diff --git a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/models/dynamic_services_scheduler.py b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/models/dynamic_services_scheduler.py
index c7e28d41428..7e9b3ebeac6 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/models/dynamic_services_scheduler.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/models/dynamic_services_scheduler.py
@@ -464,9 +464,13 @@ def get_proxy_endpoint(self) -> AnyHttpUrl:
         )
         return url
 
-    product_name: str = Field(
-        description="Current product upon which this service is scheduled"
-    )
+    product_name: Annotated[
+        str | None,
+        Field(
+            description="Current product upon which this service is scheduled"
+            "If set to None, the current product is undefined. Mostly for backwards compatibility",
+        ),
+    ] = None
 
     @classmethod
     def from_http_request(
diff --git a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/proxy.py b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/proxy.py
index b946e71d4ea..07b1adbb08b 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/proxy.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/proxy.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ def get_dynamic_proxy_spec(
     The proxy is used to create network isolation
     from the rest of the platform.
     """
+    assert (
+        scheduler_data.product_name is not None
+    ), "ONLY for legacy. This function should not be called with product_name==None"  # nosec
 
     proxy_settings: DynamicSidecarProxySettings = (
         dynamic_services_settings.DYNAMIC_SIDECAR_PROXY_SETTINGS
diff --git a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/sidecar.py b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/sidecar.py
index b6885bae7b3..4ee83bee16f 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/sidecar.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/docker_service_specs/sidecar.py
@@ -447,6 +447,10 @@ async def get_dynamic_sidecar_spec(  # pylint:disable=too-many-arguments# noqa:
         dynamic_sidecar_settings=dynamic_sidecar_settings, app_settings=app_settings
     )
 
+    assert (
+        scheduler_data.product_name is not None
+    ), "ONLY for legacy. This function should not be called with product_name==None"  # nosec
+
     standard_simcore_docker_labels: dict[
         DockerLabelKey, str
     ] = StandardSimcoreDockerLabels(
diff --git a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_event_create_sidecars.py b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_event_create_sidecars.py
index abf052f4e12..c6a4cba08f3 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_event_create_sidecars.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_event_create_sidecars.py
@@ -199,7 +199,9 @@ async def action(cls, app: FastAPI, scheduler_data: SchedulerData) -> None:
 
         groups_extra_properties = get_repository(app, GroupsExtraPropertiesRepository)
 
-        assert scheduler_data.product_name is not None  # nosec
+        assert (
+            scheduler_data.product_name is not None
+        ), "ONLY for legacy. This function should not be called with product_name==None"  # nosec
 
         user_extra_properties = await groups_extra_properties.get_user_extra_properties(
             user_id=scheduler_data.user_id, product_name=scheduler_data.product_name
diff --git a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_events_user_services.py b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_events_user_services.py
index f8416b4809b..b00b4e568f1 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_events_user_services.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/src/simcore_service_director_v2/modules/dynamic_sidecar/scheduler/_core/_events_user_services.py
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ async def submit_compose_sepc(app: FastAPI, scheduler_data: SchedulerData) -> No
     )
 
     groups_extra_properties = get_repository(app, GroupsExtraPropertiesRepository)
-    assert scheduler_data.product_name is not None  # nosec
+    assert (
+        scheduler_data.product_name is not None
+    ), "ONLY for legacy. This function should not be called with product_name==None"  # nosec
     allow_internet_access: bool = await groups_extra_properties.has_internet_access(
         user_id=scheduler_data.user_id, product_name=scheduler_data.product_name
     )
@@ -168,7 +170,9 @@ async def progress_create_containers(
         project_name=project_name,
         node_name=node_name,
         service_key=scheduler_data.key,
-        service_version=TypeAdapter(ServiceVersion).validate_python(scheduler_data.version),
+        service_version=TypeAdapter(ServiceVersion).validate_python(
+            scheduler_data.version
+        ),
         service_resources=scheduler_data.service_resources,
         service_additional_metadata={},
     )
diff --git a/services/director-v2/tests/unit/conftest.py b/services/director-v2/tests/unit/conftest.py
index b305f6bcafd..ab5877a8680 100644
--- a/services/director-v2/tests/unit/conftest.py
+++ b/services/director-v2/tests/unit/conftest.py
@@ -51,8 +51,11 @@ def simcore_services_network_name() -> str:
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def simcore_service_labels() -> SimcoreServiceLabels:
+    json_schema_extra = {}
+    SimcoreServiceLabels.model_config["json_schema_extra"](json_schema_extra)
+
     simcore_service_labels = SimcoreServiceLabels.model_validate(
-        SimcoreServiceLabels.model_config["json_schema_extra"]["examples"][1]
+        json_schema_extra["examples"][1]
     )
     simcore_service_labels.callbacks_mapping = CallbacksMapping.model_validate({})
     return simcore_service_labels