diff --git a/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py b/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
index 687df9b0348..11cafd12c0c 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
@@ -1250,6 +1250,13 @@ async def open_sse_before_first_byte(
     if interval is None:
         return await produce_response
 
+    # The slot record must exist before this task is forked, or the release
+    # looks in the original task and never sees it.
+    from litellm.proxy.hooks.parallel_request_limiter_v3 import (
+        get_or_create_request_stash,
+    )
+
+    get_or_create_request_stash()
     produce_task: Final = asyncio.ensure_future(produce_response)
     await asyncio.wait((produce_task,), timeout=interval)
     if produce_task.done():
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_sse_keepalive_request_stash.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_sse_keepalive_request_stash.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d7c582d1ebe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_sse_keepalive_request_stash.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""The SSE keepalive task must share the parallel-request slot with its caller."""
+
+import asyncio
+
+from litellm.proxy.hooks.parallel_request_limiter_v3 import (
+    _request_stash,
+    get_or_create_request_stash,
+    get_request_stash,
+)
+
+
+def test_sse_keepalive_fork_shares_the_parallel_request_slot():
+    async def process():
+        get_or_create_request_stash().owner_litellm_call_id = "call-1"
+
+    async def without_seed():
+        _request_stash.set(None)
+        task = asyncio.ensure_future(process())
+        await asyncio.wait((task,))
+        return get_request_stash()
+
+    async def with_seed():
+        _request_stash.set(None)
+        get_or_create_request_stash()
+        task = asyncio.ensure_future(process())
+        await asyncio.wait((task,))
+        return get_request_stash()
+
+    leaked = asyncio.run(without_seed())
+    shared = asyncio.run(with_seed())
+
+    assert leaked is None
+    assert shared is not None
+    assert shared.owner_litellm_call_id == "call-1"