diff --git a/service/.env.example b/service/.env.example
index e6c8363a0f..f6621760db 100644
--- a/service/.env.example
+++ b/service/.env.example
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ OPENAI_API_DISABLE_DEBUG=
 # Reverse Proxy - Available on accessToken
 # Default: https://bypass.churchless.tech/api/conversation
 # More: https://github.com/transitive-bullshit/chatgpt-api#reverse-proxy
-API_REVERSE_PROXY=https://bypass.churchless.tech/api/conversation
+API_REVERSE_PROXY=
 
 # timeout
 TIMEOUT_MS=100000
diff --git a/service/src/chatgpt/index.ts b/service/src/chatgpt/index.ts
index c96467bcc4..7e28ab1bf0 100644
--- a/service/src/chatgpt/index.ts
+++ b/service/src/chatgpt/index.ts
@@ -75,11 +75,13 @@ let api: ChatGPTAPI | ChatGPTUnofficialProxyAPI
       accessToken: process.env.OPENAI_ACCESS_TOKEN,
       debug: !disableDebug,
     }
+
     if (isNotEmptyString(OPENAI_API_MODEL))
       options.model = OPENAI_API_MODEL
 
-    if (isNotEmptyString(process.env.API_REVERSE_PROXY))
-      options.apiReverseProxyUrl = process.env.API_REVERSE_PROXY
+    options.apiReverseProxyUrl = isNotEmptyString(process.env.API_REVERSE_PROXY)
+      ? process.env.API_REVERSE_PROXY
+      : 'https://bypass.churchless.tech/api/conversation'
 
     setupProxy(options)