diff --git a/backend/app/api/assistants.py b/backend/app/api/assistants.py
index 17ad02f3..b8ea7e53 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/assistants.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/assistants.py
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ async def create_assistant(
     payload: AssistantPayload,
 ) -> Assistant:
     """Create an assistant."""
+    if not payload.config.get("configurable", {}).get("type"):
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=400, detail="Assistant config must have configurable.type field"
+        )
     return await storage.create_assistant(
         user["user_id"],
         name=payload.name,
@@ -66,6 +70,10 @@ async def patch_assistant(
     payload: AssistantPayload,
 ) -> Assistant:
     """Create or update an assistant."""
+    if payload.config and not payload.config.get("configurable", {}).get("type"):
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=400, detail="Assistant config must have configurable.type field"
+        )
     return await storage.patch_assistant(
         user["user_id"],
         aid,
diff --git a/backend/app/storage.py b/backend/app/storage.py
index f874aa5f..594b458a 100644
--- a/backend/app/storage.py
+++ b/backend/app/storage.py
@@ -85,7 +85,12 @@ async def create_assistant(
 
 
 async def patch_assistant(
-    user_id: str, assistant_id: str, *, name: str, config: dict, public: bool = False
+    user_id: str,
+    assistant_id: str,
+    *,
+    name: Optional[str],
+    config: Optional[dict],
+    public: Optional[bool],
 ) -> Assistant:
     """Patch an assistant.
 
@@ -101,9 +106,11 @@ async def patch_assistant(
     """
     assistant = await get_api_client().assistants.update(
         assistant_id,
-        graph_id=config["configurable"]["type"],
+        graph_id=config["configurable"]["type"] if config else None,
         config=config,
-        metadata={"user_id": user_id, "public": public, "name": name},
+        metadata={"user_id": user_id, "public": public or False, "name": name}
+        if name or public
+        else None,
     )
     return Assistant(
         assistant_id=assistant["assistant_id"],
diff --git a/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py b/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
index 40e315fe..9830d511 100644
--- a/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
+++ b/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
@@ -57,14 +57,14 @@ async def test_list_and_create_assistants() -> None:
 
         response = await client.patch(
             f"/api/assistants/{aid}",
-            json={"name": "bobby", "config": {}, "public": False},
+            json={"name": "hmmmm"},
             headers=headers,
         )
 
         assert _project(response.json(), exclude_keys=["updated_at", "user_id"]) == {
             "assistant_id": aid,
-            "config": {},
-            "name": "bobby",
+            "config": {"configurable": {"type": "chatbot"}},
+            "name": "hmmmm",
             "public": False,
         }