diff --git a/litellm/constants.py b/litellm/constants.py
index 6b984c2673c..de00c682d04 100644
--- a/litellm/constants.py
+++ b/litellm/constants.py
@@ -792,6 +792,9 @@ OPENAI_TRANSCRIPTION_PARAMS: Final = [
 
 OPENAI_EMBEDDING_PARAMS: Final = ["dimensions", "encoding_format", "user"]
 
+# excludes extra_query: it has no forwarding path outside extra_body yet
+OPENAI_SDK_TRANSPORT_PARAMS: Final = frozenset({"extra_headers", "timeout"})
+
 DEFAULT_EMBEDDING_PARAM_VALUES: Final = {
     **{k: None for k in OPENAI_EMBEDDING_PARAMS},
     "model": None,
diff --git a/litellm/utils.py b/litellm/utils.py
index 1a77655a5a4..ed353092c51 100644
--- a/litellm/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/utils.py
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ from litellm.constants import (
     MINIMUM_PROMPT_CACHE_TOKEN_COUNT_OVERRIDE,
     NON_INFERENCE_CALL_TYPES,
     OPENAI_EMBEDDING_PARAMS,
+    OPENAI_SDK_TRANSPORT_PARAMS,
     PROVIDERS_THAT_AUTHENTICATE_ON_PROVIDER_INFO,
     TOOL_CHOICE_OBJECT_TOKEN_COUNT,
 )
@@ -4818,7 +4819,7 @@ def add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params(
         if _should_drop_param(k="extra_body", additional_drop_params=additional_drop_params) is False:
             extra_body: Final = dict(passed_params.pop("extra_body", None) or {})
             for k in passed_params:
-                if k not in openai_params and passed_params[k] is not None:
+                if k not in openai_params and k not in OPENAI_SDK_TRANSPORT_PARAMS and passed_params[k] is not None:
                     extra_body[k] = passed_params[k]
             if not isinstance(optional_params.get("extra_body"), dict):
                 optional_params["extra_body"] = {}
@@ -4836,7 +4837,7 @@ def add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params(
             optional_params["extra_body"] = _ensure_extra_body_is_safe(extra_body=processed_extra_body)
     else:
         for k in passed_params:
-            if k not in openai_params and passed_params[k] is not None:
+            if k not in openai_params and k not in OPENAI_SDK_TRANSPORT_PARAMS and passed_params[k] is not None:
                 if _should_drop_param(k=k, additional_drop_params=additional_drop_params):
                     continue
                 optional_params[k] = passed_params[k]
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_utils.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_utils.py
index c7e46829aba..0a1e5d433eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_utils.py
@@ -451,6 +451,25 @@ def test_get_optional_params_image_gen_filters_empty_values():
     assert optional_params == {}
 
 
+def test_get_optional_params_image_gen_excludes_extra_headers_from_extra_body():
+    """Fixes https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/40628: extra_headers must
+    not fold into extra_body; extra_query still does, with no path elsewhere."""
+    from litellm.types.utils import LlmProviders
+
+    provider_config = ProviderConfigManager.get_provider_image_generation_config(
+        model="gpt-image-1", provider=LlmProviders("openai")
+    )
+    optional_params = get_optional_params_image_gen(
+        model="gpt-image-1",
+        custom_llm_provider="openai",
+        provider_config=provider_config,
+        drop_params=True,
+        extra_headers={"cf-aig-authorization": "Bearer cfut_REDACTED"},
+        extra_query={"foo": "bar"},
+    )
+    assert optional_params == {"extra_body": {"extra_query": {"foo": "bar"}}}
+
+
 def test_gpt_image_provider_detection_covers_existing_family():
     for image_model in ("gpt-image-1", "gpt-image-1-mini", "gpt-image-1.5"):
         model, custom_llm_provider, _, _ = litellm.get_llm_provider(model=image_model)
@@ -3743,6 +3762,59 @@ class TestAdditionalDropParamsForNonOpenAIProviders:
         assert result.get("custom_param") == "value"
 
 
+class TestSdkTransportParamsExcludedFromExtraBody:
+    """Fixes https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/40628: extra_headers/timeout
+    must never fold into extra_body pass-through; extra_query still does, since it
+    has no other forwarding path yet."""
+
+    def test_excluded_for_openai_family_while_extra_query_and_unknown_still_pass_through(self):
+        from litellm.utils import add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params
+
+        passed_params = {
+            "extra_headers": {"cf-aig-authorization": "Bearer token"},
+            "extra_query": {"foo": "bar"},
+            "timeout": 30,
+            "unknown_param": "kept-in-extra-body",
+        }
+        openai_params = ["background", "moderation", "n", "size"]
+
+        result = add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params(
+            optional_params={},
+            passed_params=passed_params,
+            custom_llm_provider="openai",
+            openai_params=openai_params,
+            additional_drop_params=None,
+        )
+
+        assert result == {
+            "extra_body": {
+                "extra_query": {"foo": "bar"},
+                "unknown_param": "kept-in-extra-body",
+            }
+        }
+
+    def test_excluded_for_non_openai_family_while_extra_query_and_unknown_still_pass_through(self):
+        from litellm.utils import add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params
+
+        passed_params = {
+            "extra_headers": {"x-custom": "value"},
+            "extra_query": {"foo": "bar"},
+            "timeout": 30,
+            "custom_param": "keep_me",
+        }
+        openai_params = ["temperature"]
+
+        result = add_provider_specific_params_to_optional_params(
+            optional_params={},
+            passed_params=passed_params,
+            custom_llm_provider="bedrock",
+            openai_params=openai_params,
+            additional_drop_params=None,
+        )
+
+        assert result == {"extra_query": {"foo": "bar"}, "custom_param": "keep_me"}
+
+
 class TestDropParamsWithPromptCacheKey:
     """
     Test that drop_params: true correctly drops prompt_cache_key for non-OpenAI providers.