolean, callback?: (response: st
 } | undefined> {
   const { content, ...dbData } = data;
   const messages: ChatMessage[] = [];
-  const aiProvider = dbData.aiProvider as AIProvider || { 'name': 'openai' };
+  const aiProviderDetails = dbData.aiProvider as AIProvider | ProviderName | undefined;
+  const fallbackProvider: ProviderName = 'openai';
+  const aiProvider: AIProvider = typeof aiProviderDetails === 'object' && aiProviderDetails !== null
+    ? { name: aiProviderDetails.name, model: aiProviderDetails.model }
+    : { name: aiProviderDetails ?? fallbackProvider };
 
   if (!content || typeof content !== 'string') {
     throw new Error('"data.content" is a required non-empty string field');
diff --git a/src/app/chat/chat-sidebar/chat-sidebar.component.ts b/src/app/chat/chat-sidebar/chat-sidebar.component.ts
index ac1260cb8c..d7310aea32 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/chat-sidebar/chat-sidebar.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/chat/chat-sidebar/chat-sidebar.component.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export class ChatSidebarComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   selectedConversation: Conversation;
   lastRenderedConversation: number;
   isEditing: boolean;
-  provider: AIProvider;
+  provider: AIProvider = { name: 'openai' };
   fullTextSearch = false;
   searchType: 'questions' | 'responses';
   overlayOpen = false;
diff --git a/src/app/chat/chat-window/chat-window.component.ts b/src/app/chat/chat-window/chat-window.component.ts
index 3e90c7c9f9..3574f092ff 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/chat-window/chat-window.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/chat/chat-window/chat-window.component.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export class ChatWindowComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   streaming: boolean;
   disabled = false;
   clearChat = true;
-  provider: AIProvider;
+  provider: AIProvider = { name: 'openai' };
   fallbackConversation: any[] = [];
   selectedConversationId: any;
   promptForm: FormGroup<PromptForm>;
diff --git a/src/app/chat/chat.component.ts b/src/app/chat/chat.component.ts
index 4660ab9615..5c54a5bb85 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/chat.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/chat/chat.component.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
 import { ActivatedRoute, Router } from '@angular/router';
 
 import { ChatService } from '../shared/chat.service';
-import { AIProvider } from './chat.model';
+import { AIProvider, ProviderName } from './chat.model';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'planet-chat',
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { AIProvider } from './chat.model';
   styleUrls: [ './chat.scss' ]
 })
 export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
-  activeService: string;
+  activeService?: ProviderName;
   aiServices: AIProvider[] = [];
   displayToggle: boolean;
 
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
   ngOnInit() {
     this.chatService.listAIProviders().subscribe((providers) => {
       this.aiServices = providers;
-      this.activeService = this.aiServices[0]?.model;
+      this.activeService = this.aiServices[0]?.name;
       this.displayToggle = this.aiServices.length > 0;
-      this.chatService.toggleAIServiceSignal(this.activeService);
+      if (this.activeService) {
+        this.chatService.toggleAIServiceSignal(this.activeService);
+      }
     });
     this.subscribeToAIService();
   }
@@ -45,7 +47,9 @@ export class ChatComponent implements OnInit {
   }
 
   toggleAIService(): void {
-    this.chatService.toggleAIServiceSignal(this.activeService);
+    if (this.activeService) {
+      this.chatService.toggleAIServiceSignal(this.activeService);
+    }
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/app/chat/chat.model.ts b/src/app/chat/chat.model.ts
index 28c4b9c883..99206cee9a 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/chat.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/chat/chat.model.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export interface Message {
 export type ProviderName = 'openai' | 'perplexity' | 'deepseek' | 'gemini';
 
 export interface AIProvider {
-  name: string;
+  name: ProviderName;
   model?: string;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/shared/chat.service.ts b/src/app/shared/chat.service.ts
index 5ed604161b..acb295781f 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/chat.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/chat.service.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { catchError, map } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { environment } from '../../environments/environment';
 import { findDocuments, inSelector } from '../shared/mangoQueries';
 import { CouchService } from '../shared/couchdb.service';
-import { AIServices, AIProvider } from '../chat/chat.model';
+import { AIServices, AIProvider, ProviderName } from '../chat/chat.model';
 
 @Injectable({
   providedIn: 'root'
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ import { AIServices, AIProvider } from '../chat/chat.model';
   private errorSubject: Subject<string> = new Subject<string>();
   private newChatAdded: Subject<void> = new Subject<void>();
   private newChatSelected: Subject<void> = new Subject<void>();
-  private toggleAIService = new Subject<string>();
+  private toggleAIService = new Subject<ProviderName>();
   private selectedConversationIdSubject = new BehaviorSubject<object | null>(null);
   private aiProvidersSubject = new BehaviorSubject<Array<AIProvider>>([]);
   private currentChatAIProvider = new BehaviorSubject<AIProvider>(undefined);
 
   newChatAdded$ = this.newChatAdded.asObservable();
   newChatSelected$ = this.newChatSelected.asObservable();
-  toggleAIService$ = this.toggleAIService.asObservable();
+  toggleAIService$: Observable<ProviderName> = this.toggleAIService.asObservable();
   aiProviders$ = this.aiProvidersSubject.asObservable();
   selectedConversationId$: Observable<object | null> = this.selectedConversationIdSubject.asObservable();
   currentChatAIProvider$: Observable<AIProvider> = this.currentChatAIProvider.asObservable();
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ import { AIServices, AIProvider } from '../chat/chat.model';
         }),
         map((services: AIServices) => {
           if (services) {
-            return Object.entries(services)
+            return (Object.entries(services) as [ ProviderName, boolean ][])
               .filter(([ _, model ]) => model === true)
               .map(([ key ]) => ({ name: key, model: key }));
           } else {
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ import { AIServices, AIProvider } from '../chat/chat.model';
     this.newChatSelected.next();
   }
 
-  toggleAIServiceSignal(aiService: string) {
+  toggleAIServiceSignal(aiService: ProviderName) {
     this.toggleAIService.next(aiService);
   }