diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 338ee5294f3..230d2acaeef 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -285,10 +285,6 @@ and the same spend transaction buffer.
 - name: LITELLM_LOG
   value: {{ .Values.logLevel | quote }}
 {{- end }}
-{{- if and (not (kindIs "invalid" .Values.rustGateway.enabled)) (not (hasKey (default dict .Values.envVars) "LITELLM_RUST")) }}
-- name: LITELLM_RUST
-  value: {{ .Values.rustGateway.enabled | toString | quote }}
-{{- end }}
 {{- if .Values.envVars }}
 {{- range $key, $val := .Values.envVars }}
 - name: {{ $key }}
diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/deployment.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/deployment.yaml
index a37193f0efa..b2be2339875 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ spec:
           env:
             {{- include "litellm.lensConnectionEnv" . | nindent 12 }}
             {{- include "litellm.proxyEnv" . | nindent 12 }}
+            {{- $userSetsRust := hasKey (default dict .Values.envVars) "LITELLM_RUST" }}
+            {{- range .Values.extraEnvVars }}
+            {{- if eq .name "LITELLM_RUST" }}{{ $userSetsRust = true }}{{ end }}
+            {{- end }}
+            {{- if and (kindIs "bool" .Values.rust.enabled) (not $userSetsRust) }}
+            - name: LITELLM_RUST
+              value: {{ .Values.rust.enabled | quote }}
+            {{- end }}
             {{- if .Values.liteadmin.enabled }}
             - name: LITELLM_ADMIN_AGENT_URL
               value: {{ printf "http://%s-liteadmin:10000" (include "litellm.fullname" . | trunc 53 | trimSuffix "-") | quote }}
diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index b183d66cb70..00000000000
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,52 +0,0 @@
-suite: Rust forwarding gateway
-templates:
-  - deployment.yaml
-  - configmap-litellm.yaml
-tests:
-  - it: leaves the image default in place when unset
-    template: deployment.yaml
-    asserts:
-      - notContains:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
-          content:
-            name: LITELLM_RUST
-          any: true
-  - it: turns forwarding off explicitly
-    template: deployment.yaml
-    set:
-      rustGateway.enabled: false
-    asserts:
-      - contains:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
-          content:
-            name: LITELLM_RUST
-            value: "false"
-  - it: enables forwarding without changing command or probes
-    template: deployment.yaml
-    set:
-      rustGateway.enabled: true
-    asserts:
-      - contains:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
-          content:
-            name: LITELLM_RUST
-            value: "true"
-      - equal:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].livenessProbe.httpGet.port
-          value: http
-  - it: respects an explicit environment override
-    template: deployment.yaml
-    set:
-      rustGateway.enabled: true
-      envVars.LITELLM_RUST: "false"
-    asserts:
-      - contains:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
-          content:
-            name: LITELLM_RUST
-            value: "false"
-      - notContains:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
-          content:
-            name: LITELLM_RUST
-            value: "true"
diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_tests.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..762ad1438d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_tests.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+suite: Rust switch
+templates:
+  - deployment.yaml
+  - configmap-litellm.yaml
+tests:
+  - it: leaves LITELLM_RUST unset by default
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    asserts:
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+          any: true
+  - it: sets LITELLM_RUST to false
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: false
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "false"
+  - it: sets LITELLM_RUST to true
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: true
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "true"
+  - it: keeps LITELLM_RUST off the collector sidecar
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: true
+      collector.enabled: true
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: litellm-collector
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+          any: true
+  - it: lets envVars override the value
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: true
+      envVars.LITELLM_RUST: "false"
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "false"
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "true"
+  - it: lets extraEnvVars override the value without a duplicate entry
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: true
+      extraEnvVars:
+        - name: LITELLM_RUST
+          value: "false"
+    asserts:
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "false"
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+            value: "true"
+  - it: rejects a value that is not a boolean
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      rust.enabled: "yes"
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate: {}
diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/values.schema.json b/helm/litellm-helm/values.schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4191ca992a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/values.schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "rust": {
+      "properties": {
+        "enabled": {
+          "type": [
+            "boolean",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
index 129f8ae9c99..019f1b5fd55 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@
 
 replicaCount: 1
 
-rustGateway:
-  # null inherits the image default; true or false sets LITELLM_RUST
+rust:
+  # Sets LITELLM_RUST on the proxy container. null leaves it unset. true runs the
+  # Rust forwarding server on the public port in front of the Python workers and
+  # turns on the opt-in Rust routes, false keeps every switchable route on Python.
+  # A LITELLM_RUST in envVars or extraEnvVars wins, and this wins over one from
+  # environmentSecrets or environmentConfigMaps
   enabled:
+
 liteadmin:
   enabled: false
   existingSecret: ""
diff --git a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
index 419bafc84d9..4b2bdb81552 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
@@ -60,16 +60,13 @@ spec:
             - name: LITELLM_CORS_ORIGINS
               value: {{ include "litellm.ui.publicOrigin" . | quote }}
             {{- end }}
-            {{- $rustGateway := .Values.gateway.rustGateway | default dict }}
-            {{- $rustGatewayOverridden := false }}
+            {{- $userSetsRust := false }}
             {{- range .Values.gateway.extraEnv }}
-            {{- if eq .name "LITELLM_RUST" }}
-            {{- $rustGatewayOverridden = true }}
+            {{- if eq .name "LITELLM_RUST" }}{{ $userSetsRust = true }}{{ end }}
             {{- end }}
-            {{- end }}
-            {{- if and (not (kindIs "invalid" $rustGateway.enabled)) (not $rustGatewayOverridden) }}
+            {{- if and (kindIs "bool" .Values.gateway.rust.enabled) (not $userSetsRust) }}
             - name: LITELLM_RUST
-              value: {{ $rustGateway.enabled | toString | quote }}
+              value: {{ .Values.gateway.rust.enabled | quote }}
             {{- end }}
             {{- include "litellm.serverEnv" (dict "root" $ "component" .Values.gateway) | nindent 12 }}
             {{- if .Values.gateway.config.create }}
diff --git a/helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm/tests/rust_tests.yaml
similarity index 57%
rename from helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
rename to helm/litellm/tests/rust_tests.yaml
index 0a887d23e95..e3944f5ad63 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/tests/rust_tests.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-suite: Rust forwarding gateway
+suite: Rust switch
 templates:
   - gateway/deployment.yaml
   - gateway/configmap.yaml
 values:
   - ./values/required.yaml
 tests:
-  - it: leaves the image default in place when unset
+  - it: leaves LITELLM_RUST unset by default
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
     asserts:
       - notContains:
@@ -13,33 +13,44 @@ tests:
           content:
             name: LITELLM_RUST
           any: true
-  - it: turns forwarding off explicitly
+  - it: sets LITELLM_RUST to false
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
     set:
-      gateway.rustGateway.enabled: false
+      gateway.rust.enabled: false
     asserts:
       - contains:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
           content:
             name: LITELLM_RUST
             value: "false"
-  - it: enables forwarding without changing command or probes
+  - it: sets LITELLM_RUST to true
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
     set:
-      gateway.rustGateway.enabled: true
+      gateway.rust.enabled: true
     asserts:
       - contains:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
           content:
             name: LITELLM_RUST
             value: "true"
-      - equal:
-          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].livenessProbe.httpGet.port
-          value: http
-  - it: respects an explicit extraEnv override
+  - it: keeps LITELLM_RUST off the collector sidecar
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
     set:
-      gateway.rustGateway.enabled: true
+      gateway.rust.enabled: true
+      gateway.collector.enabled: true
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: collector
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+          any: true
+  - it: lets extraEnv override the value
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.rust.enabled: true
       gateway.extraEnv:
         - name: LITELLM_RUST
           value: "false"
@@ -54,3 +65,9 @@ tests:
           content:
             name: LITELLM_RUST
             value: "true"
+  - it: rejects a value that is not a boolean
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.rust.enabled: "yes"
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate: {}
diff --git a/helm/litellm/values.schema.json b/helm/litellm/values.schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8f8dd21525f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/litellm/values.schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "gateway": {
+      "properties": {
+        "rust": {
+          "properties": {
+            "enabled": {
+              "type": [
+                "boolean",
+                "null"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/helm/litellm/values.yaml b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
index 0a992d0acdf..4353afa91d5 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
@@ -294,8 +294,12 @@ gateway:
   # Number of uvicorn worker processes per gateway pod. Sets NUM_WORKERS,
   # consumed by the gateway image entrypoint. Default is 1.
   numWorkers: 1
-  rustGateway:
-    # null inherits the image default; true or false sets LITELLM_RUST
+  rust:
+    # Sets LITELLM_RUST on the gateway container. null leaves it unset. true runs
+    # the Rust forwarding server on the public port in front of the Python workers
+    # and turns on the opt-in Rust routes, false keeps every switchable route on
+    # Python. A LITELLM_RUST in extraEnv wins, and this wins over one from
+    # envConfigMaps or envSecrets
     enabled:
   extraEnv: [] # Add extra environment variables to the gateway
   envConfigMaps: [] # Add extra environment variables to the gateway from config maps