diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 0e26cdb001..2b8c6b4ae5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         shell: bash
         run: |
-          yq '.services.fixworker.environment += "FIXWORKER_OVERRIDE=fixworker.collector=example"' docker-compose.yaml > docker-compose-model-gen.yaml
+          yq '.services.fixcore.environment += "FIXCORE_MODEL_FROM_PLUGINS=true"' docker-compose.yaml > docker-compose-model-gen.yaml
           PSK= FIXCORE_ANALYTICS_OPT_OUT=true docker-compose -f docker-compose-model-gen.yaml up -d
           cd ${{ github.workspace }}/docs.fix.security/docs/resources
           python3 ${{ github.workspace }}/docs.fix.security/tools/export_models.py
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         shell: bash
         run: |
-          yq '.services.fixworker.environment += "FIXWORKER_OVERRIDE=fixworker.collector=example"' docker-compose.yaml > docker-compose-model-gen.yaml
+          yq '.services.fixcore.environment += "FIXCORE_MODEL_FROM_PLUGINS=true"' docker-compose.yaml > docker-compose-model-gen.yaml
           PSK= FIXCORE_ANALYTICS_OPT_OUT=true docker-compose -f docker-compose-model-gen.yaml up -d
           cd ${{ github.workspace }}/inventory.fix.security/versioned_docs/version-${{ steps.release.outputs.docsVersion }}/reference/unified-data-model
           python3 ${{ github.workspace }}/inventory.fix.security/tools/export_models.py
diff --git a/fixcore/fixcore/__main__.py b/fixcore/fixcore/__main__.py
index 872f4acc3d..ede3e62b59 100644
--- a/fixcore/fixcore/__main__.py
+++ b/fixcore/fixcore/__main__.py
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ async def direct_tenant(deps: TenantDependencies) -> None:
     deps.add(ServiceNames.system_data, db_change.current)
     message_bus = deps.add(ServiceNames.message_bus, MessageBus())
     scheduler = deps.add(ServiceNames.scheduler, APScheduler() if not config.args.no_scheduling else NoScheduler())
-    model = deps.add(ServiceNames.model_handler, ModelHandlerDB(db, config.runtime.plantuml_server))
+    model_handler_class = ModelHandlerFromCodeAndDB if config.args.model_from_plugins else ModelHandlerDB
+    model = deps.add(ServiceNames.model_handler, model_handler_class(db, config.runtime.plantuml_server))
     worker_task_queue = deps.add(ServiceNames.worker_task_queue, WorkerTaskQueue())
     # a "real" config override deps.add, unlike the one used for core config
     config_override_service = deps.add(
diff --git a/fixcore/fixcore/system_start.py b/fixcore/fixcore/system_start.py
index 02cc292a6a..479e32b66a 100644
--- a/fixcore/fixcore/system_start.py
+++ b/fixcore/fixcore/system_start.py
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ def key_value(kv: str) -> Tuple[str, JsonElement]:
         choices=AllowedRoleNames,
         help="Assign this role to the service. Only takes effect when no PSK / UserManagement is used.",
     )
+    # only valid in non-multi-tenant setup: generate model from plugins, instead of loading it from the database
+    parser.add_argument("--model-from-plugins", default=False, action="store_true", help=argparse.SUPPRESS)
 
     parsed: Namespace = parser.parse_args(args if args else [])
 
diff --git a/fixlib/fixlib/core/model_export.py b/fixlib/fixlib/core/model_export.py
index 8d86066b69..2f6821c9f5 100644
--- a/fixlib/fixlib/core/model_export.py
+++ b/fixlib/fixlib/core/model_export.py
@@ -265,16 +265,11 @@ def export_data_class(clazz: type) -> None:
             metadata["service"] = s
         if (slc := getattr(clazz, "categories", None)) and callable(slc) and (sl := slc()):
             metadata["categories"] = sl
-        if (docs_url := getattr(clazz, "_docs_url", None)) and isinstance(docs_url, str):
-            metadata["docs_url"] = docs_url
-        if (  # only export kind description on aggregate roots
-            with_kind_description
-            and (ar := aggregate_root)
-            and issubclass(clazz, ar)
-            and (s := clazz.__dict__.get("_kind_description", None))
-            and isinstance(s, str)
-        ):
-            metadata["description"] = s
+        if with_kind_description and (ar := aggregate_root) and issubclass(clazz, ar):
+            if (s := clazz.__dict__.get("_kind_description", None)) and isinstance(s, str):
+                metadata["description"] = s
+            if (docs_url := getattr(clazz, "_docs_url", None)) and isinstance(docs_url, str):
+                metadata["docs_url"] = docs_url
         if root and (source := model_source(clazz.__module__)):
             metadata["source"] = source