diff --git a/openai_chat.py b/openai_chat.py
index 3d1e23b..802df07 100644
--- a/openai_chat.py
+++ b/openai_chat.py
@@ -27,34 +27,32 @@ class OpenaiChat(PyOperator):
                  **kwargs
                  ):
         openai.api_key = api_key or os.getenv('OPENAI_API_KEY')
+        self._openai_version = openai.__version__
+        if Version(self._openai_version) >= Version('1.0.0'):
+            from openai import OpenAI
+            self.client = OpenAI(api_key=openai.api_key)
+            self.openai_completion = self.client.chat.completions
+        else:
+            self.openai_completion = openai.ChatCompletion
+
         self._model = model_name
         self.stream = kwargs.pop('stream') if 'stream' in kwargs else False
         self.kwargs = kwargs
 
     def __call__(self, messages: List[dict]):
         messages = self.parse_inputs(messages)
-        if Version(openai.__version__) >= Version('1.0.0'):
-            from openai import OpenAI
-            client = OpenAI()
-            response = client.chat.completions.create(
+        response = self.openai_completion.create(
                 model=self._model,
                 messages=messages,
                 n=1,
                 stream=self.stream,
                 **self.kwargs
             )
+        if Version(self._openai_version) >= Version('1.0.0'):
             if self.stream:
                 response = (res.dict() for res in response)
             else:
                 response = response.dict()
-        else:
-            response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
-                model=self._model,
-                messages=messages,
-                n=1,
-                stream=self.stream,
-                **self.kwargs
-            )
         if self.stream:
             return self.stream_output(response)
         else: