diff --git a/backend/onyx/server/query_and_chat/chat_backend.py b/backend/onyx/server/query_and_chat/chat_backend.py
index f671ccfedf21..2aba347a513d 100644
--- a/backend/onyx/server/query_and_chat/chat_backend.py
+++ b/backend/onyx/server/query_and_chat/chat_backend.py
@@ -672,8 +672,6 @@ def upload_files_for_chat(
             else ChatFileType.PLAIN_TEXT
         )
 
-        file_content = file.file.read()  # Read the file content
-
         if file_type == ChatFileType.IMAGE:
             file_content_io = file.file
             # NOTE: Image conversion to JPEG used to be enforced here.
@@ -682,7 +680,7 @@ def upload_files_for_chat(
             # 2. Maintain transparency in formats like PNG
             # 3. Ameliorate issue with file conversion
         else:
-            file_content_io = io.BytesIO(file_content)
+            file_content_io = io.BytesIO(file.file.read())
 
         new_content_type = file.content_type
 
@@ -700,7 +698,7 @@ def upload_files_for_chat(
         # to re-extract it every time we send a message
         if file_type == ChatFileType.DOC:
             extracted_text = extract_file_text(
-                file=io.BytesIO(file_content),  # use the bytes we already read
+                file=file_content_io, # use the bytes we already read
                 file_name=file.filename or "",
             )
             text_file_id = str(uuid.uuid4())