diff --git a/litellm/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/latest_release_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/latest_release_endpoints.py
index ef2a5f88e4e..14d75633100 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/latest_release_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/latest_release_endpoints.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import asyncio
+import os
 import re
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 from collections import Counter
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ def _default_fetch_lock() -> asyncio.Lock:
     return _latest_release_fetch_lock
 
 
+def _default_release_check_enabled() -> bool:
+    return os.getenv("LITELLM_DISABLE_LATEST_RELEASE_CHECK", "").strip().lower() != "true"
+
+
 def _bucket_for(line: str) -> _Bucket | None:
     if _NEW_CONTRIBUTOR_PATTERN.match(line) is not None:
         return None
@@ -224,12 +229,16 @@ async def latest_release_info(
     client: Annotated[_AsyncGetClient, Depends(_default_client)],
     cache: Annotated[InMemoryCache, Depends(_default_cache)],
     fetch_lock: Annotated[asyncio.Lock, Depends(_default_fetch_lock)],
+    release_check_enabled: Annotated[bool, Depends(_default_release_check_enabled)],
 ) -> LatestReleaseInfo | None:
     """
     Newest stable release on the LiteLLM changelog, linked to its changelog page, with the PR count of its whole
     minor line (e.g. v1.105.0 + v1.105.1) from GitHub split into new features, bug fixes and other updates.
     Returns null when the changelog or GitHub can't be reached so the dashboard upgrade banner simply doesn't render.
+    Set LITELLM_DISABLE_LATEST_RELEASE_CHECK=true to return null without making any outbound request.
     """
+    if not release_check_enabled:
+        return None
     result: Final = await get_latest_release_info(client=client, cache=cache, fetch_lock=fetch_lock)
     if isinstance(result, LatestReleaseUnavailable):
         verbose_proxy_logger.warning("LiteLLM: latest release info unavailable: %s", result.reason)
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/test_latest_release_endpoints.py b/tests/unit/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/test_latest_release_endpoints.py
index 47f81fb55d1..d5139263dc3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/test_latest_release_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/ui_crud_endpoints/test_latest_release_endpoints.py
@@ -401,6 +401,25 @@ class TestLatestReleaseInfoEndpoint:
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.json() is None
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("flag", "expected_body", "expected_urls"),
+        [
+            ("true", None, []),
+            (" TRUE ", None, []),
+            ("false", EXPECTED_INFO, [CHANGELOG_FEED_URL, _tag_url("v1.102.0")]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_disable_flag_skips_every_outbound_request(
+        self, http_client, monkeypatch, flag, expected_body, expected_urls
+    ):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LITELLM_DISABLE_LATEST_RELEASE_CHECK", flag)
+        client = _minor_release()
+        _override_dependencies(client, _fresh_cache(), LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
+        response = http_client.get("/get/latest_release_info")
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json() == expected_body
+        assert client.urls == expected_urls
+
     def test_repeated_requests_reuse_cache(self, http_client):
         client = _minor_release()
         _override_dependencies(client, _fresh_cache(), LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
index f3821a2bb46..b27d06b00f0 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
@@ -5868,6 +5868,7 @@ export interface paths {
          * @description Newest stable release on the LiteLLM changelog, linked to its changelog page, with the PR count of its whole
          *     minor line (e.g. v1.105.0 + v1.105.1) from GitHub split into new features, bug fixes and other updates.
          *     Returns null when the changelog or GitHub can't be reached so the dashboard upgrade banner simply doesn't render.
+         *     Set LITELLM_DISABLE_LATEST_RELEASE_CHECK=true to return null without making any outbound request.
          */
         get: operations["latest_release_info_get_latest_release_info_get"];
         put?: never;