diff --git a/src/_nebari/stages/infrastructure/__init__.py b/src/_nebari/stages/infrastructure/__init__.py
index a1b9f3773..9d34967e9 100644
--- a/src/_nebari/stages/infrastructure/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_nebari/stages/infrastructure/__init__.py
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ def check_provider(cls, values):
                 # TODO: all cloud providers has required fields, but local and existing don't.
                 #  And there is no way to initialize a model without user input here.
                 #  We preserve the original behavior here, but we should find a better way to do this.
-                if provider in ["local", "existing"]:
+                if provider in ["local", "existing"] and provider not in values:
                     values[provider] = provider_enum_model_map[provider]()
             else:
                 # if the provider field is invalid, it won't be set when this validator is called
diff --git a/tests/tests_unit/test_schema.py b/tests/tests_unit/test_schema.py
index 21efe47c2..4f9dc23f9 100644
--- a/tests/tests_unit/test_schema.py
+++ b/tests/tests_unit/test_schema.py
@@ -137,3 +137,17 @@ def test_multiple_providers(config_schema):
     msg = r"Multiple providers set: \['local', 'existing'\]"
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match=msg):
         config_schema(**config_dict)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("provider", ["local", "existing"])
+def test_setted_provider(config_schema, provider):
+    config_dict = {
+        "project_name": "test",
+        "provider": provider,
+        f"{provider}": {"kube_context": "some_context"},
+    }
+    config = config_schema(**config_dict)
+    assert config.provider == provider
+    result_config_dict = config.dict()
+    assert provider in result_config_dict
+    assert result_config_dict[provider]["kube_context"] == "some_context"