diff --git a/litellm/router_utils/search_api_router.py b/litellm/router_utils/search_api_router.py
index c83c7c35ef9..260bb4cc03a 100644
--- a/litellm/router_utils/search_api_router.py
+++ b/litellm/router_utils/search_api_router.py
@@ -37,14 +37,8 @@ class SearchAPIRouter:
         Returns:
             Tuple of (api_key, api_base) from tool configuration
         """
-        from litellm.secret_managers.main import get_secret_str
-
         resolved_api_key: Optional[str] = tool_litellm_params.get("api_key")
         resolved_api_base: Optional[str] = tool_litellm_params.get("api_base")
-        if isinstance(resolved_api_key, str) and resolved_api_key.startswith("os.environ/"):
-            resolved_api_key = get_secret_str(resolved_api_key)
-        if isinstance(resolved_api_base, str) and resolved_api_base.startswith("os.environ/"):
-            resolved_api_base = get_secret_str(resolved_api_base)
 
         return resolved_api_key, resolved_api_base
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/llm_translation/test_search_e2e.py b/tests/e2e/llm_translation/test_search_e2e.py
index 84e4e572704..9268a37a011 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/llm_translation/test_search_e2e.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/llm_translation/test_search_e2e.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ pytestmark = pytest.mark.e2e
 
 class SearchToolLiteLLMParams(BaseModel):
     search_provider: str
-    api_key: str
 
 
 class SearchToolBody(BaseModel):
@@ -56,17 +55,16 @@ class SearchResponse(BaseModel):
     results: list[SearchResultItem] = []
 
 
-def _search_credentials() -> tuple[str, str]:
+def _search_provider() -> str:
     if os.environ.get("PERPLEXITY_API_KEY") or os.environ.get("PERPLEXITYAI_API_KEY"):
-        env_name = "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY" if os.environ.get("PERPLEXITY_API_KEY") else "PERPLEXITYAI_API_KEY"
-        return "perplexity", f"os.environ/{env_name}"
+        return "perplexity"
     if os.environ.get("TAVILY_API_KEY"):
-        return "tavily", "os.environ/TAVILY_API_KEY"
+        return "tavily"
     pytest.fail("set PERPLEXITY_API_KEY or TAVILY_API_KEY for /v1/search e2e coverage")
 
 
 def _register_search_tool(proxy: ProxyClient, resources: ResourceManager) -> str:
-    provider, api_key = _search_credentials()
+    provider = _search_provider()
     name = f"e2e-search-{unique_marker()}"
     created = unwrap(
         proxy.transport.post(
@@ -75,9 +73,7 @@ def _register_search_tool(proxy: ProxyClient, resources: ResourceManager) -> str
             json=CreateSearchToolRequest(
                 search_tool=SearchToolBody(
                     search_tool_name=name,
-                    litellm_params=SearchToolLiteLLMParams(
-                        search_provider=provider, api_key=api_key
-                    ),
+                    litellm_params=SearchToolLiteLLMParams(search_provider=provider),
                     search_tool_info={"description": "e2e search tool"},
                 )
             ),
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/router_utils/test_search_api_router.py b/tests/test_litellm/router_utils/test_search_api_router.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 901701db9ea..00000000000
--- a/tests/test_litellm/router_utils/test_search_api_router.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-from litellm.router_utils.search_api_router import SearchAPIRouter
-
-
-def test_resolve_search_provider_credentials_expands_os_environ_refs(
-    monkeypatch,
-) -> None:
-    monkeypatch.setenv("E2E_SEARCH_API_KEY", "secret-from-env")
-    monkeypatch.setenv("E2E_SEARCH_API_BASE", "https://search.example")
-
-    api_key, api_base = SearchAPIRouter._resolve_search_provider_credentials(
-        tool_litellm_params={
-            "api_key": "os.environ/E2E_SEARCH_API_KEY",
-            "api_base": "os.environ/E2E_SEARCH_API_BASE",
-        }
-    )
-
-    assert api_key == "secret-from-env"
-    assert api_base == "https://search.example"
-
-
-def test_resolve_search_provider_credentials_passes_through_plain_values() -> None:
-    api_key, api_base = SearchAPIRouter._resolve_search_provider_credentials(
-        tool_litellm_params={
-            "api_key": "sk-literal",
-            "api_base": "https://literal.example",
-        }
-    )
-
-    assert api_key == "sk-literal"
-    assert api_base == "https://literal.example"
-
-
-def test_resolve_search_provider_credentials_missing_env_returns_none(
-    monkeypatch,
-) -> None:
-    monkeypatch.delenv("MISSING_SEARCH_KEY_XYZ", raising=False)
-
-    api_key, api_base = SearchAPIRouter._resolve_search_provider_credentials(
-        tool_litellm_params={"api_key": "os.environ/MISSING_SEARCH_KEY_XYZ"}
-    )
-
-    assert api_key is None
-    assert api_base is None