diff --git a/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/async_client_cleanup.py b/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/async_client_cleanup.py
index f7f5c90d955..7f0f2654040 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/async_client_cleanup.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/async_client_cleanup.py
@@ -50,19 +50,21 @@ async def close_litellm_async_clients():
         # Handle any other cached async client. Most expose aclose(), but some
         # SDK clients -- notably the openai SDK's AsyncOpenAI / AsyncAzureOpenAI,
         # which are cached here (set_cached_openai_client) and built on litellm's
-        # aiohttp transport -- name the async teardown close() instead. Accept
-        # either, guarding on iscoroutinefunction so sync close() methods
-        # (sync OpenAI / HTTPHandler) are left untouched.
+        # aiohttp transport -- name the async teardown close() instead. Try each
+        # candidate independently, guarding on iscoroutinefunction so sync
+        # teardowns (sync OpenAI / HTTPHandler) are left untouched. Checking them
+        # separately (rather than `aclose or close`) avoids picking a truthy but
+        # synchronous aclose() and then skipping a real async close() alongside it.
         else:
-            closer = getattr(handler, "aclose", None) or getattr(
-                handler, "close", None
-            )
-            if closer is not None and inspect.iscoroutinefunction(closer):
-                try:
-                    await closer()
-                except Exception:
-                    # Silently ignore errors during cleanup
-                    pass
+            for name in ("aclose", "close"):
+                closer = getattr(handler, name, None)
+                if closer is not None and inspect.iscoroutinefunction(closer):
+                    try:
+                        await closer()
+                    except Exception:
+                        # Silently ignore errors during cleanup
+                        pass
+                    break
 
     # Close the global base_llm_aiohttp_handler instance (issue #12443)
     # This is used by Gemini and other providers that use aiohttp
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_openai_session_leak.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_openai_session_leak.py
index fde184626ac..3f42cf03e9d 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_openai_session_leak.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_openai_session_leak.py
@@ -23,6 +23,36 @@ class _AsyncCloseOnlyClient:
         self.closed = True
 
 
+class _AsyncACloseOnlyClient:
+    """The pre-existing path: an async client whose teardown is aclose()."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.closed = False
+
+    async def aclose(self):
+        self.closed = True
+
+
+class _SyncCloseAsyncACloseClient:
+    """
+    The `or` short-circuit case: a sync aclose() alongside an async close().
+
+    `getattr(handler, "aclose") or getattr(handler, "close")` would pick the
+    truthy-but-synchronous aclose(), fail the iscoroutinefunction guard, and then
+    never reach the real async close() -- leaking the client. Each candidate must
+    be checked independently.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.closed = False
+
+    def aclose(self):  # sync -- a decoy that must not satisfy cleanup
+        pass
+
+    async def close(self):
+        self.closed = True
+
+
 class _SyncClient:
     """A sync client (close() is not a coroutine) -- must be left untouched."""
 
@@ -48,3 +78,29 @@ async def test_cleanup_closes_async_close_only_clients():
 
     assert async_client.closed, "async close()-only client should be closed"
     assert not sync_client.closed, "sync client should be left untouched"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_cleanup_closes_async_aclose_clients():
+    """Regression guard for the pre-existing aclose() path."""
+    aclose_client = _AsyncACloseOnlyClient()
+    litellm.in_memory_llm_clients_cache.set_cache(
+        key="test_async_aclose_only", value=aclose_client, ttl=60
+    )
+
+    await close_litellm_async_clients()
+
+    assert aclose_client.closed, "async aclose() client should be closed"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_cleanup_prefers_async_close_over_sync_aclose():
+    """A sync aclose() must not shadow a real async close() (the `or` gap)."""
+    client = _SyncCloseAsyncACloseClient()
+    litellm.in_memory_llm_clients_cache.set_cache(
+        key="test_sync_aclose_async_close", value=client, ttl=60
+    )
+
+    await close_litellm_async_clients()
+
+    assert client.closed, "async close() should be called when aclose() is sync"