diff --git a/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/models.py b/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/models.py
index 0001f56c9..d9358433b 100644
--- a/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/models.py
+++ b/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/models.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class GraphConfig(BaseModel):
     tooling: GraphTooling
     behavior: GraphSearchConfig
     # Only needed for agentic search
-    persistence: GraphPersistence | None = None
+    persistence: GraphPersistence
 
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def validate_search_tool(self) -> "GraphConfig":
diff --git a/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/shared_graph_utils/utils.py b/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/shared_graph_utils/utils.py
index dce3c13d8..bce492c4e 100644
--- a/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/shared_graph_utils/utils.py
+++ b/backend/onyx/agents/agent_search/shared_graph_utils/utils.py
@@ -199,13 +199,15 @@ def get_test_config(
         using_tool_calling_llm=using_tool_calling_llm,
     )
 
-    graph_persistence = None
-    if chat_session_id := os.environ.get("ONYX_AS_CHAT_SESSION_ID"):
-        graph_persistence = GraphPersistence(
-            db_session=db_session,
-            chat_session_id=UUID(chat_session_id),
-            message_id=1,
-        )
+    chat_session_id = os.environ.get("ONYX_AS_CHAT_SESSION_ID")
+    assert (
+        chat_session_id is not None
+    ), "ONYX_AS_CHAT_SESSION_ID must be set for backend tests"
+    graph_persistence = GraphPersistence(
+        db_session=db_session,
+        chat_session_id=UUID(chat_session_id),
+        message_id=1,
+    )
 
     search_behavior_config = GraphSearchConfig(
         use_agentic_search=use_agentic_search,
diff --git a/backend/onyx/chat/answer.py b/backend/onyx/chat/answer.py
index 88be1a9f7..303f1e6a3 100644
--- a/backend/onyx/chat/answer.py
+++ b/backend/onyx/chat/answer.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ class Answer:
         search_request: SearchRequest,
         chat_session_id: UUID,
         current_agent_message_id: int,
+        db_session: Session,
         # newly passed in files to include as part of this question
         # TODO THIS NEEDS TO BE HANDLED
         latest_query_files: list[InMemoryChatFile] | None = None,
@@ -57,9 +58,7 @@ class Answer:
         skip_explicit_tool_calling: bool = False,
         skip_gen_ai_answer_generation: bool = False,
         is_connected: Callable[[], bool] | None = None,
-        db_session: Session | None = None,
         use_agentic_search: bool = False,
-        use_agentic_persistence: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
         self.is_connected: Callable[[], bool] | None = is_connected
         self._processed_stream: (list[AnswerPacket] | None) = None
@@ -95,14 +94,12 @@ class Answer:
             force_use_tool=force_use_tool,
             using_tool_calling_llm=using_tool_calling_llm,
         )
-        self.graph_persistence = None
-        if use_agentic_persistence:
-            assert db_session, "db_session must be provided for agentic persistence"
-            self.graph_persistence = GraphPersistence(
-                db_session=db_session,
-                chat_session_id=chat_session_id,
-                message_id=current_agent_message_id,
-            )
+        assert db_session, "db_session must be provided for agentic persistence"
+        self.graph_persistence = GraphPersistence(
+            db_session=db_session,
+            chat_session_id=chat_session_id,
+            message_id=current_agent_message_id,
+        )
         self.search_behavior_config = GraphSearchConfig(
             use_agentic_search=use_agentic_search,
             skip_gen_ai_answer_generation=skip_gen_ai_answer_generation,
diff --git a/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_answer.py b/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_answer.py
index fe2520fd6..763a3b6f6 100644
--- a/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_answer.py
+++ b/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_answer.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from langchain_core.messages import HumanMessage
 from langchain_core.messages import SystemMessage
 from langchain_core.messages import ToolCall
 from langchain_core.messages import ToolCallChunk
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
 from onyx.chat.answer import Answer
 from onyx.chat.models import AnswerStyleConfig
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ def answer_instance(
             raw_user_query=QUERY,
             raw_user_uploaded_files=[],
         ),
+        db_session=Mock(spec=Session),
         answer_style_config=answer_style_config,
         llm=mock_llm,
         fast_llm=mock_llm,
@@ -65,7 +67,6 @@ def answer_instance(
         search_request=SearchRequest(query=QUERY),
         chat_session_id=UUID("123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000"),
         current_agent_message_id=0,
-        use_agentic_persistence=False,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_skip_gen_ai.py b/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_skip_gen_ai.py
index e00a61893..00f77279a 100644
--- a/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_skip_gen_ai.py
+++ b/backend/tests/unit/onyx/chat/test_skip_gen_ai.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from uuid import UUID
 import pytest
 from langchain_core.messages import HumanMessage
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 
 from onyx.chat.answer import Answer
 from onyx.chat.models import AnswerStyleConfig
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ def test_skip_gen_ai_answer_generation_flag(
     mock_llm.stream.return_value = [Mock()]
 
     answer = Answer(
+        db_session=Mock(spec=Session),
         answer_style_config=answer_style_config,
         llm=mock_llm,
         fast_llm=mock_llm,
@@ -67,7 +69,6 @@ def test_skip_gen_ai_answer_generation_flag(
         ),
         chat_session_id=UUID("123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000"),
         current_agent_message_id=0,
-        use_agentic_persistence=False,
     )
     results = list(answer.processed_streamed_output)
     for res in results: