diff --git a/backend/chainlit/socket.py b/backend/chainlit/socket.py
index 740f0c276a..74306005ff 100644
--- a/backend/chainlit/socket.py
+++ b/backend/chainlit/socket.py
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ async def resume_thread(session: WebsocketSession):
 
 
 def load_user_env(user_env):
+    user_env_dict = {}
     if user_env:
         user_env_dict = json.loads(user_env)
     # Check user env
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_socket.py b/backend/tests/test_socket.py
index e45247b744..e20959c6d6 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_socket.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_socket.py
@@ -403,10 +403,9 @@ def test_load_user_env_none_with_required_keys(self):
         with patch("chainlit.socket.config") as mock_config:
             mock_config.project.user_env = ["API_KEY"]
 
-            # The function has a bug - it raises UnboundLocalError instead of ConnectionRefusedError
-            # Python 3.10: "referenced before assignment"
-            # Python 3.11+: "cannot access local variable"
-            with pytest.raises(UnboundLocalError, match="user_env_dict"):
+            with pytest.raises(
+                ConnectionRefusedError, match="Missing user environment variables"
+            ):
                 load_user_env(None)
 
     def test_load_user_env_none_without_required_keys(self):
@@ -414,10 +413,9 @@ def test_load_user_env_none_without_required_keys(self):
         with patch("chainlit.socket.config") as mock_config:
             mock_config.project.user_env = []
 
-            # The function has a bug - it raises NameError when user_env is None
-            # even when no required keys are configured
-            with pytest.raises(NameError, match="user_env_dict"):
-                load_user_env(None)
+            result = load_user_env(None)
+
+            assert result == {}
 
 
 class TestCleanSession: