diff --git a/src/error/mod.rs b/src/error/mod.rs
index f6b1a55..c95ce5b 100644
--- a/src/error/mod.rs
+++ b/src/error/mod.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ pub enum LLMError {
     BytesConversion(#[from] FromUtf8Error),
     #[error("cli not found: {0}")]
     CLINotFound(String),
+    #[error("empty credential: {0}")]
+    EmptyCredential(String),
     #[error("missing env variable: {0}")]
     Env(#[from] VarError),
     #[error("failed to prompt: {0}")]
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 85e16d1..0572caa 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,8 @@
 mod error;
 pub mod llm;
+
+// Re-export constants for convenient access
+pub use llm::constants;
+
+// Re-export Model trait and get_available_models function for convenient access
+pub use llm::{get_available_models, Model};
diff --git a/src/llm/anthropic.rs b/src/llm/anthropic.rs
index a0618c3..1572e40 100644
--- a/src/llm/anthropic.rs
+++ b/src/llm/anthropic.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 use crate::error::LLMError;
 
-use super::{Model, ModelFactory};
+use super::{Model, ModelFactory, constants::names};
 
 use std::env::var;
 
+const ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: &'static str = "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY";
+
 pub struct Anthropic {
     api_key: String,
 }
 
 impl ModelFactory for Anthropic {
     fn init() -> Result<Self, LLMError> {
-        let api_key = var("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY")?;
+        let api_key = var(ANTHROPIC_API_KEY)?.trim().to_string();
+        if api_key.is_empty() {
+            return Err(LLMError::EmptyCredential(ANTHROPIC_API_KEY.into()));
+        }
 
         Ok(Self { api_key })
     }
@@ -18,7 +23,7 @@ impl ModelFactory for Anthropic {
 
 impl Model for Anthropic {
     fn get_name(&self) -> String {
-        "Anthropic API".into()
+        names::ANTHROPIC.into()
     }
 
     fn prompt(&self, _: &str) -> Result<String, LLMError> {
diff --git a/src/llm/claude.rs b/src/llm/claude.rs
index 5432fc8..b003651 100644
--- a/src/llm/claude.rs
+++ b/src/llm/claude.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ use std::process::Command;
 
 use crate::{
     error::LLMError,
-    llm::{Model, ModelFactory},
+    llm::{constants::names, Model, ModelFactory},
 };
 
-const CLAUDE_CLI_NAME: &str = "claude";
+const CLAUDE_CLI_NAME: &'static str = "claude";
 
 pub struct Claude {}
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ impl ModelFactory for Claude {
 
 impl Model for Claude {
     fn get_name(&self) -> String {
-        "Claude CLI".into()
+        names::CLAUDE.into()
     }
 
     fn prompt(&self, input: &str) -> Result<String, LLMError> {
diff --git a/src/llm/constants.rs b/src/llm/constants.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b52cc8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/llm/constants.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/// Model name constants that can be used to check against
+/// model names in external projects.
+///
+/// These constants match the values returned by `Model::get_name()`.
+pub mod names {
+    /// The display name for the Cursor model: "Cursor CLI"
+    pub const CURSOR: &'static str = "Cursor CLI";
+
+    /// The display name for the Claude model: "Claude CLI"
+    pub const CLAUDE: &'static str = "Claude CLI";
+
+    /// The display name for the Anthropic model: "Anthropic API"
+    pub const ANTHROPIC: &'static str = "Anthropic API";
+
+    /// The display name for the OpenAI model: "OpenAI API"
+    pub const OPENAI: &'static str = "OpenAI API";
+}
diff --git a/src/llm/cursor.rs b/src/llm/cursor.rs
index 2a9c7fb..326dbd2 100644
--- a/src/llm/cursor.rs
+++ b/src/llm/cursor.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 use crate::{
     error::LLMError,
-    llm::{Model, ModelFactory},
+    llm::{constants::names, Model, ModelFactory},
 };
 
 use std::process::Command;
 
-const CURSOR_CLI_NAME: &str = "cursor-agent";
+const CURSOR_CLI_NAME: &'static str = "cursor-agent";
 
 pub struct CursorCLI {}
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ impl ModelFactory for CursorCLI {
 
 impl Model for CursorCLI {
     fn get_name(&self) -> String {
-        "Cursor CLI".into()
+        names::CURSOR.into()
     }
 
     fn prompt(&self, input: &str) -> Result<String, LLMError> {
diff --git a/src/llm/mod.rs b/src/llm/mod.rs
index 09aea66..bb855d7 100644
--- a/src/llm/mod.rs
+++ b/src/llm/mod.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ mod claude;
 mod cursor;
 mod openai;
 
+/// Model name constants that can be used to check against
+/// model names in external projects.
+pub mod constants;
+
 use crate::{
     error::LLMError,
     llm::{anthropic::Anthropic, claude::Claude, cursor::CursorCLI, openai::OpenAI},
@@ -35,6 +39,9 @@ pub trait Model: Send + Sync {
 
 /// Returns the available models in the current
 /// system context.
+///
+/// TODO: ideally this should also include the lifeness check for the found models (e.g. sending a
+/// simple prompt).
 pub fn get_available_models() -> Result<Vec<Box<dyn Model>>, LLMError> {
     let mut models: Vec<Box<dyn Model>> = vec![];
 
diff --git a/src/llm/openai.rs b/src/llm/openai.rs
index 383a0b3..82787c5 100644
--- a/src/llm/openai.rs
+++ b/src/llm/openai.rs
@@ -2,23 +2,29 @@ use std::env::var;
 
 use crate::{
     error::LLMError,
-    llm::{Model, ModelFactory},
+    llm::{Model, ModelFactory, constants::names},
 };
 
+const OPENAI_API_KEY: &'static str = "OPENAI_API_KEY";
+
 pub struct OpenAI {
     api_key: String,
 }
 
 impl ModelFactory for OpenAI {
     fn init() -> Result<Self, LLMError> {
-        let api_key = var("OPENAI_API_KEY")?;
+        let api_key = var(OPENAI_API_KEY)?.trim().to_string();
+        if api_key.is_empty() {
+            return Err(LLMError::EmptyCredential(OPENAI_API_KEY.into()));
+        }
+
         Ok(Self { api_key })
     }
 }
 
 impl Model for OpenAI {
     fn get_name(&self) -> String {
-        "OpenAI API".into()
+        names::OPENAI.into()
     }
 
     fn prompt(&self, _: &str) -> Result<String, LLMError> {