diff --git a/src/modules/aix/client/aix.client.ts b/src/modules/aix/client/aix.client.ts
index 616b55ea0..fc689a37b 100644
--- a/src/modules/aix/client/aix.client.ts
+++ b/src/modules/aix/client/aix.client.ts
@@ -31,10 +31,15 @@ export function aixCreateChatGenerateContext(name: AixAPI_Context_ChatGenerate['
 export function aixCreateModelFromLLMOptions(
   llmInterfaces: DLLM['interfaces'],
   llmOptions: DModelParameterValues,
-  llmOptionsOverride: Omit<DModelParameterValues, 'llmRef'> | undefined,
+  _llmOptionsOverride: Omit<DModelParameterValues, 'llmRef'> | undefined,
   debugLlmId: string,
 ): AixAPI_Model {
 
+  // make sure llmRef is removed, if present in the override - excess of caution here
+  const llmOptionsOverride = _llmOptionsOverride ? { ..._llmOptionsOverride } : undefined;
+  if (llmOptionsOverride)
+    delete (llmOptionsOverride as { llmRef?: any }).llmRef;
+
   // destructure input with the overrides
   const {
     llmRef, llmTemperature, llmResponseTokens, llmTopP,