diff --git a/litellm/__init__.py b/litellm/__init__.py
index ea30c5e123f..4591da5ce73 100644
--- a/litellm/__init__.py
+++ b/litellm/__init__.py
@@ -416,6 +416,13 @@ custom_prometheus_metadata_labels: List[str] = []
 custom_prometheus_tags: List[str] = []
 prometheus_metrics_config: Optional[List] = None
 prometheus_emit_stream_label: bool = False
+# Opt-in: emit `rate_limit_category` and `rate_limit_type` labels on
+# `litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric`. Off by default to preserve the
+# pre-unification label set so existing dashboards / recording rules keyed on
+# that metric keep matching after upgrade. Enable when downstream consumers
+# are ready to split 429s by source (vendor vs. litellm) and dimension
+# (RPM/TPM/concurrent/budget).
+prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels: bool = False
 prometheus_end_user_metrics_max_series_per_metric: Optional[int] = 10000
 prometheus_end_user_metrics_ttl_seconds: Optional[float] = 3600.0
 prometheus_end_user_metrics_cleanup_interval_seconds: Optional[float] = 60.0
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/hooks/dynamic_rate_limiter.py b/litellm/proxy/hooks/dynamic_rate_limiter.py
index b9e2bd12ecf..c15e4bd7068 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/hooks/dynamic_rate_limiter.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/hooks/dynamic_rate_limiter.py
@@ -218,11 +218,11 @@ class _PROXY_DynamicRateLimitHandler(CustomLogger):
             ) = await self.check_available_usage(
                 model=data["model"], priority=key_priority
             )
+            resolved_model, llm_provider = resolve_llm_provider_for_rate_limit(
+                data.get("model")
+            )
             ### CHECK TPM ###
             if available_tpm is not None and available_tpm == 0:
-                resolved_model, llm_provider = resolve_llm_provider_for_rate_limit(
-                    data.get("model")
-                )
                 raise ProxyRateLimitError(
                     detail={
                         "error": "Key={} over available TPM={}. Model TPM={}, Active keys={}".format(
@@ -238,9 +238,6 @@ class _PROXY_DynamicRateLimitHandler(CustomLogger):
                 )
             ### CHECK RPM ###
             elif available_rpm is not None and available_rpm == 0:
-                resolved_model, llm_provider = resolve_llm_provider_for_rate_limit(
-                    data.get("model")
-                )
                 raise ProxyRateLimitError(
                     detail={
                         "error": "Key={} over available RPM={}. Model RPM={}, Active keys={}".format(
diff --git a/litellm/types/integrations/prometheus.py b/litellm/types/integrations/prometheus.py
index 3cd26a990b7..4d390f4b293 100644
--- a/litellm/types/integrations/prometheus.py
+++ b/litellm/types/integrations/prometheus.py
@@ -338,12 +338,10 @@ class PrometheusMetricLabels:
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.USER_EMAIL.value,
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.EXCEPTION_STATUS.value,
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.EXCEPTION_CLASS.value,
-        # Surfaced from RateLimitError.category / .rate_limit_type when the
-        # underlying exception is a rate-limit error; ``None`` otherwise. Lets
-        # dashboards split 429s into vendor vs. litellm and by exceeded
-        # dimension (RPM/TPM/concurrent/budget) without parsing error text.
-        UserAPIKeyLabelNames.RATE_LIMIT_CATEGORY.value,
-        UserAPIKeyLabelNames.RATE_LIMIT_TYPE.value,
+        # ``rate_limit_category`` / ``rate_limit_type`` are appended in
+        # ``get_labels()`` when ``litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels``
+        # is True. Kept opt-in so existing dashboards keyed on this metric's
+        # historical label set keep matching after upgrade.
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.ROUTE.value,
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.CLIENT_IP.value,
         UserAPIKeyLabelNames.USER_AGENT.value,
@@ -740,6 +738,25 @@ class PrometheusMetricLabels:
         ):
             custom_labels.append(UserAPIKeyLabelNames.STREAM.value)
 
+        # Conditionally add unified rate-limit labels to
+        # litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric. Off by default so the metric's
+        # historical label set is preserved across upgrade; enable via
+        # ``litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels`` once downstream
+        # dashboards include the new labels in their matchers / aggregations.
+        if (
+            label_name == "litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric"
+            and litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels is True
+        ):
+            for _rate_limit_label in (
+                UserAPIKeyLabelNames.RATE_LIMIT_CATEGORY.value,
+                UserAPIKeyLabelNames.RATE_LIMIT_TYPE.value,
+            ):
+                if (
+                    _rate_limit_label not in default_labels
+                    and _rate_limit_label not in custom_labels
+                ):
+                    custom_labels.append(_rate_limit_label)
+
         if label_name in PrometheusMetricLabels._org_label_metrics:
             for label in [
                 UserAPIKeyLabelNames.ORG_ID.value,
diff --git a/tests/enterprise/litellm_enterprise/enterprise_callbacks/test_prometheus_logging_callbacks.py b/tests/enterprise/litellm_enterprise/enterprise_callbacks/test_prometheus_logging_callbacks.py
index c40d7da91de..7878e7bddb4 100644
--- a/tests/enterprise/litellm_enterprise/enterprise_callbacks/test_prometheus_logging_callbacks.py
+++ b/tests/enterprise/litellm_enterprise/enterprise_callbacks/test_prometheus_logging_callbacks.py
@@ -783,6 +783,11 @@ async def test_async_post_call_failure_hook(prometheus_logger):
 
     it should increment the litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric and litellm_proxy_total_requests_metric
     """
+    # Opt into the unified rate-limit labels so this test exercises the
+    # full label set surfaced when `prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels` is on.
+    original_emit = litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels
+    litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels = True
+
     # Mock the prometheus metrics
     prometheus_logger.litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric = MagicMock()
     prometheus_logger.litellm_proxy_total_requests_metric = MagicMock()
@@ -804,34 +809,37 @@ async def test_async_post_call_failure_hook(prometheus_logger):
         request_route="/chat/completions",
     )
 
-    # Call the function
-    await prometheus_logger.async_post_call_failure_hook(
-        request_data=request_data,
-        original_exception=original_exception,
-        user_api_key_dict=user_api_key_dict,
-    )
+    try:
+        # Call the function
+        await prometheus_logger.async_post_call_failure_hook(
+            request_data=request_data,
+            original_exception=original_exception,
+            user_api_key_dict=user_api_key_dict,
+        )
 
-    # Assert failed requests metric was incremented with correct labels
-    prometheus_logger.litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric.labels.assert_called_once_with(
-        end_user=None,
-        user="test_user",
-        user_email=None,
-        hashed_api_key="test_key",
-        api_key_alias="test_alias",
-        team="test_team",
-        team_alias="test_team_alias",
-        org_id=None,
-        org_alias=None,
-        requested_model="gpt-3.5-turbo",
-        exception_status="429",
-        exception_class="Openai.RateLimitError",
-        rate_limit_category="vendor_rate_limit",
-        rate_limit_type=None,
-        route=user_api_key_dict.request_route,
-        model_id=None,
-        client_ip=None,
-        user_agent=None,
-    )
+        # Assert failed requests metric was incremented with correct labels
+        prometheus_logger.litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric.labels.assert_called_once_with(
+            end_user=None,
+            user="test_user",
+            user_email=None,
+            hashed_api_key="test_key",
+            api_key_alias="test_alias",
+            team="test_team",
+            team_alias="test_team_alias",
+            org_id=None,
+            org_alias=None,
+            requested_model="gpt-3.5-turbo",
+            exception_status="429",
+            exception_class="Openai.RateLimitError",
+            rate_limit_category="vendor_rate_limit",
+            rate_limit_type=None,
+            route=user_api_key_dict.request_route,
+            model_id=None,
+            client_ip=None,
+            user_agent=None,
+        )
+    finally:
+        litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels = original_emit
     prometheus_logger.litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric.labels().inc.assert_called_once()
 
     # Assert total requests metric was incremented with correct labels
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/test_prometheus_rate_limit_labels.py b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/test_prometheus_rate_limit_labels.py
index 76ab363ed6f..bb035c4c3ee 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/test_prometheus_rate_limit_labels.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/test_prometheus_rate_limit_labels.py
@@ -43,10 +43,34 @@ def test_should_register_rate_limit_label_names_on_enum():
 
 
 def test_should_include_rate_limit_labels_on_failed_requests_metric():
+    import litellm
+
+    original = litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels
+    try:
+        litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels = True
+        labels = PrometheusMetricLabels.get_labels(
+            "litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric"
+        )
+        assert "rate_limit_category" in labels
+        assert "rate_limit_type" in labels
+        # These must coexist with the legacy exception labels (back-compat).
+        assert "exception_class" in labels
+        assert "exception_status" in labels
+    finally:
+        litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels = original
+
+
+def test_should_omit_rate_limit_labels_by_default_for_back_compat():
+    """Default-off preserves the metric's historical label set so existing
+    dashboards / recording rules keyed on `litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric`
+    keep matching after upgrade."""
+    import litellm
+
+    assert litellm.prometheus_emit_rate_limit_labels is False
     labels = PrometheusMetricLabels.get_labels("litellm_proxy_failed_requests_metric")
-    assert "rate_limit_category" in labels
-    assert "rate_limit_type" in labels
-    # These must coexist with the legacy exception labels (back-compat).
+    assert "rate_limit_category" not in labels
+    assert "rate_limit_type" not in labels
+    # Pre-PR labels must still be present.
     assert "exception_class" in labels
     assert "exception_status" in labels