diff --git a/.github/workflows/gcp_models.yml b/.github/workflows/gcp_models.yml
index 4a0328dd6c..3ccd245c14 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gcp_models.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gcp_models.yml
@@ -25,13 +25,20 @@ env:
 
 jobs:
   deploy:
-    environment: ${{ (github.ref == 'refs/heads/development' && 'development') || (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && 'prod') }}
+    environment: ${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}
     permissions:
       contents: 'read'
       id-token: 'write'
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest-m
     steps:
+      - name: Validate Environment Input
+        run: |
+          if [[ "${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}" != "development" && "${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}" != "prod" ]]; then
+            echo "Invalid environment: ${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}. Must be 'development' or 'prod'."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       # To workaround "no space left on device" issue of GitHub-hosted runner
       - name: Delete huge unnecessary tools folder
         run: rm -rf /opt/hostedtoolcache
diff --git a/backend/charts/vad/dev_omi_vad_values.yaml b/backend/charts/vad/dev_omi_vad_values.yaml
index 8966c9e7c5..d8c73beccf 100644
--- a/backend/charts/vad/dev_omi_vad_values.yaml
+++ b/backend/charts/vad/dev_omi_vad_values.yaml
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ env:
       secretKeyRef:
         name: dev-omi-backend-secrets
         key: HUGGINGFACE_TOKEN
+  - name: ENCRYPTION_SECRET
+    valueFrom:
+      secretKeyRef:
+        name: dev-omi-backend-secrets
+        key: ENCRYPTION_SECRET
 
 resources:
   # We usually recommend not to specify default resources and to leave this as a conscious
diff --git a/backend/charts/vad/prod_omi_vad_values.yaml b/backend/charts/vad/prod_omi_vad_values.yaml
index b14d3081e8..7196c96381 100644
--- a/backend/charts/vad/prod_omi_vad_values.yaml
+++ b/backend/charts/vad/prod_omi_vad_values.yaml
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ env:
       secretKeyRef:
         name: prod-omi-backend-secrets
         key: HUGGINGFACE_TOKEN
+  - name: ENCRYPTION_SECRET
+    valueFrom:
+      secretKeyRef:
+        name: prod-omi-backend-secrets
+        key: ENCRYPTION_SECRET
 
 resources:
   # We usually recommend not to specify default resources and to leave this as a conscious