diff --git a/api/core/rag/datasource/retrieval_service.py b/api/core/rag/datasource/retrieval_service.py
index b985ebbe1d..16fb7ba146 100644
--- a/api/core/rag/datasource/retrieval_service.py
+++ b/api/core/rag/datasource/retrieval_service.py
@@ -175,23 +175,18 @@ class RetrievalService:
         dataset_id: str,
         query: str,
         external_retrieval_model: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        metadata_filtering_conditions: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        metadata_filtering_conditions: MetadataFilteringCondition | None = None,
     ):
         stmt = select(Dataset).where(Dataset.id == dataset_id)
         dataset = db.session.scalar(stmt)
         if not dataset:
             return []
-        metadata_condition = (
-            MetadataFilteringCondition.model_validate(metadata_filtering_conditions)
-            if metadata_filtering_conditions
-            else None
-        )
         all_documents = ExternalDatasetService.fetch_external_knowledge_retrieval(
             dataset.tenant_id,
             dataset_id,
             query,
             external_retrieval_model or {},
-            metadata_condition=metadata_condition,
+            metadata_condition=metadata_filtering_conditions,
         )
         return all_documents
 
diff --git a/api/services/hit_testing_service.py b/api/services/hit_testing_service.py
index 2e5987dd28..14b95994f5 100644
--- a/api/services/hit_testing_service.py
+++ b/api/services/hit_testing_service.py
@@ -142,11 +142,19 @@ class HitTestingService:
 
         start = time.perf_counter()
 
+        from core.rag.entities import MetadataFilteringCondition
+
+        validated_metadata_conditions = (
+            MetadataFilteringCondition.model_validate(metadata_filtering_conditions)
+            if metadata_filtering_conditions
+            else None
+        )
+
         all_documents = RetrievalService.external_retrieve(
             dataset_id=dataset.id,
             query=cls.escape_query_for_search(query),
             external_retrieval_model=external_retrieval_model,
-            metadata_filtering_conditions=metadata_filtering_conditions,
+            metadata_filtering_conditions=validated_metadata_conditions,
         )
 
         end = time.perf_counter()
diff --git a/api/tests/unit_tests/core/rag/datasource/test_datasource_retrieval.py b/api/tests/unit_tests/core/rag/datasource/test_datasource_retrieval.py
index b0ecad4d0c..b6cefb4daa 100644
--- a/api/tests/unit_tests/core/rag/datasource/test_datasource_retrieval.py
+++ b/api/tests/unit_tests/core/rag/datasource/test_datasource_retrieval.py
@@ -226,11 +226,35 @@ class TestRetrievalServiceInternals:
         assert mock_retrieve.call_count == 2
 
     @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.ExternalDatasetService.fetch_external_knowledge_retrieval")
-    @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.MetadataFilteringCondition.model_validate")
     @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.db.session.scalar")
-    def test_external_retrieve_with_metadata_conditions(self, mock_scalar, mock_validate, mock_fetch):
+    def test_external_retrieve_with_metadata_conditions(self, mock_scalar, mock_fetch):
+        from core.rag.entities import MetadataFilteringCondition
+
+        mock_scalar.return_value = SimpleNamespace(tenant_id="tenant-1")
+        expected_documents = [create_mock_document("external-doc", "external-1", 0.8, provider="external")]
+        mock_fetch.return_value = expected_documents
+        metadata_condition = MetadataFilteringCondition(logical_operator="and", conditions=[])
+
+        results = RetrievalService.external_retrieve(
+            dataset_id="dataset-1",
+            query="test query",
+            external_retrieval_model={"top_k": 3},
+            metadata_filtering_conditions=metadata_condition,
+        )
+
+        assert results == expected_documents
+        mock_fetch.assert_called_once_with(
+            "tenant-1",
+            "dataset-1",
+            "test query",
+            {"top_k": 3},
+            metadata_condition=metadata_condition,
+        )
+
+    @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.ExternalDatasetService.fetch_external_knowledge_retrieval")
+    @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.db.session.scalar")
+    def test_external_retrieve_without_metadata_conditions(self, mock_scalar, mock_fetch):
         mock_scalar.return_value = SimpleNamespace(tenant_id="tenant-1")
-        mock_validate.return_value = "validated-condition"
         expected_documents = [create_mock_document("external-doc", "external-1", 0.8, provider="external")]
         mock_fetch.return_value = expected_documents
 
@@ -238,17 +262,15 @@ class TestRetrievalServiceInternals:
             dataset_id="dataset-1",
             query="test query",
             external_retrieval_model={"top_k": 3},
-            metadata_filtering_conditions={"field": "source", "operator": "contains", "value": "manual"},
         )
 
         assert results == expected_documents
-        mock_validate.assert_called_once()
         mock_fetch.assert_called_once_with(
             "tenant-1",
             "dataset-1",
             "test query",
             {"top_k": 3},
-            metadata_condition="validated-condition",
+            metadata_condition=None,
         )
 
     @patch("core.rag.datasource.retrieval_service.db.session.scalar")
diff --git a/api/tests/unit_tests/services/hit_service.py b/api/tests/unit_tests/services/hit_service.py
index ddbc7dc041..a4b6fd874c 100644
--- a/api/tests/unit_tests/services/hit_service.py
+++ b/api/tests/unit_tests/services/hit_service.py
@@ -467,15 +467,21 @@ class TestHitTestingServiceExternalRetrieve:
         """
         Test external retrieval with metadata filtering conditions.
 
-        Verifies that metadata filtering conditions are properly passed
-        to the external retrieval service.
+        Verifies that metadata filtering conditions are validated into a
+        MetadataFilteringCondition instance at the service boundary before
+        being forwarded to the external retrieval service.
         """
+        from core.rag.entities import MetadataFilteringCondition
+
         # Arrange
         dataset = HitTestingTestDataFactory.create_dataset_mock(provider="external")
         account = HitTestingTestDataFactory.create_user_mock()
         query = "test query"
         external_retrieval_model = {"top_k": 3}
-        metadata_filtering_conditions = {"category": "test"}
+        metadata_filtering_conditions = {
+            "logical_operator": "and",
+            "conditions": [{"name": "category", "comparison_operator": "contains", "value": "test"}],
+        }
 
         external_documents = [{"content": "Doc 1", "title": "Title", "score": 0.9, "metadata": {}}]
 
@@ -497,7 +503,9 @@ class TestHitTestingServiceExternalRetrieve:
             assert result["query"]["content"] == query
             assert len(result["records"]) == 1
             call_kwargs = mock_external_retrieve.call_args[1]
-            assert call_kwargs["metadata_filtering_conditions"] == metadata_filtering_conditions
+            forwarded_condition = call_kwargs["metadata_filtering_conditions"]
+            assert isinstance(forwarded_condition, MetadataFilteringCondition)
+            assert forwarded_condition == MetadataFilteringCondition.model_validate(metadata_filtering_conditions)
 
     def test_external_retrieve_empty_documents(self, mock_db_session):
         """