diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/audio_transcription/hooks.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/audio_transcription/hooks.rs
index 42ffd4cbcff..65008fd8add 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/audio_transcription/hooks.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/audio_transcription/hooks.rs
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ fn core_error_kind(error: &Error) -> &'static str {
         Error::Http { .. } => "HttpError",
         Error::InvalidResponse(_) => "InvalidResponse",
         Error::Network(_) => "NetworkError",
+        Error::Timeout(_) => "TimeoutError",
         Error::Routing(_) => "RoutingError",
         Error::Unsupported(_) => "UnsupportedRequest",
     }
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/ocr/hooks.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/ocr/hooks.rs
index 6343122b9e9..7035a17652f 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/ocr/hooks.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/ocr/hooks.rs
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ fn core_error_kind(error: &Error) -> &'static str {
         Error::Http { .. } => "HttpError",
         Error::InvalidResponse(_) => "InvalidResponse",
         Error::Network(_) => "NetworkError",
+        Error::Timeout(_) => "TimeoutError",
         Error::Routing(_) => "RoutingError",
         Error::Unsupported(_) => "UnsupportedRequest",
     }
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/routes/messages/mod.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/routes/messages/mod.rs
index e4861c3954c..b1d2187166d 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/routes/messages/mod.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/routes/messages/mod.rs
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ impl IntoResponse for MessagesRouteError {
             ),
             Error::Http { .. }
             | Error::Network(_)
+            | Error::Timeout(_)
             | Error::InvalidResponse(_)
             | Error::InvalidType { .. }
             | Error::MissingField(_) => (
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/handler.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/handler.rs
index 30ba0da5e68..8b1e0b9e32b 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/handler.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/handler.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 use crate::error::Error;
-use crate::http_utils::truncate_error_body;
+use crate::http_utils::{classify_transport_error, truncate_error_body};
 
 use super::client::http_client;
 use super::types::ProviderAudioTranscriptionRequest;
@@ -22,12 +22,9 @@ pub async fn execute_audio_transcription_provider_call(
     let response = request_builder
         .send()
         .await
-        .map_err(|error| Error::Network(error.to_string()))?;
+        .map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
     let status = response.status();
-    let text = response
-        .text()
-        .await
-        .map_err(|error| Error::Network(error.to_string()))?;
+    let text = response.text().await.map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
     if !status.is_success() {
         return Err(Error::Http {
             status: status.as_u16(),
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/tests.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/tests.rs
index 263d63337b0..651dbfa207d 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/tests.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/audio_transcription/tests.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 use std::io::{Read, Write};
 use std::net::TcpListener;
 use std::thread;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use serde_json::{Map, json};
 
 use super::audio_transcription;
 use super::types::AudioTranscriptionRequest;
+use crate::error::Error;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn bedrock_request_is_signed_and_contains_audio() {
@@ -48,3 +50,47 @@ async fn bedrock_request_is_signed_and_contains_audio() {
     assert_eq!(response, json!({"text": "hello"}));
     server.join().expect("server");
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn an_upstream_that_never_responds_times_out() {
+    let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("listener");
+    let address = listener.local_addr().expect("address");
+    thread::spawn(move || {
+        let (mut stream, _) = listener.accept().expect("connection");
+        let mut buffer = [0_u8; 16_384];
+        loop {
+            match stream.read(&mut buffer) {
+                Ok(0) | Err(_) => return,
+                Ok(_) => {}
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    let optional_params = Map::from_iter([
+        ("aws_access_key_id".to_string(), json!("access-key")),
+        ("aws_secret_access_key".to_string(), json!("secret-key")),
+        ("aws_region_name".to_string(), json!("us-east-1")),
+    ]);
+    let api_base = format!("http://{address}");
+    let error = tokio::time::timeout(
+        Duration::from_secs(2),
+        audio_transcription(AudioTranscriptionRequest {
+            model: "mistral.voxtral-mini-3b-2507",
+            audio: json!({"data": "AQI=", "format": "wav", "filename": "audio.wav"}),
+            api_key: None,
+            api_base: Some(&api_base),
+            custom_llm_provider: Some("bedrock"),
+            extra_headers: None,
+            optional_params,
+            timeout: Some(Duration::from_millis(100)),
+        }),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("client call completes")
+    .expect_err("upstream never responds");
+
+    assert!(
+        matches!(error, Error::Timeout(_)),
+        "expected a timeout failure, got {error:?}"
+    );
+}
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/handler.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/handler.rs
index f282e82c4fa..63db38e511b 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/handler.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/handler.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use serde_json::Value;
 
 use crate::error::{Error, as_response_error};
-use crate::http_utils::{classify_send_error, truncate_error_body};
+use crate::http_utils::{classify_transport_error, truncate_error_body};
 
 use super::client::http_client;
 use super::transformation::ChatCompletionsAuth;
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ pub(super) async fn execute_chat_completions_provider_call(
         request_builder = request_builder.timeout(duration);
     }
 
-    let response = request_builder.send().await.map_err(classify_send_error)?;
+    let response = request_builder
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
 
     let status = response.status();
-    let text = response
-        .text()
-        .await
-        .map_err(|err| Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+    let text = response.text().await.map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
 
     if !status.is_success() {
         return Err(Error::Http {
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/tests.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/tests.rs
index bdd413d7cff..5e3a4dfce11 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/tests.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/chat_completions/tests.rs
@@ -787,4 +787,36 @@ mod round_trip {
             "expected a terminal network failure, got {err:?}"
         );
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn an_established_request_that_never_responds_times_out() {
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.expect("binds");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("has an address");
+        let server = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let (mut socket, _) = listener.accept().await.expect("accepts request");
+            let _ = read_http_request(&mut socket).await;
+            std::future::pending::<()>().await;
+        });
+
+        let api_base = format!("http://{addr}/v1/messages");
+        let mut timed_out_call = call(
+            &api_base,
+            json!([{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}]),
+            json!({"max_tokens": 16}),
+        );
+        timed_out_call.timeout = Some(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100));
+        let err = tokio::time::timeout(
+            std::time::Duration::from_secs(2),
+            chat_completions(timed_out_call),
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect("client call completes")
+        .expect_err("established request times out");
+
+        server.abort();
+        assert!(
+            matches!(err, Error::Timeout(_)),
+            "expected a timeout failure, got {err:?}"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/error.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/error.rs
index a5de4b722d2..a7f20387f61 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/error.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/error.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ pub enum Error {
     Http { status: u16, body: String },
     #[error("upstream network error: {0}")]
     Network(String),
+    #[error("upstream request timed out: {0}")]
+    Timeout(String),
     #[error("routing error: {0}")]
     Routing(String),
     /// The request is outside the surface this route covers in Rust. Hosts that
@@ -59,6 +61,8 @@ mod tests {
             Error::Unsupported("non-text response content block"),
             Error::InvalidRequest("whatever".to_string()),
             Error::Auth("whatever".to_string()),
+            Error::Network("whatever".to_string()),
+            Error::Timeout("whatever".to_string()),
         ] {
             assert!(matches!(
                 as_response_error(original),
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/http_utils.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/http_utils.rs
index 759c7ba5652..b79e74ead59 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/http_utils.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/http_utils.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ use serde_json::{Map, Value};
 use crate::constants::UPSTREAM_ERROR_BODY_MAX_CHARS;
 use crate::error::{Error, json_type_name};
 
-pub(crate) fn classify_send_error(error: reqwest::Error) -> Error {
+pub(crate) fn classify_transport_error(error: reqwest::Error) -> Error {
+    if error.is_timeout() {
+        return Error::Timeout(error.to_string());
+    }
     Error::Network(error.to_string())
 }
 
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/messages/handler.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/messages/handler.rs
index 441f133b182..89453362d97 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/messages/handler.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/core/src/messages/handler.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::constants::ANTHROPIC_MESSAGES_PROVIDER;
 use crate::error::{Error, as_response_error};
-use crate::http_utils::classify_send_error;
+use crate::http_utils::classify_transport_error;
 
 use super::client::http_client;
 use super::common_utils::truncate_error_body;
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ pub(super) async fn execute_messages_provider_call(
         request_builder = request_builder.timeout(duration);
     }
 
-    let response = request_builder.send().await.map_err(classify_send_error)?;
+    let response = request_builder
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
 
     let status = response.status();
-    let text = response
-        .text()
-        .await
-        .map_err(|err| Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+    let text = response.text().await.map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
 
     if !status.is_success() {
         return Err(Error::Http {
@@ -60,13 +60,10 @@ pub(super) async fn execute_messages_provider_stream(
     let response = request_builder
         .send()
         .await
-        .map_err(|err| Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+        .map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
     let status = response.status();
     if !status.is_success() {
-        let text = response
-            .text()
-            .await
-            .map_err(|err| Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+        let text = response.text().await.map_err(classify_transport_error)?;
         return Err(Error::Http {
             status: status.as_u16(),
             body: truncate_error_body(&text),
@@ -193,7 +190,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn established_request_timeouts_are_network_errors() {
+    async fn established_request_timeouts_are_timeout_errors() {
         let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.expect("binds");
         let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("has an address");
         let (request_received_tx, request_received_rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
@@ -223,6 +220,31 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(received.starts_with("POST / "), "{received}");
         release_server_tx.send(()).expect("releases server");
         server.await.expect("server task completes");
-        assert!(matches!(error, Error::Network(_)));
+        assert!(matches!(error, Error::Timeout(_)));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn stream_request_timeouts_are_timeout_errors() {
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.expect("binds");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("has an address");
+        let server = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let (mut socket, _) = listener.accept().await.expect("accepts request");
+            let _ = read_http_request(&mut socket).await;
+            std::future::pending::<()>().await;
+        });
+
+        let error = tokio::time::timeout(
+            Duration::from_secs(2),
+            execute_messages_provider_stream(request(
+                format!("http://{addr}"),
+                Duration::from_millis(100),
+            )),
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect("client call completes")
+        .expect_err("established stream times out");
+
+        server.abort();
+        assert!(matches!(error, Error::Timeout(_)));
     }
 }
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/errors.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/errors.rs
index d3e47937666..84201110b88 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/errors.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/errors.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ pyo3::create_exception!(
     _native,
     RustUpstreamError,
     pyo3::exceptions::PyException,
-    "The provider call was already issued and failed. Args are (status, message); status is 0 when there was no HTTP response."
+    "The provider call was already issued and failed. Args are (status, message); status is 0 when there was no HTTP response and 408 when the request timed out before one arrived."
 );
 
 pub(crate) fn core_error_to_pyerr(err: Error) -> PyErr {
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ pub(crate) fn fallback_route_error_to_pyerr(err: Error) -> PyErr {
         Error::Http { status, body } => {
             RustUpstreamError::new_err((status, format!("{status}: {body}")))
         }
+        // 408 is the convention Python reads back to classify the failure as a
+        // timeout, mirroring an upstream `408 Request Timeout` response.
+        Error::Timeout(_) => RustUpstreamError::new_err((408u16, err.to_string())),
         other => RustUpstreamError::new_err((0u16, other.to_string())),
     }
 }
@@ -73,6 +76,10 @@ mod tests {
                     Error::Network("request timed out".to_string()),
                     (0, "upstream network error: request timed out"),
                 ),
+                (
+                    Error::Timeout("request timed out".to_string()),
+                    (408, "upstream request timed out: request timed out"),
+                ),
                 (
                     Error::InvalidResponse("bad JSON".to_string()),
                     (0, "invalid response: bad JSON"),
diff --git a/litellm/rust_bridge/chat_completions.py b/litellm/rust_bridge/chat_completions.py
index c599667ab17..93f5ce74bac 100644
--- a/litellm/rust_bridge/chat_completions.py
+++ b/litellm/rust_bridge/chat_completions.py
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ import httpx
 from pydantic import TypeAdapter, ValidationError
 
 from litellm._logging import verbose_logger
-from litellm.exceptions import APIError
 from litellm.litellm_core_utils.llm_response_utils.convert_dict_to_response import (
     convert_to_model_response_object,
 )
 from litellm.llms.bedrock.request_metadata import bedrock_request_metadata_is_owned
 from litellm.rust_bridge.configuration import rust_enabled
 from litellm.rust_bridge.loader import get_native_bridge
+from litellm.rust_bridge.runtime import BridgeErrorContext, raise_upstream
 from litellm.rust_bridge.timeouts import timeout_to_seconds
 from litellm.types.utils import ModelResponse
 
@@ -297,8 +297,9 @@ def _reraise_or_decline(
 
     A request that never reached the provider is safe to serve on the Python
     path. One that did is not: the provider has already done the work, so a
-    second attempt bills for it twice. Those surface as an `APIError` carrying
-    the upstream status, which LiteLLM's exception mapping already understands.
+    second attempt bills for it twice. Those surface as the litellm exception
+    matching the upstream status, so router cooldown and retry logic keyed on
+    exception type behaves as it does on the Python path.
     """
     exceptions: Final = _rust_bridge_exceptions()
     if exceptions is None:
@@ -309,14 +310,13 @@ def _reraise_or_decline(
         return
     declined, upstream_failed = exceptions
     if isinstance(rust_error, upstream_failed):
-        args: Final = rust_error.args
-        status: Final = args[0] if args else 0
-        message: Final = args[1] if len(args) > 1 else ""
-        raise APIError(
-            status_code=int(status) or 500,
-            message=f"litellm rust chat completions: {message}",
-            llm_provider=custom_llm_provider or "",
-            model=model,
+        raise_upstream(
+            rust_error,
+            BridgeErrorContext(
+                route="chat completions",
+                provider=custom_llm_provider or "",
+                model=model,
+            ),
         )
     if not isinstance(rust_error, declined):
         raise rust_error
diff --git a/litellm/rust_bridge/runtime.py b/litellm/rust_bridge/runtime.py
index 0bf60b1aa0b..1da51825e83 100644
--- a/litellm/rust_bridge/runtime.py
+++ b/litellm/rust_bridge/runtime.py
@@ -5,7 +5,15 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import Final, Generic, NoReturn, TypeAlias, TypeVar, cast
 
-from litellm.exceptions import APIError
+from litellm.exceptions import (
+    APIError,
+    AuthenticationError,
+    BadRequestError,
+    NotFoundError,
+    RateLimitError,
+    ServiceUnavailableError,
+    Timeout,
+)
 from litellm.rust_bridge.bindings import native_exception_types
 
 NativeT = TypeVar("NativeT")
@@ -91,7 +99,7 @@ def attempt(
     except declined as error:
         return RustDeclined(reason=_decline_reason(error))
     except upstream as error:
-        _raise_upstream(error, context)
+        raise_upstream(error, context)
     return RustHandled(adapt(value))
 
 
@@ -112,7 +120,7 @@ async def aattempt(
     except declined as error:
         return RustDeclined(reason=_decline_reason(error))
     except upstream as error:
-        _raise_upstream(error, context)
+        raise_upstream(error, context)
     return RustHandled(adapt(value))
 
 
@@ -124,7 +132,7 @@ def call(operation: Callable[[], ResultT], context: BridgeErrorContext) -> Resul
     try:
         return operation()
     except upstream as error:
-        _raise_upstream(error, context)
+        raise_upstream(error, context)
 
 
 async def acall(operation: Callable[[], Awaitable[ResultT]], context: BridgeErrorContext) -> ResultT:
@@ -135,7 +143,7 @@ async def acall(operation: Callable[[], Awaitable[ResultT]], context: BridgeErro
     try:
         return await operation()
     except upstream as error:
-        _raise_upstream(error, context)
+        raise_upstream(error, context)
 
 
 def _decline_reason(error: BaseException) -> str:
@@ -158,18 +166,57 @@ def _required_reason(result: RustDeclined | RustUnavailable) -> str:
             return f"declined the request: {reason}"
 
 
-def _raise_upstream(error: BaseException, context: BridgeErrorContext) -> NoReturn:
+def raise_upstream(error: BaseException, context: BridgeErrorContext) -> NoReturn:
     args: Final = cast(tuple[object, ...], error.args)
     status_value: Final = args[0] if args else 0
     message_value: Final = args[1] if len(args) > 1 else str(error)
     status: Final = status_value if isinstance(status_value, int) else 0
     message: Final = message_value if isinstance(message_value, str) else str(message_value)
-    raise APIError(
-        status_code=status or 500,
-        message=f"litellm rust {context.route}: {message}",
-        llm_provider=context.provider,
-        model=context.model,
-    ) from error
+    prefixed: Final = f"litellm rust {context.route}: {message}"
+    match status:
+        case 401 | 403:
+            raise AuthenticationError(
+                message=prefixed,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+                model=context.model,
+            ) from error
+        case 404:
+            raise NotFoundError(
+                message=prefixed,
+                model=context.model,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+            ) from error
+        case 408:
+            raise Timeout(
+                message=prefixed,
+                model=context.model,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+            ) from error
+        case 429:
+            raise RateLimitError(
+                message=prefixed,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+                model=context.model,
+            ) from error
+        case _ if 400 <= status < 500:
+            raise BadRequestError(
+                message=prefixed,
+                model=context.model,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+            ) from error
+        case _ if status >= 500:
+            raise ServiceUnavailableError(
+                message=prefixed,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+                model=context.model,
+            ) from error
+        case _:
+            raise APIError(
+                status_code=status or 500,
+                message=prefixed,
+                llm_provider=context.provider,
+                model=context.model,
+            ) from error
 
 
 def identity(value: ResultT) -> ResultT:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/native_route_wheel_test.py b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/native_route_wheel_test.py
index 2789def7784..b3089a8b269 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/native_route_wheel_test.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/native_route_wheel_test.py
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ def assert_packaged_native_loaded(wheel_root: Path) -> None:
 
 
 async def exercise_packaged_messages(api_base: str) -> None:
-    from litellm.exceptions import APIError
+    from litellm.exceptions import RateLimitError
     from litellm.llms.custom_httpx.llm_http_handler import BaseLLMHTTPHandler
     from litellm.rust_bridge import messages as messages_bridge
     from litellm.types.router import GenericLiteLLMParams
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ async def exercise_packaged_messages(api_base: str) -> None:
             request_body=dict(rate_limit_kwargs["body"]),
             timeout=3.0,
         )
-    except APIError as error:
+    except RateLimitError as error:
         if error.status_code != 429 or "native-rate-limit" not in str(error):
             raise AssertionError(f"Messages gate returned the wrong upstream error: {error!r}") from error
     else:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_chat_completions.py b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_chat_completions.py
index 03921133c77..46d0e96cbbc 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_chat_completions.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_chat_completions.py
@@ -351,14 +351,35 @@ class TestFailureClassification:
         bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(chat_completions=_RecordingCall(error=_FakeDeclined("streaming")))
         assert bridge.chat_completions(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse())) is None
 
-    def test_an_upstream_failure_is_surfaced_with_its_status(self):
-        from litellm.exceptions import APIError
+    def test_an_upstream_rate_limit_surfaces_as_litellm_rate_limit_error(self):
+        from litellm.exceptions import RateLimitError
 
         bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(chat_completions=_RecordingCall(error=_FakeUpstream(429, "429: rate limited")))
-        with pytest.raises(APIError) as raised:
+        with pytest.raises(RateLimitError) as raised:
             bridge.chat_completions(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse()))
         assert raised.value.status_code == 429
         assert "rate limited" in str(raised.value)
+        assert isinstance(raised.value.__cause__, _FakeUpstream)
+
+    def test_an_upstream_auth_failure_surfaces_as_litellm_authentication_error(self):
+        from litellm.exceptions import AuthenticationError
+
+        bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(chat_completions=_RecordingCall(error=_FakeUpstream(401, "401: bad key")))
+        with pytest.raises(AuthenticationError) as raised:
+            bridge.chat_completions(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse()))
+        assert raised.value.status_code == 401
+        assert isinstance(raised.value.__cause__, _FakeUpstream)
+
+    def test_an_upstream_timeout_surfaces_as_litellm_timeout(self):
+        from litellm.exceptions import Timeout
+
+        bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(
+            chat_completions=_RecordingCall(error=_FakeUpstream(408, "upstream request timed out: 30s"))
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(Timeout) as raised:
+            bridge.chat_completions(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse()))
+        assert raised.value.status_code == 408
+        assert isinstance(raised.value.__cause__, _FakeUpstream)
 
     def test_a_transport_failure_with_no_response_surfaces_as_a_500(self):
         from litellm.exceptions import APIError
@@ -367,6 +388,7 @@ class TestFailureClassification:
         with pytest.raises(APIError) as raised:
             bridge.chat_completions(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse()))
         assert raised.value.status_code == 500
+        assert isinstance(raised.value.__cause__, _FakeUpstream)
 
     def test_an_unrecognized_error_is_not_swallowed(self):
         bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(chat_completions=_RecordingCall(error=RuntimeError("something else")))
@@ -375,7 +397,7 @@ class TestFailureClassification:
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_the_async_wrapper_does_not_fall_back_on_an_upstream_failure(self):
-        from litellm.exceptions import APIError
+        from litellm.exceptions import ServiceUnavailableError
 
         bridge.set_rust_chat_completions(achat_completions=_RecordingAsyncCall(error=_FakeUpstream(500, "500: boom")))
         ran = []
@@ -384,7 +406,7 @@ class TestFailureClassification:
             ran.append(True)
             return "python"
 
-        with pytest.raises(APIError):
+        with pytest.raises(ServiceUnavailableError):
             await bridge.achat_completions_or_fallback(**_call_kwargs(ModelResponse()), python_fallback=fallback)
         assert ran == [], "a request the provider already served must not be re-issued"
 
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_runtime.py b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_runtime.py
index b0fa510069b..bd4fd308415 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/rust_bridge/test_runtime.py
@@ -1,10 +1,20 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from types import SimpleNamespace
+from typing import Final
 
+import openai
 import pytest
 
-from litellm.exceptions import APIError
+from litellm.exceptions import (
+    APIError,
+    AuthenticationError,
+    BadRequestError,
+    NotFoundError,
+    RateLimitError,
+    ServiceUnavailableError,
+    Timeout,
+)
 from litellm.rust_bridge import bindings, runtime
 
 
@@ -52,7 +62,7 @@ def test_invoke_translates_upstream_without_fallback() -> None:
     def fail() -> object:
         raise RustUpstreamError(429, "rate limited")
 
-    with pytest.raises(APIError, match="rate limited") as caught:
+    with pytest.raises(RateLimitError, match="rate limited") as caught:
         runtime.invoke(
             native_call=fail,
             fallback=lambda: pytest.fail("fallback must not run"),
@@ -93,3 +103,94 @@ def test_required_mode_rejects_unavailable_bridge() -> None:
             mode=runtime.FallbackMode.RUST_REQUIRED,
             context=context(),
         )
+
+
+class TestUpstreamStatusClassification:
+    """The router's cooldown, retry, and fallback logic keys on litellm exception
+    types, so a Rust-surfaced upstream status must raise the same exception the
+    Python path would"""
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("status", "expected"),
+        (
+            (400, BadRequestError),
+            (401, AuthenticationError),
+            (403, AuthenticationError),
+            (404, NotFoundError),
+            (408, Timeout),
+            (422, BadRequestError),
+            (429, RateLimitError),
+            (500, ServiceUnavailableError),
+            (503, ServiceUnavailableError),
+            (0, APIError),
+        ),
+    )
+    def test_each_status_raises_its_litellm_exception(self, status: int, expected: type[Exception]) -> None:
+        def fail() -> object:
+            raise RustUpstreamError(status, f"{status}: upstream said no")
+
+        with pytest.raises(expected, match="upstream said no") as caught:
+            runtime.invoke(
+                native_call=fail,
+                fallback=lambda: pytest.fail("fallback must not run"),
+                adapt=str,
+                mode=runtime.FallbackMode.PYTHON,
+                context=context(),
+            )
+
+        assert caught.value.__cause__ is not None
+        assert isinstance(caught.value.__cause__, RustUpstreamError)
+
+    def test_the_timeout_marker_raises_litellm_timeout(self) -> None:
+        def hang() -> object:
+            raise RustUpstreamError(408, "upstream request timed out: 30s elapsed")
+
+        with pytest.raises(Timeout) as caught:
+            runtime.invoke(
+                native_call=hang,
+                fallback=lambda: pytest.fail("fallback must not run"),
+                adapt=str,
+                mode=runtime.FallbackMode.PYTHON,
+                context=context(),
+            )
+
+        assert caught.value.status_code == 408
+        assert isinstance(caught.value.__cause__, RustUpstreamError)
+        assert "timed out" in str(caught.value)
+
+    def test_the_cause_chain_preserves_the_rust_error(self) -> None:
+        cause: Final = RustUpstreamError(500, "500: boom")
+
+        def fail() -> object:
+            raise cause
+
+        with pytest.raises(ServiceUnavailableError) as caught:
+            runtime.invoke(
+                native_call=fail,
+                fallback=lambda: pytest.fail("fallback must not run"),
+                adapt=str,
+                mode=runtime.FallbackMode.PYTHON,
+                context=context(),
+            )
+
+        assert caught.value.__cause__ is cause
+
+    def test_a_rust_429_is_classified_the_way_router_cooldown_expects(self) -> None:
+        from litellm.router_utils.cooldown_handlers import _is_cooldown_required
+
+        def fail() -> object:
+            raise RustUpstreamError(429, "429: slow down")
+
+        with pytest.raises(RateLimitError) as caught:
+            runtime.invoke(
+                native_call=fail,
+                fallback=lambda: pytest.fail("fallback must not run"),
+                adapt=str,
+                mode=runtime.FallbackMode.PYTHON,
+                context=context(),
+            )
+
+        error: Final = caught.value
+        assert isinstance(error, openai.RateLimitError), "type-based retry and fallback gates must see it"
+        assert error.status_code == 429
+        assert _is_cooldown_required(None, "deployment", error.status_code) is True