diff --git a/src/services/code-index/embedders/__tests__/openai-compatible.spec.ts b/src/services/code-index/embedders/__tests__/openai-compatible.spec.ts
index 0353771f601..ecde7691515 100644
--- a/src/services/code-index/embedders/__tests__/openai-compatible.spec.ts
+++ b/src/services/code-index/embedders/__tests__/openai-compatible.spec.ts
@@ -30,11 +30,26 @@ vitest.mock("../../../../i18n", () => ({
 			"embeddings:textExceedsTokenLimit": `Text at index ${params?.index} exceeds maximum token limit (${params?.itemTokens} > ${params?.maxTokens}). Skipping.`,
 			"embeddings:rateLimitRetry": `Rate limit hit, retrying in ${params?.delayMs}ms (attempt ${params?.attempt}/${params?.maxRetries})`,
 			"embeddings:unknownError": "Unknown error",
+			"common:errors.api.invalidKeyInvalidChars":
+				"API key contains invalid characters. Please check your API key for special characters.",
 		}
 		return translations[key] || key
 	},
 }))
 
+// Mock i18n/setup module used by the error handler
+vitest.mock("../../../../i18n/setup", () => ({
+	default: {
+		t: (key: string) => {
+			const translations: Record<string, string> = {
+				"common:errors.api.invalidKeyInvalidChars":
+					"API key contains invalid characters. Please check your API key for special characters.",
+			}
+			return translations[key] || key
+		},
+	},
+}))
+
 const MockedOpenAI = OpenAI as MockedClass<typeof OpenAI>
 
 describe("OpenAICompatibleEmbedder", () => {
@@ -114,6 +129,22 @@ describe("OpenAICompatibleEmbedder", () => {
 				"embeddings:validation.baseUrlRequired",
 			)
 		})
+
+		it("should handle API key with invalid characters (ByteString conversion error)", () => {
+			// API key with special characters that cause ByteString conversion error
+			const invalidApiKey = "sk-test•invalid" // Contains bullet character (U+2022)
+
+			// Mock the OpenAI constructor to throw ByteString error
+			MockedOpenAI.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+				throw new Error(
+					"Cannot convert argument to a ByteString because the character at index 7 has a value of 8226 which is greater than 255.",
+				)
+			})
+
+			expect(() => new OpenAICompatibleEmbedder(testBaseUrl, invalidApiKey, testModelId)).toThrow(
+				"API key contains invalid characters",
+			)
+		})
 	})
 
 	describe("embedderInfo", () => {
diff --git a/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai-compatible.ts b/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai-compatible.ts
index 06c4ba52823..6eaf2b6c2c1 100644
--- a/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai-compatible.ts
+++ b/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai-compatible.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { withValidationErrorHandling, HttpError, formatEmbeddingError } from "..
 import { TelemetryEventName } from "@roo-code/types"
 import { TelemetryService } from "@roo-code/telemetry"
 import { Mutex } from "async-mutex"
+import { handleOpenAIError } from "../../../api/providers/utils/openai-error-handler"
 
 interface EmbeddingItem {
 	embedding: string | number[]
@@ -66,10 +67,18 @@ export class OpenAICompatibleEmbedder implements IEmbedder {
 
 		this.baseUrl = baseUrl
 		this.apiKey = apiKey
-		this.embeddingsClient = new OpenAI({
-			baseURL: baseUrl,
-			apiKey: apiKey,
-		})
+
+		// Wrap OpenAI client creation to handle invalid API key characters
+		try {
+			this.embeddingsClient = new OpenAI({
+				baseURL: baseUrl,
+				apiKey: apiKey,
+			})
+		} catch (error) {
+			// Use the error handler to transform ByteString conversion errors
+			throw handleOpenAIError(error, "OpenAI Compatible")
+		}
+
 		this.defaultModelId = modelId || getDefaultModelId("openai-compatible")
 		// Cache the URL type check for performance
 		this.isFullUrl = this.isFullEndpointUrl(baseUrl)
diff --git a/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai.ts b/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai.ts
index 471c3fd090d..b993e280d98 100644
--- a/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai.ts
+++ b/src/services/code-index/embedders/openai.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { t } from "../../../i18n"
 import { withValidationErrorHandling, formatEmbeddingError, HttpError } from "../shared/validation-helpers"
 import { TelemetryEventName } from "@roo-code/types"
 import { TelemetryService } from "@roo-code/telemetry"
+import { handleOpenAIError } from "../../../api/providers/utils/openai-error-handler"
 
 /**
  * OpenAI implementation of the embedder interface with batching and rate limiting
@@ -28,7 +29,15 @@ export class OpenAiEmbedder extends OpenAiNativeHandler implements IEmbedder {
 	constructor(options: ApiHandlerOptions & { openAiEmbeddingModelId?: string }) {
 		super(options)
 		const apiKey = this.options.openAiNativeApiKey ?? "not-provided"
-		this.embeddingsClient = new OpenAI({ apiKey })
+
+		// Wrap OpenAI client creation to handle invalid API key characters
+		try {
+			this.embeddingsClient = new OpenAI({ apiKey })
+		} catch (error) {
+			// Use the error handler to transform ByteString conversion errors
+			throw handleOpenAIError(error, "OpenAI")
+		}
+
 		this.defaultModelId = options.openAiEmbeddingModelId || "text-embedding-3-small"
 	}