diff --git a/.env_example b/.env_example
index 281b3db22..95270d7e0 100644
--- a/.env_example
+++ b/.env_example
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 ###################################
 
 PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT="https://api.openai.com/v1"
-PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY="sk-xxxxx"
+PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY="sk-xxxxx"
 PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL="gpt-4o"
 
 # Note: For Azure OpenAI endpoints, use the new format with /openai/v1 and specify the model separately
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ DEFAULT_OPENAI_FRONTEND_KEY = ${AZURE_OPENAI_GPT4O_AAD_KEY}
 DEFAULT_OPENAI_FRONTEND_MODEL = "gpt-4o"
 
 OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT}
-OPENAI_CHAT_KEY=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY}
+OPENAI_CHAT_KEY=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY}
 OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL}
 # The following line can be populated if using an Azure OpenAI deployment
 # where the deployment name differs from the actual underlying model
diff --git a/.env_local_example b/.env_local_example
index e33763cc2..5126c95c9 100644
--- a/.env_local_example
+++ b/.env_local_example
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 # This will override the .env value for your default OpenAIChatTarget
 OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT}
-OPENAI_CHAT_KEY=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY}
+OPENAI_CHAT_KEY=${PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY}
 OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL="gpt-4o"
 
 
diff --git a/pyrit/setup/initializers/components/targets.py b/pyrit/setup/initializers/components/targets.py
index 5e2f88bfb..87715c884 100644
--- a/pyrit/setup/initializers/components/targets.py
+++ b/pyrit/setup/initializers/components/targets.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class TargetConfig:
         registry_name="platform_openai_chat",
         target_class=OpenAIChatTarget,
         endpoint_var="PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT",
-        key_var="PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY",
+        key_var="PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY",
         model_var="PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL",
     ),
     TargetConfig(
diff --git a/tests/unit/setup/test_targets_initializer.py b/tests/unit/setup/test_targets_initializer.py
index fc91f54c6..886d420d4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/setup/test_targets_initializer.py
+++ b/tests/unit/setup/test_targets_initializer.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ async def test_initialize_runs_without_error_no_env_vars(self):
     async def test_registers_target_when_env_vars_set(self):
         """Test that a target is registered when its env vars are set."""
         os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT"] = "https://api.openai.com/v1"
-        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY"] = "test_key"
+        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY"] = "test_key"
         os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL"] = "gpt-4o"
 
         init = TargetInitializer()
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ async def test_registers_target_when_env_vars_set(self):
     async def test_does_not_register_target_without_endpoint(self):
         """Test that target is not registered if endpoint is missing."""
         # Only set key, not endpoint
-        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY"] = "test_key"
+        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY"] = "test_key"
         os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL"] = "gpt-4o"
 
         init = TargetInitializer()
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ async def test_registers_multiple_targets(self):
         """Test that multiple targets are registered when their env vars are set."""
         # Set up platform_openai_chat
         os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_ENDPOINT"] = "https://api.openai.com/v1"
-        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_API_KEY"] = "test_key"
+        os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_KEY"] = "test_key"
         os.environ["PLATFORM_OPENAI_CHAT_GPT4O_MODEL"] = "gpt-4o"
 
         # Set up openai_image_platform (uses ENDPOINT2/KEY2/MODEL2)