diff --git a/cosmos/converter.py b/cosmos/converter.py
index 97e8190dd..a6b4441f7 100644
--- a/cosmos/converter.py
+++ b/cosmos/converter.py
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ def __init__(
 
         validate_adapted_user_config(execution_config, project_config, render_config)
 
-        env_vars = project_config.env_vars or operator_args.pop("env", None)
-        dbt_vars = project_config.dbt_vars or operator_args.pop("vars", None)
+        env_vars = project_config.env_vars or operator_args.get("env")
+        dbt_vars = project_config.dbt_vars or operator_args.get("vars")
 
         # Previously, we were creating a cosmos.dbt.project.DbtProject
         # DbtProject has now been replaced with ProjectConfig directly
diff --git a/tests/test_converter.py b/tests/test_converter.py
index d84249aae..b0913acae 100644
--- a/tests/test_converter.py
+++ b/tests/test_converter.py
@@ -405,3 +405,36 @@ def test_converter_project_config_dbt_vars_with_custom_load_mode(
         )
     _, kwargs = mock_legacy_dbt_project.call_args
     assert kwargs["dbt_vars"] == {"key": "value"}
+
+
+@patch("cosmos.config.ProjectConfig.validate_project")
+@patch("cosmos.converter.build_airflow_graph")
+@patch("cosmos.converter.DbtGraph.load")
+def test_converter_multiple_calls_same_operator_args(
+    mock_dbt_graph_load, mock_validate_project, mock_build_airflow_graph
+):
+    """Tests if the DbttoAirflowConverter is called more than once with the same operator_args, the
+    operator_args are not modified.
+    """
+    project_config = ProjectConfig(project_name="fake-project", dbt_project_path="/some/project/path")
+    execution_config = ExecutionConfig()
+    render_config = RenderConfig()
+    profile_config = MagicMock()
+    operator_args = {
+        "install_deps": True,
+        "vars": {"key": "value"},
+        "env": {"key": "value"},
+    }
+    original_operator_args = operator_args.copy()
+    for _ in range(2):
+        with DAG("test-id", start_date=datetime(2022, 1, 1)) as dag:
+            DbtToAirflowConverter(
+                dag=dag,
+                nodes=nodes,
+                project_config=project_config,
+                profile_config=profile_config,
+                execution_config=execution_config,
+                render_config=render_config,
+                operator_args=operator_args,
+            )
+    assert operator_args == original_operator_args