diff --git a/core/bifrost.go b/core/bifrost.go
index 259b0cabea9..6dbac1b508a 100644
--- a/core/bifrost.go
+++ b/core/bifrost.go
@@ -6176,6 +6176,10 @@ func executeRequestWithRetries[T any](
 				}
 				resp.PopulateExtraFields(requestType, providerKey, model, resolvedModelUsed)
 				tracer.PopulateLLMResponseAttributes(ctx, handle, resp, bifrostError)
+			} else if bifrostError != nil {
+				// Failed stream requests carry a chan result and miss the cast above;
+				// stamp error attributes explicitly so spans don't report unknown.
+				tracer.PopulateLLMResponseAttributes(ctx, handle, nil, bifrostError)
 			}
 
 			// End span with appropriate status
diff --git a/core/providers/utils/utils.go b/core/providers/utils/utils.go
index c999cdf61dc..1ada81440f8 100644
--- a/core/providers/utils/utils.go
+++ b/core/providers/utils/utils.go
@@ -3398,6 +3398,9 @@ func completeDeferredSpan(ctx *schemas.BifrostContext, result *schemas.BifrostRe
 	} else if result != nil {
 		// Fall back to final chunk if no accumulated data (shouldn't happen normally)
 		tracer.PopulateLLMResponseAttributes(ctx, handle, result, err)
+	} else if err != nil {
+		// Stream failed before the first chunk — still stamp error attributes.
+		tracer.PopulateLLMResponseAttributes(ctx, handle, nil, err)
 	}
 
 	// Finalize aggregated post-hook spans before ending the LLM span
diff --git a/ui/lib/utils/secretVarForm.ts b/ui/lib/utils/secretVarForm.ts
index 296bf535969..abab8616ced 100644
--- a/ui/lib/utils/secretVarForm.ts
+++ b/ui/lib/utils/secretVarForm.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ function inferType(ref: string | undefined): SecretVar["type"] | undefined {
 
 export const emptySecretVar = (): SecretVar => ({ value: "", ref: "" });
 
+// trimSecretVar strips stray whitespace from a SecretVar form value's literal value and reference.
+export const trimSecretVar = <T extends { value?: string; ref?: string } | undefined>(field: T): T => {
+	if (!field) return field;
+	return { ...field, value: field.value?.trim(), ref: field.ref?.trim() };
+};
+
 export const toSecretVarFormValue = (field?: SecretVar | string): SecretVar => {
 	if (!field) return emptySecretVar();
 	if (typeof field === "string") {
diff --git a/ui/lib/utils/strings.test.ts b/ui/lib/utils/strings.test.ts
index 22413078c44..5fa80b23531 100644
--- a/ui/lib/utils/strings.test.ts
+++ b/ui/lib/utils/strings.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, test, expect } from "vitest";
-import { cleanNumericInput } from "./strings";
+import { cleanNumericInput, trimFields } from "./strings";
 
 // Simulate what onChange does: clean → Number()
 function simulateOnChange(raw: string): { display: string; value: number | undefined } {
@@ -201,4 +201,31 @@ describe("simulateOnBlur (normalize display)", () => {
 	test("1000 → 1000", () => {
 		expect(simulateOnBlur("1000")).toEqual({ display: "1000", value: 1000 });
 	});
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
+describe("trimFields", () => {
+	test("trims string fields in place", () => {
+		const obj = { topic: " my-topic ", project: "\tproj\n" };
+		trimFields(obj, "topic", "project");
+		expect(obj).toEqual({ topic: "my-topic", project: "proj" });
+	});
+	test("trims string array fields", () => {
+		const obj = { brokers: [" a:9092", "b:9092 ", " c:9092 "] };
+		trimFields(obj, "brokers");
+		expect(obj.brokers).toEqual(["a:9092", "b:9092", "c:9092"]);
+	});
+	test("leaves undefined fields untouched", () => {
+		const obj: { name: string; ml_app?: string } = { name: " x " };
+		trimFields(obj, "name", "ml_app");
+		expect(obj).toEqual({ name: "x" });
+		expect("ml_app" in obj).toBe(false);
+	});
+	test("only touches the named fields", () => {
+		const obj = { a: " x ", b: " y " };
+		trimFields(obj, "a");
+		expect(obj).toEqual({ a: "x", b: " y " });
+	});
+	test("returns the same object", () => {
+		const obj = { a: " x " };
+		expect(trimFields(obj, "a")).toBe(obj);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/ui/lib/utils/strings.ts b/ui/lib/utils/strings.ts
index 0679bb1d694..61e780bfe66 100644
--- a/ui/lib/utils/strings.ts
+++ b/ui/lib/utils/strings.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,22 @@ export function capitalize(name: string) {
 	return name.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + name.slice(1);
 }
 
+export type TrimmableKeys<T> = { [K in keyof T]: T[K] extends string | string[] | undefined ? K : never }[keyof T];
+
+// trimFields trims whitespace from the named string (or string[]) fields of obj, in place.
+// Undefined fields are left untouched.
+export function trimFields<T extends object>(obj: T, ...keys: TrimmableKeys<T>[]): T {
+	for (const key of keys) {
+		const value = obj[key];
+		if (typeof value === "string") {
+			obj[key] = value.trim() as T[typeof key];
+		} else if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+			obj[key] = value.map((item) => (typeof item === "string" ? item.trim() : item)) as T[typeof key];
+		}
+	}
+	return obj;
+}
+
 // Cleans raw input into a valid numeric string:
 // - Single non-alphabetic separator between digits (commas, spaces, underscores) → stripped
 // - Alphabetic characters → stop processing