diff --git a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
index 82db6e140e8..45542cba7a3 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
@@ -534,6 +534,13 @@ async def _common_key_generation_helper(  # noqa: PLR0915
                         upperbound_duration = duration_in_seconds(
                             duration=upperbound_value
                         )
+                        if value == "-1":
+                            raise HTTPException(
+                                status_code=400,
+                                detail={
+                                    "error": "'-1' is no longer a valid duration value. Pass duration: null to set a key to never expire."
+                                },
+                            )
                         user_duration = duration_in_seconds(duration=value)
                         if user_duration > upperbound_duration:
                             raise HTTPException(
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/common_components/KeyLifecycleSettings.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/common_components/KeyLifecycleSettings.tsx
index e7a0bff41a8..3b0f27a0cbd 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/common_components/KeyLifecycleSettings.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/common_components/KeyLifecycleSettings.tsx
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@ const KeyLifecycleSettings: React.FC<KeyLifecycleSettingsProps> = ({
       } else if (form && typeof form.setFieldsValue === "function") {
         form.setFieldsValue({ duration: null });
       }
+    } else {
+      // Clear the null so duration is omitted from the request (not sent as never-expires)
+      if (form && typeof form.setFieldValue === "function") {
+        form.setFieldValue("duration", undefined);
+      } else if (form && typeof form.setFieldsValue === "function") {
+        form.setFieldsValue({ duration: undefined });
+      }
     }
   };