diff --git a/digital-avatar-app/backend/services/boxim_client.py b/digital-avatar-app/backend/services/boxim_client.py
index ce3071b..726da2a 100644
--- a/digital-avatar-app/backend/services/boxim_client.py
+++ b/digital-avatar-app/backend/services/boxim_client.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class BoxIMClient:
         keys = sorted(params.keys())
         sign_parts = []
         for k in keys:
+            if k in ("signature", "accessSecret"):
+                continue
             v = params.get(k)
             if v and v != "" and v != []:
                 sign_parts.append(f"{k}={v}")
diff --git a/digital-avatar-app/backend/tests/test_boxim_client.py b/digital-avatar-app/backend/tests/test_boxim_client.py
index 230bde2..5bd4d0c 100644
--- a/digital-avatar-app/backend/tests/test_boxim_client.py
+++ b/digital-avatar-app/backend/tests/test_boxim_client.py
@@ -98,6 +98,28 @@ def test_build_sign_params_contains_required_fields(mock_config):
     assert len(params["nonce"]) == 12
 
 
+def test_build_sign_params_excludes_signature_and_accessSecret_from_signing_string(mock_config):
+    """signature and accessSecret must be excluded from the signing string to match news_service.py."""
+    from services.boxim_client import BoxIMClient
+
+    client = BoxIMClient(mock_config)
+
+    # Pass params that already contain a stale "signature" value
+    params_with_stale_sig = client._build_sign_params({
+        "userId": "u1",
+        "signature": "OLD_STALE_SIG",
+    })
+
+    # The returned signature must be freshly computed (32-char MD5 uppercase),
+    # NOT the stale value we passed in.
+    assert params_with_stale_sig["signature"] != "OLD_STALE_SIG"
+    assert len(params_with_stale_sig["signature"]) == 32
+
+    # Calling with the same extra params but no stale signature should also work.
+    params_clean = client._build_sign_params({"userId": "u1"})
+    assert len(params_clean["signature"]) == 32
+
+
 def test_build_sign_params_signature_is_deterministic(mock_config):
     """Same inputs should produce valid MD5 signatures."""
     from services.boxim_client import BoxIMClient