diff --git a/api/models/model.py b/api/models/model.py
index 5fb2abe71c..dd7f09bf78 100644
--- a/api/models/model.py
+++ b/api/models/model.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class AppModelConfig(db.Model):
             if model_config.get('sensitive_word_avoidance') else None
         self.model = json.dumps(model_config['model'])
         self.user_input_form = json.dumps(model_config['user_input_form'])
-        self.dataset_query_variable = model_config['dataset_query_variable']
+        self.dataset_query_variable = model_config.get('dataset_query_variable')
         self.pre_prompt = model_config['pre_prompt']
         self.agent_mode = json.dumps(model_config['agent_mode'])
         self.retriever_resource = json.dumps(model_config['retriever_resource']) \
diff --git a/api/services/app_model_config_service.py b/api/services/app_model_config_service.py
index f3334ca9b9..916a1078e5 100644
--- a/api/services/app_model_config_service.py
+++ b/api/services/app_model_config_service.py
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ class AppModelConfigService:
                 "completion_params": config["model"]["completion_params"]
             },
             "user_input_form": config["user_input_form"],
-            "dataset_query_variable": config["dataset_query_variable"],
+            "dataset_query_variable": config.get('dataset_query_variable'),
             "pre_prompt": config["pre_prompt"],
             "agent_mode": config["agent_mode"]
         }