diff --git a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/presidio.py b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/presidio.py
index 95876a55eab..10b46b35778 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/presidio.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/presidio.py
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ class _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(CustomGuardrail):
         presidio_anonymizer_api_base: Optional[str] = None,
         output_parse_pii: Optional[bool] = False,
         apply_to_output: bool = False,
+        mask_pii_fail_closed: bool = False,
         presidio_ad_hoc_recognizers: Optional[str] = None,
         logging_only: Optional[bool] = None,
         pii_entities_config: Optional[Dict[Union[PiiEntityType, str], PiiAction]] = None,
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ class _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(CustomGuardrail):
         self.mock_redacted_text = mock_redacted_text
         self.output_parse_pii = output_parse_pii or False
         self.apply_to_output = apply_to_output
+        self.mask_pii_fail_closed = mask_pii_fail_closed
 
         # When output_parse_pii or apply_to_output is enabled, the guardrail must
         # also run on post_call to unmask/mask the response.  Expand the event_hook
@@ -298,7 +300,12 @@ class _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(CustomGuardrail):
                 def _fail_on_invalid_response(
                     reason: str,
                 ) -> List[PresidioAnalyzeResponseItem]:
-                    should_fail_closed = bool(self.pii_entities_config) or self.output_parse_pii or self.apply_to_output
+                    should_fail_closed = (
+                        bool(self.pii_entities_config)
+                        or self.output_parse_pii
+                        or self.apply_to_output
+                        or self.mask_pii_fail_closed
+                    )
                     if should_fail_closed:
                         raise GuardrailRaisedException(
                             guardrail_name=self.guardrail_name,
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_initializers.py b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_initializers.py
index e8abf66a6f7..12febc4cbee 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_initializers.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_initializers.py
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ def initialize_presidio(litellm_params: LitellmParams, guardrail: Guardrail):
             apply_to_output=False,
         )
         params.update(overrides)
-        callback = _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(**params)
+        callback = _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(
+            **params,
+            mask_pii_fail_closed=bool(litellm_params.mask_pii_fail_closed),
+        )
         litellm.logging_callback_manager.add_litellm_callback(callback)
         return callback
 
diff --git a/litellm/types/guardrails.py b/litellm/types/guardrails.py
index 889e029b902..3d9a2233e39 100644
--- a/litellm/types/guardrails.py
+++ b/litellm/types/guardrails.py
@@ -345,6 +345,12 @@ class PresidioPresidioConfigModelUserInterface(BaseModel):
         # extra param to let the ui know this is a boolean
         json_schema_extra={"ui_type": GuardrailParamUITypes.BOOL},
     )
+    mask_pii_fail_closed: Optional[bool] = Field(
+        default=None,
+        description="When True, a mask-only Presidio guardrail blocks the request (fail closed) if the analyzer errors, instead of forwarding unmasked text",
+        # extra param to let the ui know this is a boolean
+        json_schema_extra={"ui_type": GuardrailParamUITypes.BOOL},
+    )
     presidio_language: Optional[str] = Field(
         default="en",
         description="Language code for Presidio PII analysis (e.g., 'en', 'de', 'es', 'fr')",
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_presidio.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_presidio.py
index 253d989f203..4838222b979 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_presidio.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_presidio.py
@@ -1079,6 +1079,55 @@ async def test_analyze_text_invalid_response_raises_when_mask_configured():
     assert "PII protection is configured" in str(exc_info.value)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_analyze_text_mask_only_fails_open_by_default():
+    """
+    Default mask-only config (no pii_entities_config / output / apply_to_output)
+    still fails open on analyzer error, preserving prior behaviour (issue #30728).
+    """
+    presidio = _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(
+        presidio_analyzer_api_base="http://mock-presidio:5002/",
+        presidio_anonymizer_api_base="http://mock-presidio:5001/",
+        output_parse_pii=False,
+    )
+    assert presidio.mask_pii_fail_closed is False
+
+    with patch.object(
+        presidio,
+        "_get_session_iterator",
+        _make_mock_session_iterator("Internal Server Error", status=500),
+    ):
+        result = await presidio.analyze_text(
+            text="some text", presidio_config=None, request_data={}
+        )
+    assert result == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_analyze_text_raises_when_mask_pii_fail_closed_set():
+    """
+    With mask_pii_fail_closed=True, a mask-only guardrail blocks (fail closed)
+    on analyzer error instead of forwarding unmasked text (issue #30728).
+    """
+    presidio = _OPTIONAL_PresidioPIIMasking(
+        presidio_analyzer_api_base="http://mock-presidio:5002/",
+        presidio_anonymizer_api_base="http://mock-presidio:5001/",
+        output_parse_pii=False,
+        mask_pii_fail_closed=True,
+    )
+
+    with patch.object(
+        presidio,
+        "_get_session_iterator",
+        _make_mock_session_iterator("Internal Server Error", status=500),
+    ):
+        with pytest.raises(GuardrailRaisedException) as exc_info:
+            await presidio.analyze_text(
+                text="some text", presidio_config=None, request_data={}
+            )
+    assert "PII protection is configured" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_analyze_text_list_with_non_dict_items():
     """