diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 929fc415163..6ad3a8bbb6b 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -311,6 +311,10 @@ 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/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b183d66cb70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+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/values.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
index f51f8bdd173..93ce3124d42 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/values.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 # Declare variables to be passed into your templates.
 
 replicaCount: 1
+
+rustGateway:
+  # null inherits the image default; true or false sets LITELLM_RUST
+  enabled:
 liteadmin:
   enabled: false
   existingSecret: ""
diff --git a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
index b0e7f0dcebb..f75c5ad05bf 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
@@ -60,6 +60,17 @@ spec:
             - name: LITELLM_CORS_ORIGINS
               value: {{ include "litellm.ui.publicOrigin" . | quote }}
             {{- end }}
+            {{- $rustGateway := .Values.gateway.rustGateway | default dict }}
+            {{- $rustGatewayOverridden := false }}
+            {{- range .Values.gateway.extraEnv }}
+            {{- if eq .name "LITELLM_RUST" }}
+            {{- $rustGatewayOverridden = true }}
+            {{- end }}
+            {{- end }}
+            {{- if and (not (kindIs "invalid" $rustGateway.enabled)) (not $rustGatewayOverridden) }}
+            - name: LITELLM_RUST
+              value: {{ $rustGateway.enabled | toString | quote }}
+            {{- end }}
             {{- include "litellm.serverEnv" (dict "root" $ "component" .Values.gateway) | nindent 12 }}
             {{- if .Values.gateway.config.create }}
             - name: CONFIG_FILE_PATH
diff --git a/helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a887d23e95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/litellm/tests/rust_gateway_tests.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+suite: Rust forwarding gateway
+templates:
+  - gateway/deployment.yaml
+  - gateway/configmap.yaml
+values:
+  - ./values/required.yaml
+tests:
+  - it: leaves the image default in place when unset
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    asserts:
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_RUST
+          any: true
+  - it: turns forwarding off explicitly
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.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: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.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 extraEnv override
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.rustGateway.enabled: true
+      gateway.extraEnv:
+        - 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"
diff --git a/helm/litellm/values.yaml b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
index 92a48153c5a..04ef05acc50 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
@@ -303,6 +303,9 @@ 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
+    enabled:
   extraEnv: [] # Add extra environment variables to the gateway
   envConfigMaps: [] # Add extra environment variables to the gateway from config maps
   envSecrets: [] # Add extra environment variables to the gateway from secrets