diff --git a/openhands/runtime/base.py b/openhands/runtime/base.py
index b2fbd53b21..c079aae92f 100644
--- a/openhands/runtime/base.py
+++ b/openhands/runtime/base.py
@@ -210,9 +210,11 @@ class Runtime(FileEditRuntimeMixin):
         source = event.source if event.source else EventSource.AGENT
         self.event_stream.add_event(observation, source)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
 
-    def clone_repo(self, github_token: str | None, selected_repository: str | None):
+    def clone_repo(self, github_token: str, selected_repository: str):
         if not github_token or not selected_repository:
-            return
+            raise ValueError(
+                'github_token and selected_repository must be provided to clone a repository'
+            )
         url = f'https://{github_token}@github.com/{selected_repository}.git'
         dir_name = selected_repository.split('/')[1]
         # add random branch name to avoid conflicts
diff --git a/openhands/server/routes/manage_conversations.py b/openhands/server/routes/manage_conversations.py
index 235b5801f2..6d23ae0169 100644
--- a/openhands/server/routes/manage_conversations.py
+++ b/openhands/server/routes/manage_conversations.py
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ UPDATED_AT_CALLBACK_ID = 'updated_at_callback_id'
 
 class InitSessionRequest(BaseModel):
     github_token: str | None = None
-    latest_event_id: int = -1
     selected_repository: str | None = None
-    args: dict | None = None
 
 
 @app.post('/conversations')
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ async def new_conversation(request: Request, data: InitSessionRequest):
         session_init_args = {**settings.__dict__, **session_init_args}
 
     github_token = getattr(request.state, 'github_token', '')
-    session_init_args['github_token'] = github_token
+    session_init_args['github_token'] = github_token or data.github_token or ''
     session_init_args['selected_repository'] = data.selected_repository
     conversation_init_data = ConversationInitData(**session_init_args)
     logger.info('Loading conversation store')
diff --git a/openhands/server/session/agent_session.py b/openhands/server/session/agent_session.py
index 9f761a9298..3a0c96804c 100644
--- a/openhands/server/session/agent_session.py
+++ b/openhands/server/session/agent_session.py
@@ -204,7 +204,10 @@ class AgentSession:
                 )
             return
 
-        self.runtime.clone_repo(github_token, selected_repository)
+        if selected_repository:
+            await call_sync_from_async(
+                self.runtime.clone_repo, github_token, selected_repository
+            )
         if agent.prompt_manager:
             microagents: list[BaseMicroAgent] = await call_sync_from_async(
                 self.runtime.get_microagents_from_selected_repo, selected_repository