diff --git a/projects/seeker/agents/seeker.py b/projects/seeker/agents/seeker.py
index 0000465d7c3..08c98283261 100644
--- a/projects/seeker/agents/seeker.py
+++ b/projects/seeker/agents/seeker.py
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ def add_cmdline_args(
             default=False,
             help='Whether to make model act output fully serializable.',
         )
+        combo_fid.add_argument(
+            '--force-skip-retrieval',
+            type='bool',
+            default=False,
+            help='If True, we force skip retrieval on any/all incoming examples',
+        )
 
     def build_model(self) -> ComboFidModel:
         """
@@ -107,9 +113,12 @@ def batchify(self, obs_batch: List[Message], sort: bool = False) -> Batch:
         batch = super().batchify(obs_batch, sort)
         valid_exs = [ex for ex in obs_batch if self.is_valid(ex)]
         if valid_exs:
-            skip_retrieval = [
-                ex.get(self.opt['skip_retrieval_key'], False) for ex in valid_exs
-            ]
+            if self.opt.get('force_skip_retrieval', False):
+                skip_retrieval = [True] * len(valid_exs)
+            else:
+                skip_retrieval = [
+                    ex.get(self.opt['skip_retrieval_key'], False) for ex in valid_exs
+                ]
             batch.skip_retrieval_vec = torch.BoolTensor(skip_retrieval)
             if any(ex.get('prior_knowledge_responses') for ex in valid_exs):
                 vecs, _lens = self._pad_tensor(
@@ -563,7 +572,9 @@ def observe(self, observation: Message) -> Dict[str, Message]:
         for key in ['label_candidates', 'knowledge']:
             # Delete unnecessarily large keys
             observation.pop(key, '')
-        observation['knowledge_response'] = observation.get('checked_sentence', '')
+        observation.force_set(
+            'knowledge_response', observation.get('checked_sentence', '')
+        )
 
         raw_observation = copy.deepcopy(observation)
         # This part is *specifically* for document chunking.
diff --git a/tests/nightly/gpu/test_seeker.py b/tests/nightly/gpu/test_seeker.py
index cf0caa0cf61..1d4084847db 100644
--- a/tests/nightly/gpu/test_seeker.py
+++ b/tests/nightly/gpu/test_seeker.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import unittest
 
 import parlai.scripts.eval_model as ems
+from parlai.scripts.self_chat import SelfChat
 import parlai.utils.testing as testing_utils
 
 R2C2_BASE_400M = 'zoo:seeker/r2c2_base_400M/model'
@@ -111,3 +112,15 @@ def test_blenderbot(self):
             'datatype': 'valid',
         }
         ems.EvalModel.main(**opt)
+
+
+class TestSeekerSelfChat(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_400m(self):
+        SelfChat.main(
+            model_file='zoo:seeker/seeker_dialogue_400M/model',
+            num_self_chats=1,
+            init_opt='gen/seeker_dialogue',
+            search_decision='never',
+            search_server='none',
+            krm_force_skip_retrieval=True,
+        )