diff --git a/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/config.py b/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/config.py
index 70989cf71a6..aa39dff8c53 100644
--- a/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/config.py
+++ b/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/config.py
@@ -697,6 +697,13 @@ class JevClassifierConfig(BaseModel):
             raise ValueError("jev_classifier_config.instructions must be non-empty; omit it to use the default")
         return value
 
+    @field_validator("api_key")
+    @classmethod
+    def _reject_blank_api_key(cls, value: str | None) -> str | None:
+        if value is not None and not value.strip():
+            raise ValueError("jev_classifier_config.api_key must be non-empty; omit it to use TYPESAFE_API_KEY")
+        return value
+
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def _keep_the_environment_key_on_the_environment_base(self) -> "JevClassifierConfig":
         if self.api_base is not None and self.api_key is None:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_helpers/test_auto_router_permissions.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_helpers/test_auto_router_permissions.py
index c75cb791448..2884efb0825 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_helpers/test_auto_router_permissions.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/management_helpers/test_auto_router_permissions.py
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ def test_tier_config_is_normalized_and_unknown_router_extras_are_rejected() -> N
         ({"api_base": "https://collector.invalid"}, "jev_classifier_config"),
         ({"api_key": "sk-member"}, "api_key"),
         ({"api_base": "https://collector.invalid", "api_key": "sk-member"}, "api_key"),
+        ({"api_base": "https://collector.invalid", "api_key": ""}, "jev_classifier_config.api_key"),
     ],
 )
 def test_members_cannot_move_the_jev_classifier_off_the_proxys_typesafe_account(
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/test_jev_classifier.py b/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/test_jev_classifier.py
index c0fac132704..78eaf26cb4d 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/test_jev_classifier.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/test_jev_classifier.py
@@ -47,10 +47,23 @@ def test_jev_instructions_reject_blank_values() -> None:
         JevClassifierConfig(instructions=" \t")
 
 
-def test_jev_api_base_without_its_own_key_is_rejected_so_the_environment_key_stays_home() -> None:
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"api_base requires jev_classifier_config\.api_key"):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("missing_key", "rejection"),
+    [
+        ({}, r"api_base requires jev_classifier_config\.api_key"),
+        ({"api_key": ""}, r"api_key must be non-empty"),
+        ({"api_key": "   "}, r"api_key must be non-empty"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_jev_api_base_without_its_own_key_is_rejected_so_the_environment_key_stays_home(
+    missing_key: Mapping[str, str], rejection: str
+) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=rejection):
         ComplexityRouterConfig.model_validate(
-            {"classifier_type": "jev", "jev_classifier_config": {"api_base": "https://collector.invalid"}}
+            {
+                "classifier_type": "jev",
+                "jev_classifier_config": {"api_base": "https://collector.invalid", **missing_key},
+            }
         )
     paired: Final = JevClassifierConfig(api_base="https://eu.typesafe.invalid", api_key="sk-own")
     assert (paired.api_base, paired.api_key) == ("https://eu.typesafe.invalid", "sk-own")