diff --git a/open-sse/services/autoCombo/virtualFactory.ts b/open-sse/services/autoCombo/virtualFactory.ts
index 123af3bda7..d8777fd6f5 100644
--- a/open-sse/services/autoCombo/virtualFactory.ts
+++ b/open-sse/services/autoCombo/virtualFactory.ts
@@ -55,13 +55,6 @@ export async function createVirtualAutoCombo(
       weights: { ...DEFAULT_WEIGHTS },
       explorationRate: 0.05,
       routerStrategy: "lkgp",
-      config: {
-        candidatePool: emptyPool,
-        weights: { ...DEFAULT_WEIGHTS },
-        explorationRate: 0.05,
-        routingStrategy: "lkgp",
-      },
-      models: emptyPool,
     };
   }
 
@@ -122,20 +115,9 @@ export async function createVirtualAutoCombo(
     id: `virtual-auto-${variant || "default"}`,
     name: `Auto ${variant || "Default"}`,
     type: "auto",
-    // Root-level fields for AutoComboConfig type compatibility
     candidatePool: pool,
     weights: weights,
     explorationRate: explorationRate,
     routerStrategy: routerStrategy,
-    // Nested config for combo router's auto-type handler
-    // (reads via: combo?.autoConfig || combo?.config?.auto || combo?.config || {})
-    config: {
-      candidatePool: pool,
-      weights: weights,
-      explorationRate: explorationRate,
-      routingStrategy: routerStrategy,
-    },
-    // models array so resolveComboTargets doesn't get an empty array
-    models: pool,
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/models-catalog-route.test.ts b/tests/unit/models-catalog-route.test.ts
index b6045efe90..495b730abf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/models-catalog-route.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/models-catalog-route.test.ts
@@ -24,16 +24,19 @@ async function resetStorage() {
   fs.mkdirSync(TEST_DATA_DIR, { recursive: true });
 }
 
-async function seedConnection(provider, overrides = {}) {
+async function seedConnection(
+  provider: string,
+  overrides: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+) {
   return providersDb.createProviderConnection({
     provider,
-    authType: overrides.authType || "apikey",
-    name: overrides.name || `${provider}-${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2, 8)}`,
-    apiKey: overrides.apiKey || "sk-test",
-    accessToken: overrides.accessToken,
-    isActive: overrides.isActive ?? true,
-    testStatus: overrides.testStatus || "active",
-    providerSpecificData: overrides.providerSpecificData || {},
+    authType: (overrides.authType as string) || "apikey",
+    name: (overrides.name as string) || `${provider}-${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2, 8)}`,
+    apiKey: (overrides.apiKey as string) || "sk-test",
+    accessToken: overrides.accessToken as string | undefined,
+    isActive: (overrides.isActive as boolean) ?? true,
+    testStatus: (overrides.testStatus as string) || "active",
+    providerSpecificData: (overrides.providerSpecificData as Record<string, unknown>) || {},
   });
 }