InvalidURL error when NO_PROXY environment variable contains newline characters

Confirm this is an issue with the Python library and not an underlying OpenAI API

This is an issue with the Python library

Describe the bug

When the NO_PROXY environment variable contains newline characters (common in Docker environments, .env files, or shell scripts), creating an OpenAI client raises InvalidURL.

The error occurs because httpx's get_environment_proxies() only splits NO_PROXY by comma ,, not by newline \n. When a newline is present in the value, it becomes part of the hostname and triggers
URL validation failure.

The fix in httpx would be trivial, but the encode/httpx project is currently not actively accepting external PRs or issues.

Suggesting that openai-python sanitize proxy-related environment variables when initializing the internal httpx client.

To Reproduce

import os
os.environ['NO_PROXY'] = 'localhost\n192.168.1.1'

from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key='sk-test')

Error:
httpx.InvalidURL: Invalid non-printable ASCII character in URL, '\n' at position 16

Code snippets

Root cause trace:

  # 1. stdlib returns raw value with newline
  from urllib.request import getproxies
  import os
  os.environ['NO_PROXY'] = 'localhost\n192.168.1.1'
  print(getproxies())
  # {'no': 'localhost\n192.168.1.1', ...}

  # 2. httpx splits only by comma, newline stays in hostname
  from httpx._utils import get_environment_proxies
  print(get_environment_proxies())
  # {'all://*localhost\n192.168.1.1': None, ...}

  # 3. httpx URL parser rejects non-printable character
  import httpx
  httpx.Client()
  # InvalidURL: Invalid non-printable ASCII character in URL, '\n' at position 16

  Workaround:

  import os
  for key in ("NO_PROXY", "no_proxy"):
      val = os.environ.get(key)
      if val and "\n" in val:
          os.environ[key] = ",".join(
              part.strip() for part in val.replace("\n", ",").split(",") if part.strip()
          )

  from openai import OpenAI  # now works

OS

Windows / Linux (any)

Python version

3.11+

Library version

openai: latest

Hi, I'd like to work on this. I'll submit a PR shortly.

fix: sanitize NO_PROXY env var newlines before httpx client init

If this is still open and there is no active PR in progress, I would like to take a look. The environment sanitization path seems small enough to verify with a focused repro and test.

Implemented in the existing PR for this branch. The client now temporarily normalizes NO_PROXY /
o_proxy values before constructing the default httpx client, so newline-delimited entries no longer crash client initialization on Windows or Unix. I added regression tests for both sync and async constructors.

Thanks. I will step back from this since there is already an active fix in progress.

Stepping back here since there is already an active fix in progress for this issue. I don't want to duplicate effort.

Hi, I'd like to work on this. I'll submit a PR shortly.

fix(client): sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY env var before httpx clien…

fix: sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY before httpx client init (openai#3303

fix(client): sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY env var before httpx clien…

fix: sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY before httpx client init (openai#3303

Working on this in PR #3631.

fix: sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY env var before httpx client init

fix: sanitize newlines in NO_PROXY before httpx client init (openai#3303

Thank you for the report. We understand how multiline Docker Compose configuration can lead to this. HTTPX2 expects a comma-separated NO_PROXY list, so please use NO_PROXY=localhost,192.168.1.1 rather than separating the hosts with newlines.

We’re closing this because we’re keeping the SDK consistent with HTTPX2’s proxy parsing. Broader separator support belongs in the transport library; we won’t add SDK-specific normalization.

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InvalidURL error when NO_PROXY environment variable contains newline characters #3303

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InvalidURL error when NO_PROXY environment variable contains newline characters #3303

Description

Confirm this is an issue with the Python library and not an underlying OpenAI API

Describe the bug

To Reproduce

Code snippets

OS

Python version

Library version

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nightcityblade commented on May 24, 2026

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