diff --git a/litellm/main.py b/litellm/main.py
index 80a2f74c571..316e5a811fd 100644
--- a/litellm/main.py
+++ b/litellm/main.py
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ from .types.utils import (
     FileTypes,
     HiddenParams,
     LlmProviders,
+    LlmProvidersSet,
     PromptTokensDetails,
     ProviderSpecificHeader,
     all_litellm_params,
@@ -1104,8 +1105,6 @@ def completion(  # type: ignore # noqa: PLR0915
     stop = validate_openai_optional_params(stop=stop)
 
     ######### unpacking kwargs #####################
-    args = locals()
-
     skip_mcp_handler = kwargs.pop("_skip_mcp_handler", False)
     if not skip_mcp_handler and tools:
         from litellm.responses.mcp.chat_completions_handler import (
@@ -1284,12 +1283,12 @@ def completion(  # type: ignore # noqa: PLR0915
         logging: LiteLLMLoggingObj = cast(LiteLLMLoggingObj, litellm_logging_obj)
         fallbacks = fallbacks or litellm.model_fallbacks
         if fallbacks is not None:
-            return completion_with_fallbacks(**args)
+            return completion_with_fallbacks(**locals())
         if model_list is not None:
             deployments = [
                 m["litellm_params"] for m in model_list if m["model_name"] == model
             ]
-            return litellm.batch_completion_models(deployments=deployments, **args)
+            return litellm.batch_completion_models(deployments=deployments, **locals())
         if litellm.model_alias_map and model in litellm.model_alias_map:
             model = litellm.model_alias_map[
                 model
@@ -1394,9 +1393,7 @@ def completion(  # type: ignore # noqa: PLR0915
             )
 
         provider_config: Optional[BaseConfig] = None
-        if custom_llm_provider is not None and custom_llm_provider in [
-            provider.value for provider in LlmProviders
-        ]:
+        if custom_llm_provider is not None and custom_llm_provider in LlmProvidersSet:
             provider_config = ProviderConfigManager.get_provider_chat_config(
                 model=model, provider=LlmProviders(custom_llm_provider)
             )
@@ -4306,11 +4303,13 @@ def completion(  # type: ignore # noqa: PLR0915
             model=model,
             custom_llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
             original_exception=e,
-            completion_kwargs=args,
+            completion_kwargs={"messages": messages},
             extra_kwargs=kwargs,
         )
 
 
+
+
 def completion_with_retries(*args, **kwargs):
     """
     Executes a litellm.completion() with 3 retries
diff --git a/litellm/utils.py b/litellm/utils.py
index 2a29c08904c..3d12ad5ea36 100644
--- a/litellm/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/utils.py
@@ -3874,9 +3874,7 @@ def get_optional_params(  # noqa: PLR0915
         custom_llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
     )
     provider_config: Optional[BaseConfig] = None
-    if custom_llm_provider is not None and custom_llm_provider in [
-        provider.value for provider in LlmProviders
-    ]:
+    if custom_llm_provider is not None and custom_llm_provider in LlmProvidersSet:
         provider_config = ProviderConfigManager.get_provider_chat_config(
             model=model, provider=LlmProviders(custom_llm_provider)
         )
diff --git a/tests/litellm/test_completion_perf_optimizations.py b/tests/litellm/test_completion_perf_optimizations.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..72a8e964675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/litellm/test_completion_perf_optimizations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""
+Tests for completion() performance optimizations.
+
+Covers:
+1. LlmProvidersSet used instead of list comprehension for provider lookup
+2. Deferred locals() - get_first_chars_messages works with minimal dict
+"""
+
+import litellm
+from litellm.types.utils import LlmProviders, LlmProvidersSet
+
+
+class TestLlmProvidersSetConsistency:
+    """Verify LlmProvidersSet matches the enum values exactly."""
+
+    def test_set_matches_enum(self):
+        expected = {p.value for p in LlmProviders}
+        assert LlmProvidersSet == expected
+
+    def test_known_providers_in_set(self):
+        for provider in ["openai", "anthropic", "azure", "bedrock", "vertex_ai"]:
+            assert provider in LlmProvidersSet, f"{provider} not in LlmProvidersSet"
+
+    def test_unknown_provider_not_in_set(self):
+        assert "not_a_real_provider_xyz" not in LlmProvidersSet
+
+
+class TestGetFirstCharsMessagesWithMinimalKwargs:
+    """Verify get_first_chars_messages works when completion_kwargs only has 'messages'."""
+
+    def test_with_messages_key(self):
+        """get_first_chars_messages should work with just {"messages": ...}."""
+        messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "hello"}]
+        result = litellm.get_first_chars_messages(kwargs={"messages": messages})
+        assert "hello" in result
+
+    def test_with_empty_dict(self):
+        """get_first_chars_messages should handle empty dict gracefully."""
+        result = litellm.get_first_chars_messages(kwargs={})
+        # Should return empty string or "None" — not crash
+        assert isinstance(result, str)
+
+    def test_truncates_long_messages(self):
+        """get_first_chars_messages truncates to 100 chars."""
+        messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "x" * 200}]
+        result = litellm.get_first_chars_messages(kwargs={"messages": messages})
+        assert len(result) <= 100