diff --git a/backend/chainlit/config.py b/backend/chainlit/config.py
index a540752b33..3e7931590e 100644
--- a/backend/chainlit/config.py
+++ b/backend/chainlit/config.py
@@ -633,7 +633,8 @@ def load_settings():
         ui_settings = toml_dict.get("UI", {})
         meta = toml_dict.get("meta")
 
-        if not meta or meta.get("generated_by") <= "0.3.0":
+        generated_by = meta.get("generated_by") if meta else None
+        if not generated_by or generated_by <= "0.3.0":
             raise ValueError(
                 f"Your config file '{config_file}' is outdated. Please delete it and restart the app to regenerate it."
             )
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_config.py b/backend/tests/test_config.py
index a1f9dff15f..324b77fe4a 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_config.py
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@
 from chainlit.config import ChainlitConfig
 
 
+class TestLoadSettingsMetaGuard:
+    """Regression test: meta section with missing generated_by must not raise TypeError."""
+
+    def test_meta_section_without_generated_by_raises_value_error(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+    ):
+        """[meta] present but lacking 'generated_by' should raise ValueError, not TypeError."""
+        toml_content = "[meta]\nsome_other_key = \"value\"\n"
+        cfg_file = tmp_path / "config.toml"
+        cfg_file.write_text(toml_content, encoding="utf-8")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(chainlit_config, "config_file", str(cfg_file))
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="outdated"):
+            chainlit_config.load_settings()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def translation_dir(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
     """Minimal translation directory with a controlled set of locale files."""