diff --git a/litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/handler.py b/litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/handler.py
index fc9e644c5c0..ee33a5c6a14 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/handler.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/handler.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class OpenAIImageVariationsHandler:
             init_client_params: Final = {
                 "api_key": api_key,
                 "base_url": api_base,
-                "http_client": litellm.client_session,
+                "http_client": litellm.aclient_session,
                 "default_headers": accept_encoding_header(),
                 "timeout": timeout,
                 "max_retries": max_retries,
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ class OpenAIImageVariationsHandler:
             init_client_params: Final = {
                 "api_key": api_key,
                 "base_url": api_base,
-                "http_client": litellm.aclient_session,
+                "http_client": litellm.client_session,
                 "default_headers": accept_encoding_header(),
                 "timeout": timeout,
                 "max_retries": max_retries,
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/test_handler.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/test_handler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..501571f0962
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/image_variations/test_handler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import io
+import json
+import threading
+from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, ThreadingHTTPServer
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+
+import litellm
+
+
+class _ImageVariationsUpstream(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
+    protocol_version = "HTTP/1.1"
+
+    def do_POST(self) -> None:
+        self.rfile.read(int(self.headers.get("Content-Length") or 0))
+        body = json.dumps({"created": 1, "data": [{"url": "https://example.invalid/variation.png"}]}).encode()
+        self.send_response(200)
+        self.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json")
+        self.send_header("Content-Length", str(len(body)))
+        self.end_headers()
+        self.wfile.write(body)
+
+    def log_message(self, *args: object) -> None:
+        return
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def image_variations_upstream():
+    server = ThreadingHTTPServer(("127.0.0.1", 0), _ImageVariationsUpstream)
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=server.serve_forever, daemon=True)
+    thread.start()
+    try:
+        yield f"http://127.0.0.1:{server.server_address[1]}"
+    finally:
+        server.shutdown()
+        server.server_close()
+        thread.join(timeout=5)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def shared_sessions(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    sync_session = httpx.Client()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "client_session", sync_session)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "aclient_session", httpx.AsyncClient())
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        sync_session.close()
+
+
+def _square_png() -> io.BytesIO:
+    image = io.BytesIO(
+        b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n\x00\x00\x00\rIHDR\x00\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x01\x08\x06\x00\x00\x00"
+        b"\x1f\x15\xc4\x89\x00\x00\x00\nIDATx\x9cc\x00\x01\x00\x00\x05\x00\x01\r\n-\xb4\x00\x00\x00\x00IEND\xaeB`\x82"
+    )
+    image.name = "square.png"
+    return image
+
+
+def test_sync_image_variation_uses_the_sync_shared_session(image_variations_upstream, shared_sessions):
+    response = litellm.image_variation(
+        image=_square_png(),
+        model="dall-e-2",
+        api_key="sk-test",
+        api_base=image_variations_upstream,
+    )
+
+    assert response.data is not None
+    assert response.data[0].url == "https://example.invalid/variation.png"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_async_image_variation_uses_the_async_shared_session(image_variations_upstream, shared_sessions):
+    response = await litellm.aimage_variation(
+        image=_square_png(),
+        model="dall-e-2",
+        api_key="sk-test",
+        api_base=image_variations_upstream,
+    )
+
+    assert response.data is not None
+    assert response.data[0].url == "https://example.invalid/variation.png"