diff --git a/servers/fastapi/api/utils/model_utils.py b/servers/fastapi/api/utils/model_utils.py
index 2673adeb..9274faac 100644
--- a/servers/fastapi/api/utils/model_utils.py
+++ b/servers/fastapi/api/utils/model_utils.py
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ def get_selected_llm_provider() -> SelectedLLMProvider:
 async def list_available_custom_models(
     url: Optional[str] = None, api_key: Optional[str] = None
 ) -> list[str]:
-    if not url or not api_key:
+    if not url:
         client = get_llm_client()
     else:
-        client = openai.AsyncOpenAI(api_key=api_key, base_url=url)
+        client = openai.AsyncOpenAI(api_key=api_key or "null", base_url=url)
     models = []
     async for model in client.models.list():
         models.append(model.id)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def get_llm_api_key():
     elif selected_llm == SelectedLLMProvider.OLLAMA:
         return "ollama"
     elif selected_llm == SelectedLLMProvider.CUSTOM:
-        return os.getenv("CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY")
+        return os.getenv("CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY") or "null"
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"Invalid LLM API key")
 
diff --git a/servers/fastapi/assets/images/placeholder.jpg b/servers/fastapi/assets/images/placeholder.jpg
index 704ca2e3..dec5c65c 100644
Binary files a/servers/fastapi/assets/images/placeholder.jpg and b/servers/fastapi/assets/images/placeholder.jpg differ
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/settings/SettingPage.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/settings/SettingPage.tsx
index a93dff81..c487f47a 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/settings/SettingPage.tsx
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/settings/SettingPage.tsx
@@ -266,8 +266,7 @@ const SettingsPage = () => {
             fetchOllamaModels();
         } else if (userConfigState.llm_config.LLM === 'custom' &&
             userConfigState.llm_config.CUSTOM_MODEL &&
-            userConfigState.llm_config.CUSTOM_LLM_URL &&
-            userConfigState.llm_config.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY) {
+            userConfigState.llm_config.CUSTOM_LLM_URL) {
             fetchCustomModels();
         }
     }, [userConfigState.llm_config.LLM]);
@@ -515,11 +514,6 @@ const SettingsPage = () => {
                                     </div>
                                     <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-gray-500">Provide a Pexels API key to generate presentation images</p>
                                 </div>
-                                {downloadingModel.status && downloadingModel.status !== 'pulled' && (
-                                    <div className="text-sm text-center bg-green-100 rounded-lg p-2 font-semibold capitalize text-gray-600">
-                                        {downloadingModel.status}
-                                    </div>
-                                )}
                             </div>
                         )}
 
@@ -618,8 +612,8 @@ const SettingsPage = () => {
                                     <div>
                                         <button
                                             onClick={fetchCustomModels}
-                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY}
-                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 font-semibold ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY
+                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL}
+                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 font-semibold ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL
                                                 ? 'bg-gray-100 border-gray-300 cursor-not-allowed text-gray-500'
                                                 : 'bg-white border-blue-600 text-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-50 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500/20'
                                                 }`}
@@ -650,8 +644,8 @@ const SettingsPage = () => {
                                     <div>
                                         <button
                                             onClick={fetchCustomModels}
-                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY}
-                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 font-semibold ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY
+                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL}
+                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 font-semibold ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL
                                                 ? 'bg-gray-100 border-gray-300 cursor-not-allowed text-gray-500'
                                                 : 'bg-white border-gray-600 text-gray-600 hover:bg-gray-50 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-gray-500/20'
                                                 }`}
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/components/Home.tsx b/servers/nextjs/components/Home.tsx
index 93cddbf0..0e6dd618 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/components/Home.tsx
+++ b/servers/nextjs/components/Home.tsx
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ export default function Home() {
                                 </div>
                                 <div className="mb-4">
                                     <label className="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-2">
-                                        OpenAI Compatible API Key
+                                        OpenAI Compatible API Key (optional)
                                     </label>
                                     <div className="relative">
                                         <input
@@ -697,8 +697,8 @@ export default function Home() {
                                     <div className="mb-4">
                                         <button
                                             onClick={fetchCustomModels}
-                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY}
-                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY
+                                            disabled={customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL}
+                                            className={`w-full py-2.5 px-4 rounded-lg transition-all duration-200 border-2 ${customModelsLoading || !llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL
                                                 ? 'bg-gray-100 border-gray-300 cursor-not-allowed text-gray-500'
                                                 : 'bg-white border-blue-600 text-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-50 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500/20'
                                                 }`}
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts b/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
index 53dc69ef..07b05069 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const hasValidLLMConfig = (llmConfig: LLMConfig) => {
   const GOOGLE_API_KEY = llmConfig.GOOGLE_API_KEY;
 
   const isOllamaConfigValid = llmConfig.OLLAMA_MODEL !== '' && llmConfig.OLLAMA_MODEL !== null && llmConfig.OLLAMA_MODEL !== undefined && llmConfig.OLLAMA_URL !== '' && llmConfig.OLLAMA_URL !== null && llmConfig.OLLAMA_URL !== undefined;
-  const isCustomConfigValid = llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== '' && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== null && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== undefined && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY !== '' && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY !== null && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_API_KEY !== undefined && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== '' && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== null && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== undefined;
+  const isCustomConfigValid = llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== '' && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== null && llmConfig.CUSTOM_LLM_URL !== undefined && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== '' && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== null && llmConfig.CUSTOM_MODEL !== undefined;
 
   return llmConfig.LLM === 'openai' ?
     OPENAI_API_KEY !== '' && OPENAI_API_KEY !== null && OPENAI_API_KEY !== undefined :