diff --git a/octavia-cli/octavia_cli/api_http_headers.py b/octavia-cli/octavia_cli/api_http_headers.py
index f17ab42dcdb61..df236ae33a8cf 100644
--- a/octavia-cli/octavia_cli/api_http_headers.py
+++ b/octavia-cli/octavia_cli/api_http_headers.py
@@ -23,11 +23,9 @@ class ApiHttpHeader:
     value: str
 
     def __post_init__(self):
-        self.name = str(self.name)
-        self.value = str(self.value)
         try:
-            assert len(self.name) > 0
-            assert len(self.value) > 0
+            assert isinstance(self.name, str) and self.name
+            assert isinstance(self.value, str) and self.value
         except AssertionError:
             raise AttributeError("Header name and value must be non empty string.")
         self.name = self.name.strip()
diff --git a/octavia-cli/unit_tests/test_entrypoint.py b/octavia-cli/unit_tests/test_entrypoint.py
index 527e0de6c9377..c1af732a38936 100644
--- a/octavia-cli/unit_tests/test_entrypoint.py
+++ b/octavia-cli/unit_tests/test_entrypoint.py
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ def test_octavia_not_initialized(mocker):
 )
 def test_get_api_client(mocker, api_http_headers: Optional[List[str]]):
     mocker.patch.object(entrypoint, "airbyte_api_client")
+    entrypoint.airbyte_api_client.Configuration.return_value.get_basic_auth_token.return_value = "my_basic_auth_token"
     mocker.patch.object(entrypoint, "check_api_health")
     mocker.patch.object(entrypoint, "set_api_headers_on_api_client")
     api_client = entrypoint.get_api_client("test-url", "test-username", "test-password", "test-user-agent", api_http_headers)