diff --git a/litellm-proxy-extras/litellm_proxy_extras/migrations/20260902000000_one_heuristic_v2_router/migration.sql b/litellm-proxy-extras/litellm_proxy_extras/migrations/20260902000000_one_heuristic_v2_router/migration.sql
index eaae9a68e20..1d38f7ba04d 100644
--- a/litellm-proxy-extras/litellm_proxy_extras/migrations/20260902000000_one_heuristic_v2_router/migration.sql
+++ b/litellm-proxy-extras/litellm_proxy_extras/migrations/20260902000000_one_heuristic_v2_router/migration.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 -- Atomically reserve the proxy-wide heuristic_v2 classifier slot
 CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS "LiteLLM_ProxyModelTable_one_heuristic_v2_router"
-    ON "LiteLLM_ProxyModelTable" ((litellm_params #>> '{complexity_router_config,classifier_type}'))
-    WHERE (litellm_params #>> '{complexity_router_config,classifier_type}') = 'heuristic_v2';
+    ON "LiteLLM_ProxyModelTable" ((1))
+    WHERE CASE
+        WHEN jsonb_typeof(litellm_params) = 'object'
+            THEN (litellm_params #>> '{complexity_router_config,classifier_type}') = 'heuristic_v2'
+        WHEN jsonb_typeof(litellm_params) = 'string'
+            THEN (((litellm_params #>> '{}')::jsonb) #>> '{complexity_router_config,classifier_type}') = 'heuristic_v2'
+        ELSE FALSE
+    END;
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/model_management_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/model_management_endpoints.py
index 30f3c4337af..c2c0d6ea146 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/model_management_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/model_management_endpoints.py
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ async def _raise_if_heuristic_v2_slot_taken(
     existing_params: GenericLiteLLMParams | None,
     current_model_id: str | None = None,
 ) -> None:
-    """Allow at most one persisted heuristic-v2 complexity router per proxy."""
+    """Allow at most one heuristic-v2 complexity router per proxy."""
     effective_config: Final = _effective_complexity_router_config(incoming_params, existing_params)
     if not uses_heuristic_v2(effective_config):
         return
@@ -320,9 +320,12 @@ async def _raise_if_heuristic_v2_slot_taken(
             code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
             param="litellm_params.complexity_router_config.classifier_type",
         )
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import llm_router
+
     rows: Final = await _proxy_model_table(prisma_client).find_many(where={})
     violation: Final = _heuristic_v2_slot_violation(
         persisted_rows=rows,
+        live_model_list=llm_router.model_list if llm_router is not None else (),
         incoming_params=incoming_params,
         existing_params=existing_params,
         current_model_id=current_model_id,
@@ -350,6 +353,7 @@ def _heuristic_v2_admin_violation(*, effective_config: Mapping[str, object] | No
 def _heuristic_v2_slot_violation(
     *,
     persisted_rows: Sequence[_ProxyModelRow],
+    live_model_list: Sequence[Mapping[str, object]] = (),
     incoming_params: GenericLiteLLMParams | None,
     existing_params: GenericLiteLLMParams | None,
     current_model_id: str | None = None,
@@ -358,6 +362,18 @@ def _heuristic_v2_slot_violation(
     effective_config: Final = _effective_complexity_router_config(incoming_params, existing_params)
     if not uses_heuristic_v2(effective_config):
         return None
+    for deployment in live_model_list:
+        model_info = deployment.get("model_info")
+        if isinstance(model_info, Mapping) and model_info.get("db_model") is True:
+            continue
+        litellm_params = _litellm_params_mapping(deployment.get("litellm_params"))
+        live_config = litellm_params.get("complexity_router_config")
+        if uses_heuristic_v2(live_config if isinstance(live_config, Mapping) else None):
+            return (
+                "Only one complexity router can use classifier_type='heuristic_v2' per proxy. "
+                "A config.yaml deployment already uses the slot; change or remove it before "
+                "creating a database-backed heuristic_v2 router."
+            )
     for row in persisted_rows:
         if current_model_id is not None and row.model_id == current_model_id:
             continue
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/test_model_management_endpoints.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/test_model_management_endpoints.py
index 6c8c068d8ca..5b9172a02f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/test_model_management_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/test_model_management_endpoints.py
@@ -3994,6 +3994,62 @@ class TestStrategyRouterWriteValidation:
             is None
         )
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "litellm_params",
+        [
+            {"complexity_router_config": {"classifier_type": "heuristic_v2"}},
+            json.dumps({"complexity_router_config": {"classifier_type": "heuristic_v2"}}),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_config_yaml_heuristic_v2_router_takes_slot(self, litellm_params):
+        from litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.model_management_endpoints import (
+            _heuristic_v2_slot_violation,
+        )
+
+        violation = _heuristic_v2_slot_violation(
+            persisted_rows=(),
+            live_model_list=[
+                {
+                    "model_name": "configured-router",
+                    "litellm_params": litellm_params,
+                    "model_info": {"db_model": False},
+                }
+            ],
+            incoming_params=LiteLLM_Params(
+                model="auto_router/complexity_router",
+                complexity_router_config={"classifier_type": "heuristic_v2"},
+            ),
+            existing_params=None,
+        )
+        assert violation is not None
+        assert "config.yaml" in violation
+
+    def test_db_models_in_live_router_do_not_double_consume_slot(self):
+        from litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.model_management_endpoints import (
+            _heuristic_v2_slot_violation,
+        )
+
+        assert (
+            _heuristic_v2_slot_violation(
+                persisted_rows=(),
+                live_model_list=[
+                    {
+                        "model_name": "db-router",
+                        "litellm_params": {
+                            "complexity_router_config": {"classifier_type": "heuristic_v2"}
+                        },
+                        "model_info": {"db_model": True},
+                    }
+                ],
+                incoming_params=LiteLLM_Params(
+                    model="auto_router/complexity_router",
+                    complexity_router_config={"classifier_type": "heuristic_v2"},
+                ),
+                existing_params=None,
+            )
+            is None
+        )
+
     def test_heuristic_v1_does_not_consume_v2_slot(self):
         from litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.model_management_endpoints import (
             _heuristic_v2_slot_violation,