diff --git a/litellm/_logging.py b/litellm/_logging.py
index 720d0b99585..72a79412749 100644
--- a/litellm/_logging.py
+++ b/litellm/_logging.py
@@ -932,10 +932,22 @@ def print_startup_message(message: str) -> None:
     # handler (LITELLM_LOG), and still runs the logger's and the handler's filters and the formatter.
     if not verbose_proxy_logger.filter(record):
         return
-    for json_handler in verbose_proxy_logger.handlers:
+    # uvicorn applies an operator --log_config after proxy_cli's turn_on_json() and before initialize()
+    # re-installs the JSON handler through load_config(); a config that names "LiteLLM Proxy" leaves the
+    # logger without handlers in that window, where the banner and the feedback box are emitted.
+    for json_handler in verbose_proxy_logger.handlers or (_fallback_json_handler(),):
         json_handler.handle(record)
 
 
+def _fallback_json_handler() -> logging.Handler:
+    """JSON handler for a startup message that arrives while the proxy logger has no handler of its own."""
+    handler: Final = LevelRoutingStreamHandler()
+    handler.setFormatter(JsonFormatter())
+    handler.addFilter(_secret_filter)
+    handler.addFilter(_correlation_filter)
+    return handler
+
+
 def _suppress_loggers():
     """Suppress noisy loggers at INFO level"""
     # Suppress httpx request logging at INFO level
diff --git a/tests/integration/configuration/test_json_logs_startup.py b/tests/integration/configuration/test_json_logs_startup.py
index 59cfdd6128b..bfc4f20f9bd 100644
--- a/tests/integration/configuration/test_json_logs_startup.py
+++ b/tests/integration/configuration/test_json_logs_startup.py
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ WORKER_COUNTS: Final = (1, 2)
 UNKNOWN_MODEL_STATUS: Final = 400
 BURST_SIZE: Final = 16
 CACHE_SETTINGS: Final[Mapping[str, JsonValue]] = {"cache": True, "cache_params": {"type": "redis"}}
+# an operator logging config of the usual shape: it sets the proxy logger's level and gives it no handler
+# of its own, and formats everything else, uvicorn included, as JSON through the root handler
+OPERATOR_LOG_CONFIG: Final[Mapping[str, JsonValue]] = {
+    "version": 1,
+    "disable_existing_loggers": False,
+    "formatters": {"json": {"()": "litellm._logging.JsonFormatter"}},
+    "handlers": {"stdout": {"class": "logging.StreamHandler", "stream": "ext://sys.stdout", "formatter": "json"}},
+    "loggers": {"LiteLLM Proxy": {"level": "INFO"}},
+    "root": {"level": "INFO", "handlers": ["stdout"]},
+}
 
 
 def _models() -> tuple[str, str]:
@@ -112,8 +122,17 @@ def _boot_serve_and_stop(
     overrides: Mapping[str, str],
     workers: int,
     models: tuple[str, ...],
+    extra_arguments: tuple[str, ...] = (),
 ) -> str:
-    with owned_proxy_process(gateway, directory, overrides, config=config, workers=workers, database_setup=()) as owned:
+    with owned_proxy_process(
+        gateway,
+        directory,
+        overrides,
+        config=config,
+        workers=workers,
+        database_setup=(),
+        extra_arguments=extra_arguments,
+    ) as owned:
         _serve(owned.gateway, models)
         log: Final = owned.log
     return log.read_text()
@@ -133,7 +152,9 @@ def _serve(gateway: Gateway, models: tuple[str, ...]) -> None:
     assert rejected.status_code == UNKNOWN_MODEL_STATUS, rejected.text
 
 
-def _assert_every_line_is_json(log: str, workers: int, models: tuple[str, ...]) -> None:
+def _assert_every_line_is_json(
+    log: str, workers: int, models: tuple[str, ...], *, redis_auth_cache_line: bool = True
+) -> None:
     plaintext: Final = _non_json_lines(log)
     assert plaintext == (), "plaintext lines with JSON logs on:\n" + "\n".join(plaintext)
     messages: Final = _messages(log)
@@ -142,7 +163,8 @@ def _assert_every_line_is_json(log: str, workers: int, models: tuple[str, ...])
     for model in models:
         assert any(model in message for message in messages), (model, messages)
     assert any(CACHE_LINE in message for message in messages), messages
-    assert any(REDIS_AUTH_CACHE_LINE in message for message in messages), messages
+    if redis_auth_cache_line:
+        assert any(REDIS_AUTH_CACHE_LINE in message for message in messages), messages
     assert any(CONNECTION_BUDGET_LINE in message for message in messages), messages
     assert sum(BANNER_FRAGMENT in message for message in messages) == workers, messages
     assert sum(FEEDBACK_BOX_LINE in message for message in messages) == workers, messages
@@ -168,6 +190,26 @@ def test_json_logs_config_keeps_every_line_json(gateway: Gateway, tmp_path: Path
     _assert_every_line_is_json(log, workers, models)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("workers", WORKER_COUNTS)
+def test_json_logs_with_operator_log_config_keeps_every_line_json(
+    gateway: Gateway, tmp_path: Path, workers: int
+) -> None:
+    """uvicorn applies an operator `--log_config` after the CLI process switched JSON on and before
+    `initialize()` switches it on again through the config; a config that names the proxy logger leaves it
+    without handlers in that window, where the banner and the feedback box are emitted. They still arrive,
+    as JSON, one per worker, and the operator's own formatter keeps uvicorn's lines JSON. The Redis
+    auth-cache line is a regular logger line written in that same window; this log_config removed the
+    proxy logger's handlers and left propagation off, so it is lost at one worker on main and here alike."""
+    models: Final = _models()
+    config: Final = _write_config(tmp_path, gateway.upstream_url, models, {**CACHE_SETTINGS, "json_logs": True})
+    log_config: Final = tmp_path / "operator_log_config.yaml"
+    log_config.write_text(yaml.safe_dump(dict(OPERATOR_LOG_CONFIG)))
+    log: Final = _boot_serve_and_stop(
+        gateway, tmp_path, config, {"LITELLM_LOG": "INFO"}, workers, models, ("--log_config", str(log_config))
+    )
+    _assert_every_line_is_json(log, workers, models, redis_auth_cache_line=False)
+
+
 def test_json_logs_default_level_keeps_every_line_json(gateway: Gateway, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     """Without LITELLM_LOG the proxy loggers sit at WARNING; the startup notices a plain-mode operator
     always sees still arrive, as JSON, and nothing arrives as plaintext."""
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_logging.py b/tests/unit/test_logging.py
index fb4189100ee..2c969a1059f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_logging.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_logging.py
@@ -1866,6 +1866,36 @@ def test_print_startup_message_shows_above_the_json_handler_level(monkeypatch, c
     assert [json.loads(raw)["message"] for raw in lines] == ["Setting Cache on Proxy"]
 
 
+def test_print_startup_message_emits_json_after_an_operator_log_config_removed_the_handlers(
+    request, monkeypatch, capfd
+):
+    """uvicorn applies an operator `--log_config` after proxy_cli's turn_on_json() and before initialize()
+    re-installs the JSON handler through load_config(); a config that names "LiteLLM Proxy" leaves the
+    logger without handlers in that window, where the banner and the feedback box are emitted, and they
+    still go out as one JSON record each, on stdout."""
+    import logging.config
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "json_logs", True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "excepthook", sys.excepthook)
+    turn_on_json()
+    request.addfinalizer(turn_on_json)  # put the JSON handler back for the tests that follow
+    logging.config.dictConfig(
+        {"version": 1, "disable_existing_loggers": False, "loggers": {"LiteLLM Proxy": {"level": "INFO"}}}
+    )
+    assert verbose_proxy_logger.handlers == []
+
+    print_startup_message("\n\033[1;37m#      Give Feedback / Get Help      #\033[0m\n")
+
+    out, err = capfd.readouterr()
+    assert err == ""
+    lines: Final = [raw for raw in out.splitlines() if raw.strip()]
+    assert len(lines) == 1, lines
+    record: Final = json.loads(lines[0])
+    assert record["message"] == "#      Give Feedback / Get Help      #"
+    assert record["level"] == "INFO"
+    assert record["component"] == "LiteLLM Proxy"
+
+
 def test_print_startup_message_blank_spacer_emits_no_json_record(monkeypatch, capfd):
     """A spacer that only pads the terminal has nothing to say to a log pipeline."""
     monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "json_logs", True)