diff --git a/morpheus/llm/services/openai_chat_service.py b/morpheus/llm/services/openai_chat_service.py
index 45db9e1114..021ef48785 100644
--- a/morpheus/llm/services/openai_chat_service.py
+++ b/morpheus/llm/services/openai_chat_service.py
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ def __init__(self, *, api_key: str = None, base_url: str = None, default_model_k
             The API key for the LLM service, by default None. If `None` the API key will be read from the
             `OPENAI_API_KEY` environment variable. If neither are present an error will be raised.
         base_url : str, optional
-            The api host url, by default None. If `None` the url will be read from the `OPENAI_API_BASE` environment
+            The api host url, by default None. If `None` the url will be read from the `OPENAI_BASE_URL` environment
             variable. If neither are present the OpenAI default will be used., by default None
         default_model_kwargs : dict, optional
             Default arguments to use when creating a client via the `get_client` function. Any argument specified here
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@ def __init__(self, *, api_key: str = None, base_url: str = None, default_model_k
 
         log_file = os.path.join(appdirs.user_log_dir(appauthor="NVIDIA", appname="morpheus"), "openai.log")
 
+        # Ensure the log directory exists
+        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(log_file), exist_ok=True)
+
         # Add a file handler
         file_handler = logging.FileHandler(log_file)
 
diff --git a/tests/llm/services/test_openai_chat_client.py b/tests/llm/services/test_openai_chat_client.py
index 577c83c7bb..4976eb1655 100644
--- a/tests/llm/services/test_openai_chat_client.py
+++ b/tests/llm/services/test_openai_chat_client.py
@@ -19,18 +19,29 @@
 import pytest
 
 from _utils.llm import mk_mock_openai_response
-from morpheus.llm.services.llm_service import LLMClient
-from morpheus.llm.services.openai_chat_service import OpenAIChatClient
 from morpheus.llm.services.openai_chat_service import OpenAIChatService
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("api_key", ["12345", None])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("base_url", ["http://test.openai.com/v1", None])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("max_retries", [5, 10])
-def test_constructor(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMock], max_retries: int):
-    client = OpenAIChatClient(OpenAIChatService(), model_name="test_model", max_retries=max_retries)
-    assert isinstance(client, LLMClient)
+def test_constructor(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMock],
+                     api_key: str,
+                     base_url: str,
+                     max_retries: int):
+    OpenAIChatService(api_key=api_key, base_url=base_url).get_client(model_name="test_model", max_retries=max_retries)
 
     for mock_client in mock_chat_completion:
-        mock_client.assert_called_once_with(max_retries=max_retries)
+        mock_client.assert_called_once_with(api_key=api_key, base_url=base_url, max_retries=max_retries)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("max_retries", [5, 10])
+def test_constructor_default_service_constructor(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMock],
+                                                 max_retries: int):
+    OpenAIChatService().get_client(model_name="test_model", max_retries=max_retries)
+
+    for mock_client in mock_chat_completion:
+        mock_client.assert_called_once_with(api_key=None, base_url=None, max_retries=max_retries)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("use_async", [True, False])
@@ -56,10 +67,10 @@ def test_generate(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMock],
                   expected_messages: list[dict],
                   temperature: int):
     (mock_client, mock_async_client) = mock_chat_completion
-    client = OpenAIChatClient(OpenAIChatService(),
-                              model_name="test_model",
-                              set_assistant=set_assistant,
-                              temperature=temperature)
+    client = OpenAIChatService().get_client(model_name="test_model",
+                                            set_assistant=set_assistant,
+                                            temperature=temperature)
+
     if use_async:
         results = asyncio.run(client.generate_async(**input_dict))
         mock_async_client.chat.completions.create.assert_called_once_with(model="test_model",
@@ -108,10 +119,9 @@ def test_generate_batch(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMo
                         expected_messages: list[list[dict]],
                         temperature: int):
     (mock_client, mock_async_client) = mock_chat_completion
-    client = OpenAIChatClient(OpenAIChatService(),
-                              model_name="test_model",
-                              set_assistant=set_assistant,
-                              temperature=temperature)
+    client = OpenAIChatService().get_client(model_name="test_model",
+                                            set_assistant=set_assistant,
+                                            temperature=temperature)
 
     expected_results = ["test_output" for _ in range(len(inputs["prompt"]))]
     expected_calls = [
@@ -134,7 +144,7 @@ def test_generate_batch(mock_chat_completion: tuple[mock.MagicMock, mock.MagicMo
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("completion", [[], [None]], ids=["no_choices", "no_content"])
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("mock_chat_completion")
 def test_extract_completion_errors(completion: list):
-    client = OpenAIChatClient(OpenAIChatService(), model_name="test_model")
+    client = OpenAIChatService().get_client(model_name="test_model")
     mock_completion = mk_mock_openai_response(completion)
 
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):