diff --git a/pkg/providers/openai/openaiclient.go b/pkg/providers/openai/openaiclient.go
index 47ff1a1d..c7933533 100644
--- a/pkg/providers/openai/openaiclient.go
+++ b/pkg/providers/openai/openaiclient.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
@@ -142,7 +143,21 @@ func findProviderByModel(providers []providers.Provider, providerName string, mo
 }
 
 func readProviderVars(filePath string) ([]providers.ProviderVars, error) {
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(filePath)
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get absolute file path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Validate that the absolute path is a file
+	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(absPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get file info: %w", err)
+	}
+	if fileInfo.IsDir() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("provided path is a directory, not a file")
+	}
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(absPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read provider vars file: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -170,7 +185,21 @@ func getDefaultBaseURL(provVars []providers.ProviderVars, providerName string) (
 }
 
 func readConfig(filePath string) (providers.GatewayConfig, error) {
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(filePath)
+	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return providers.GatewayConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to get absolute file path: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Validate that the absolute path is a file
+	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(absPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return providers.GatewayConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to get file info: %w", err)
+	}
+	if fileInfo.IsDir() {
+		return providers.GatewayConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("provided path is a directory, not a file")
+	}
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(absPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		slog.Error("Error:", err)
 		return providers.GatewayConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to read config file: %w", err)