diff --git a/packages/cli/src/server.ts b/packages/cli/src/server.ts
index 9cebd0cbef..72cd4940ca 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/server.ts
@@ -282,10 +282,10 @@ export async function startServer(
           chats[chatId] = async (chunk) => {
             if (!responseSoFar && chunk.model) {
               logVerbose(`chat model ${chunk.model}`);
-              trace.itemValue("chat model", chunk.model);
-              trace.appendContent("\n\n");
+              trace?.itemValue("chat model", chunk.model);
+              trace?.appendContent("\n\n");
             }
-            trace.appendToken(chunk.chunk);
+            trace?.appendToken(chunk.chunk);
             responseSoFar += chunk.chunk ?? "";
             tokensSoFar += chunk.tokens ?? 0;
             partialCb?.({
@@ -296,11 +296,11 @@ export async function startServer(
             });
             finishReason = chunk.finishReason as any;
             if (finishReason) {
-              trace.appendContent("\n\n");
-              trace.itemValue(`finish reason`, finishReason);
+              trace?.appendContent("\n\n");
+              trace?.itemValue(`finish reason`, finishReason);
               delete chats[chatId];
               if (chunk.error) {
-                trace.error(undefined, chunk.error);
+                trace?.error(undefined, chunk.error);
                 reject(chunk.error);
               } else
                 resolve({
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/server.trace.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/server.trace.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4611228342
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/test/server.trace.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+
+// Test for null dereference fix in server.ts
+describe("server trace null dereference", () => {
+  let mockTrace: any;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockTrace = {
+      itemValue: vi.fn(),
+      appendContent: vi.fn(),
+      appendToken: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+    };
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("should handle undefined trace safely in chat completion handler", () => {
+    // This test simulates the scenario that would cause null dereference
+    // before the fix was applied
+
+    // Mock the chat completion handler behavior
+    const mockChunk = {
+      model: "test-model",
+      chunk: "test-chunk",
+      finishReason: "stop",
+      error: null,
+    };
+
+    // Simulate the old unsafe behavior that would cause null dereference
+    const unsafeHandler = (trace: any) => {
+      if (mockChunk.model) {
+        trace.itemValue("chat model", mockChunk.model);
+        trace.appendContent("\n\n");
+      }
+      trace.appendToken(mockChunk.chunk);
+
+      if (mockChunk.finishReason) {
+        trace.appendContent("\n\n");
+        trace.itemValue("finish reason", mockChunk.finishReason);
+      }
+    };
+
+    // Test with null/undefined trace (this would fail before the fix)
+    expect(() => {
+      unsafeHandler(null);
+    }).toThrow();
+
+    expect(() => {
+      unsafeHandler(undefined);
+    }).toThrow();
+
+    // Simulate the safe behavior after the fix using optional chaining
+    const safeHandler = (trace: any) => {
+      if (mockChunk.model) {
+        trace?.itemValue("chat model", mockChunk.model);
+        trace?.appendContent("\n\n");
+      }
+      trace?.appendToken(mockChunk.chunk);
+
+      if (mockChunk.finishReason) {
+        trace?.appendContent("\n\n");
+        trace?.itemValue("finish reason", mockChunk.finishReason);
+      }
+    };
+
+    // Test with null/undefined trace (this should work after the fix)
+    expect(() => {
+      safeHandler(null);
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    expect(() => {
+      safeHandler(undefined);
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    // Test with real trace to ensure it still works when provided
+    expect(() => {
+      safeHandler(mockTrace);
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    // Verify the trace methods were called when trace was provided
+    expect(mockTrace.itemValue).toHaveBeenCalledWith("chat model", "test-model");
+    expect(mockTrace.appendContent).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockTrace.appendToken).toHaveBeenCalledWith("test-chunk");
+    expect(mockTrace.itemValue).toHaveBeenCalledWith("finish reason", "stop");
+  });
+
+  it("should use provided trace when available", () => {
+    const providedTrace = {
+      itemValue: vi.fn(),
+      appendContent: vi.fn(),
+      appendToken: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+    };
+
+    const mockChunk = {
+      model: "test-model",
+      chunk: "test-chunk",
+    };
+
+    // Simulate the safe handler behavior using optional chaining
+    const safeHandler = (trace: any) => {
+      if (mockChunk.model) {
+        trace?.itemValue("chat model", mockChunk.model);
+      }
+      trace?.appendToken(mockChunk.chunk);
+    };
+
+    safeHandler(providedTrace);
+
+    // Verify the provided trace was used
+    expect(providedTrace.itemValue).toHaveBeenCalledWith("chat model", "test-model");
+    expect(providedTrace.appendToken).toHaveBeenCalledWith("test-chunk");
+
+    // Test with null/undefined trace - should not throw
+    expect(() => {
+      safeHandler(null);
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    expect(() => {
+      safeHandler(undefined);
+    }).not.toThrow();
+  });
+});