diff --git a/src/openai/_streaming.py b/src/openai/_streaming.py
index 61a742668a..107cdfacf0 100644
--- a/src/openai/_streaming.py
+++ b/src/openai/_streaming.py
@@ -60,11 +60,10 @@ def __stream__(self) -> Iterator[_T]:
                 if sse.data.startswith("[DONE]"):
                     break
 
-                # we have to special case the Assistants `thread.` events since we won't have an "event" key in the data
-                if sse.event and sse.event.startswith("thread."):
+                # Check for error events first
+                if sse.event == "error":
                     data = sse.json()
-
-                    if sse.event == "error" and is_mapping(data) and data.get("error"):
+                    if is_mapping(data) and data.get("error"):
                         message = None
                         error = data.get("error")
                         if is_mapping(error):
@@ -78,6 +77,9 @@ def __stream__(self) -> Iterator[_T]:
                             body=data["error"],
                         )
 
+                # we have to special case the Assistants `thread.` events since we won't have an "event" key in the data
+                if sse.event and sse.event.startswith("thread."):
+                    data = sse.json()
                     yield process_data(data={"data": data, "event": sse.event}, cast_to=cast_to, response=response)
                 else:
                     data = sse.json()
@@ -163,11 +165,10 @@ async def __stream__(self) -> AsyncIterator[_T]:
                 if sse.data.startswith("[DONE]"):
                     break
 
-                # we have to special case the Assistants `thread.` events since we won't have an "event" key in the data
-                if sse.event and sse.event.startswith("thread."):
+                # Check for error events first
+                if sse.event == "error":
                     data = sse.json()
-
-                    if sse.event == "error" and is_mapping(data) and data.get("error"):
+                    if is_mapping(data) and data.get("error"):
                         message = None
                         error = data.get("error")
                         if is_mapping(error):
@@ -181,6 +182,9 @@ async def __stream__(self) -> AsyncIterator[_T]:
                             body=data["error"],
                         )
 
+                # we have to special case the Assistants `thread.` events since we won't have an "event" key in the data
+                if sse.event and sse.event.startswith("thread."):
+                    data = sse.json()
                     yield process_data(data={"data": data, "event": sse.event}, cast_to=cast_to, response=response)
                 else:
                     data = sse.json()
diff --git a/src/openai/resources/beta/realtime/realtime.py b/src/openai/resources/beta/realtime/realtime.py
index 4fa35963b6..edab55c613 100644
--- a/src/openai/resources/beta/realtime/realtime.py
+++ b/src/openai/resources/beta/realtime/realtime.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     SessionsWithStreamingResponse,
     AsyncSessionsWithStreamingResponse,
 )
-from ...._types import NOT_GIVEN, Query, Headers, NotGiven
+from ...._types import NOT_GIVEN, Omit, Query, Headers, NotGiven, omit
 from ...._utils import (
     is_azure_client,
     maybe_transform,
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def with_streaming_response(self) -> RealtimeWithStreamingResponse:
     def connect(
         self,
         *,
-        model: str,
+        model: str | Omit = omit,
         extra_query: Query = {},
         extra_headers: Headers = {},
         websocket_connection_options: WebsocketConnectionOptions = {},
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def with_streaming_response(self) -> AsyncRealtimeWithStreamingResponse:
     def connect(
         self,
         *,
-        model: str,
+        model: str | Omit = omit,
         extra_query: Query = {},
         extra_headers: Headers = {},
         websocket_connection_options: WebsocketConnectionOptions = {},
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         *,
         client: AsyncOpenAI,
-        model: str,
+        model: str | Omit = omit,
         extra_query: Query,
         extra_headers: Headers,
         websocket_connection_options: WebsocketConnectionOptions,
@@ -361,12 +361,15 @@ async def __aenter__(self) -> AsyncRealtimeConnection:
         await self.__client._refresh_api_key()
         auth_headers = self.__client.auth_headers
         if is_async_azure_client(self.__client):
-            url, auth_headers = await self.__client._configure_realtime(self.__model, extra_query)
+            model = self.__model
+            if not model or model is omit:
+                raise OpenAIError("`model` is required for Azure Realtime API")
+            url, auth_headers = await self.__client._configure_realtime(model, extra_query)
         else:
             url = self._prepare_url().copy_with(
                 params={
                     **self.__client.base_url.params,
-                    "model": self.__model,
+                    **({"model": self.__model} if self.__model is not omit else {}),
                     **extra_query,
                 },
             )
@@ -510,7 +513,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         *,
         client: OpenAI,
-        model: str,
+        model: str | Omit = omit,
         extra_query: Query,
         extra_headers: Headers,
         websocket_connection_options: WebsocketConnectionOptions,
@@ -544,12 +547,15 @@ def __enter__(self) -> RealtimeConnection:
         self.__client._refresh_api_key()
         auth_headers = self.__client.auth_headers
         if is_azure_client(self.__client):
-            url, auth_headers = self.__client._configure_realtime(self.__model, extra_query)
+            model = self.__model
+            if not model or model is omit:
+                raise OpenAIError("`model` is required for Azure Realtime API")
+            url, auth_headers = self.__client._configure_realtime(model, extra_query)
         else:
             url = self._prepare_url().copy_with(
                 params={
                     **self.__client.base_url.params,
-                    "model": self.__model,
+                    **({"model": self.__model} if self.__model is not omit else {}),
                     **extra_query,
                 },
             )