diff --git a/src/routes/adminConfig.js b/src/routes/adminConfig.js
index de63d5b..45771fd 100644
--- a/src/routes/adminConfig.js
+++ b/src/routes/adminConfig.js
@@ -408,9 +408,7 @@ router.get('/config/image-models/discover', async function(req, res) {
     var axios = require('axios');
     var discovered = [];
     if (process.env.LITELLM_API_BASE) {
-      var headers = {};
-      if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) headers.Authorization = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
-      var resp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: headers, timeout: 15000 });
+      var resp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: getLiteLLMHeaders(), timeout: 15000 });
       var models = (resp.data && resp.data.data) || [];
       models.forEach(function(m) {
         var id = m.id || '';
@@ -438,14 +436,12 @@ router.post('/config/image-models/test', async function(req, res) {
     var modelId = String(req.body.modelId || '').trim();
     if (!modelId) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'modelId required' });
     var axios = require('axios');
-    var headers = { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' };
-    if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) headers.Authorization = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
     var started = Date.now();
     var imgResp = await axios.post(gatewayUrl('/images/generations'), {
       model: modelId,
       prompt: 'A simple child-friendly icon of lungs and an inhaler, flat medical illustration, no text',
       size: '1024x1024'
-    }, { headers: headers, timeout: 120000 });
+    }, { headers: getLiteLLMHeaders('application/json'), timeout: 120000 });
     var item = imgResp.data && imgResp.data.data && imgResp.data.data[0] ? imgResp.data.data[0] : {};
     res.json({
       success: true,
@@ -682,10 +678,8 @@ router.get('/config/stt/discover', async function(req, res) {
 
     if (provider === 'litellm' && process.env.LITELLM_API_BASE) {
       // base URL handled by gatewayUrl() helper
-      var sHeaders = {};
-      if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) sHeaders['Authorization'] = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
       try {
-        var sResp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: sHeaders, timeout: 10000 });
+        var sResp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: getLiteLLMHeaders(), timeout: 10000 });
         if (sResp.data && sResp.data.data) {
           sResp.data.data.forEach(function(m) {
             var mid = (m.id || '').toLowerCase();
@@ -756,22 +750,18 @@ router.post('/config/stt/test', async function(req, res) {
         var form = new FormData();
         form.append('file', file);
         form.append('model', sttModel);
-        var fetchHeaders = {};
-        if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) fetchHeaders['Authorization'] = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
         var sttResp = await fetch(gatewayUrl('/audio/transcriptions'), {
-          method: 'POST', headers: fetchHeaders, body: form
+          method: 'POST', headers: getLiteLLMHeaders(), body: form
         }).then(function(r) { return r.json().then(function(d) { return { data: d }; }); });
         text = sttResp.data && sttResp.data.text ? sttResp.data.text : '';
       } else {
-        var headers = { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' };
-        if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) headers['Authorization'] = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
         var sttResp = await axios.post(gatewayUrl('/chat/completions'), {
           model: sttModel,
           messages: [{ role: 'user', content: [
             { type: 'input_audio', input_audio: { data: audioBase64, format: mime.split('/')[1] || 'webm' } },
             { type: 'text', text: 'Transcribe this audio. Output the spoken words only.' }
           ]}]
-        }, { headers: headers, timeout: 60000 });
+        }, { headers: getLiteLLMHeaders('application/json'), timeout: 60000 });
         if (sttResp.data && sttResp.data.choices && sttResp.data.choices[0]) {
           text = (sttResp.data.choices[0].message && sttResp.data.choices[0].message.content) || '';
         }
@@ -849,10 +839,8 @@ router.get('/config/embeddings/discover', async function(req, res) {
 
     if (provider === 'litellm') {
       // base URL handled by gatewayUrl() helper
-      var eHeaders = {};
-      if (process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY) eHeaders['Authorization'] = 'Bearer ' + process.env.LITELLM_API_KEY;
       try {
-        var eResp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: eHeaders, timeout: 10000 });
+        var eResp = await axios.get(gatewayUrl('/models'), { headers: getLiteLLMHeaders(), timeout: 10000 });
         if (eResp.data && eResp.data.data) {
           eResp.data.data.forEach(function(m) {
             if ((m.id || '').toLowerCase().indexOf('embed') !== -1) {