diff --git a/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/OpenAISourceSetup.tsx b/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/OpenAISourceSetup.tsx
index b39de78fb..49ef387ba 100644
--- a/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/OpenAISourceSetup.tsx
+++ b/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/OpenAISourceSetup.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { DModelSourceId } from '../../store-llms';
 import { useLlmUpdateModels } from '../useLlmUpdateModels';
 import { useSourceSetup } from '../useSourceSetup';
 
-import { isValidOpenAIApiKey, ModelVendorOpenAI } from './openai.vendor';
+import { ModelVendorOpenAI } from './openai.vendor';
 
 
 // avoid repeating it all over
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function OpenAISourceSetup(props: { sourceId: DModelSourceId }) {
   // derived state
   const { oaiKey, oaiOrg, oaiHost, heliKey, moderationCheck } = access;
 
-  const keyValid = isValidOpenAIApiKey(oaiKey);
+  const keyValid = true; //isValidOpenAIApiKey(oaiKey);
   const keyError = (/*needsUserKey ||*/ !!oaiKey) && !keyValid;
   const shallFetchSucceed = oaiKey ? keyValid : !needsUserKey;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/openai.vendor.ts b/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/openai.vendor.ts
index 2ed621e86..294b05a96 100644
--- a/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/openai.vendor.ts
+++ b/src/modules/llms/vendors/openai/openai.vendor.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const FALLBACK_LLM_TEMPERATURE = 0.5;
 
 
 // special symbols
-export const isValidOpenAIApiKey = (apiKey?: string) => !!apiKey && apiKey.startsWith('sk-') && apiKey.length > 40;
+// export const isValidOpenAIApiKey = (apiKey?: string) => !!apiKey && apiKey.startsWith('sk-') && apiKey.length > 40;
 
 export interface SourceSetupOpenAI {
   oaiKey: string;