diff --git a/litellm/proxy/_types.py b/litellm/proxy/_types.py
index 2c75a608d0d..642d932a712 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/_types.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/_types.py
@@ -2796,7 +2796,7 @@ class ConfigGeneralSettings(LiteLLMPydanticObjectBase):
     )
     enforce_fallback_model_access: bool | None = Field(
         None,
-        description="If True, router fallbacks configured in router_settings are only attempted when the calling key (and its team and project) is allowed to call the fallback model; unauthorized fallback targets are skipped and the primary model's error is returned. Default is False.",
+        description="If True, router fallbacks configured in router_settings are only attempted when the calling key (and its team and project) is allowed to call the fallback model; unauthorized fallback targets are skipped and the primary model's error is returned. Default is True. Set False to disable fallback model access enforcement.",
     )
     disable_fallbacks_on_per_model_rate_limits: bool | None = Field(
         None,
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/auth/fallback_model_access.py b/litellm/proxy/auth/fallback_model_access.py
index 39346c80b22..fe80dc7a90b 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/auth/fallback_model_access.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/auth/fallback_model_access.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ Authorize router fallback targets against the caller's key, team and project mod
 `_enforce_key_and_fallback_model_access` only sees fallbacks the client sends in the request body.
 Fallbacks configured on the router (`router_settings.fallbacks` and friends) are chosen after auth,
 inside the router, so this predicate is injected into the router to re-run the same model access
-checks for each fallback target before it is attempted. Opt-in via
-`general_settings.enforce_fallback_model_access: true`. Fallbacks of a search request always run the
+checks for each fallback target before it is attempted. Enabled by default. Opt out via
+`general_settings.enforce_fallback_model_access: false`. Fallbacks of a search request always run the
 key, team and user search tool grants instead, the same check /search runs on the requested tool.
 """
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class _RequestMetadata(LiteLLMBaseModel):
 
 
 class _FallbackAccessSettings(LiteLLMBaseModel):
-    enforce_fallback_model_access: bool = False
+    enforce_fallback_model_access: bool = True
 
 
 async def is_model_authorized_for_token(*, model: str, valid_token: UserAPIKeyAuth, llm_router: Router) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/auth/test_fallback_model_access.py b/tests/unit/proxy/auth/test_fallback_model_access.py
index 24fcd4671c8..39cb7d07b43 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/auth/test_fallback_model_access.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/auth/test_fallback_model_access.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from typing import Final
+
 import pytest
 
 from litellm import Router
@@ -89,8 +91,9 @@ async def test_check_allows_every_fallback_while_not_enforced():
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("general_settings", "expected"),
     [
-        ({}, True),
+        ({}, False),
         ({"enforce_fallback_model_access": False}, True),
+        ({"enforce_fallback_model_access": "false"}, True),
         ({"enforce_fallback_model_access": True}, False),
         ({"enforce_fallback_model_access": "true"}, False),
     ],
@@ -100,6 +103,9 @@ async def test_proxy_check_reads_enforce_fallback_model_access_from_general_sett
 ):
     monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings", general_settings)
 
+    assert await router_fallback_access_check(
+        model="open-model", request_kwargs=_request_with_key(), llm_router=_router()
+    )
     assert (
         await router_fallback_access_check(
             model="secret-model", request_kwargs=_request_with_key(), llm_router=_router()
@@ -172,3 +178,17 @@ async def test_fallback_named_like_both_a_model_and_a_search_tool_follows_the_re
     )
 
     assert allowed is expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("metadata_field", ["metadata", "litellm_metadata"])
+async def test_default_check_enforces_team_models_for_a_key_without_model_restrictions(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, metadata_field: str
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings", {})
+    router: Final = _router()
+    token: Final = UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed", models=[], team_id="qa-team", team_models=["open-model"])
+    request_kwargs: Final = {metadata_field: {"user_api_key_auth": token}}
+
+    assert await router_fallback_access_check(model="open-model", request_kwargs=request_kwargs, llm_router=router)
+    assert not await router_fallback_access_check(model="secret-model", request_kwargs=request_kwargs, llm_router=router)
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
index 7343c13b409..adf020ca96a 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/lib/http/schema.d.ts
@@ -29601,7 +29601,7 @@ export interface components {
             enable_public_model_hub: boolean;
             /**
              * Enforce Fallback Model Access
-             * @description If True, router fallbacks configured in router_settings are only attempted when the calling key (and its team and project) is allowed to call the fallback model; unauthorized fallback targets are skipped and the primary model's error is returned. Default is False.
+             * @description If True, router fallbacks configured in router_settings are only attempted when the calling key (and its team and project) is allowed to call the fallback model; unauthorized fallback targets are skipped and the primary model's error is returned. Default is True. Set False to disable fallback model access enforcement.
              */
             enforce_fallback_model_access?: boolean | null;
             /**