diff --git a/litellm/llms/deepseek/chat/transformation.py b/litellm/llms/deepseek/chat/transformation.py
index 06b86b2fa44..7ed3e484535 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/deepseek/chat/transformation.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/deepseek/chat/transformation.py
@@ -90,12 +90,15 @@ class DeepSeekChatConfig(OpenAIGPTConfig):
                     cleaned.pop("reasoning_content", None)
                     patched["provider_specific_fields"] = cleaned
                 else:
-                    litellm.verbose_logger.debug(
+                    litellm.verbose_logger.warning(
                         "DeepSeek thinking mode: assistant message is missing "
-                        "`reasoning_content`. Injecting a placeholder to satisfy "
-                        "API validation. For best results, preserve "
-                        "`reasoning_content` from the original assistant response "
-                        "when building multi-turn conversation history."
+                        "`reasoning_content` and none was saved in "
+                        "`provider_specific_fields`. A single-space placeholder "
+                        "is being injected to satisfy API validation, but the "
+                        "model will receive a blank reasoning chain for this turn, "
+                        "which may silently degrade multi-turn response quality. "
+                        "Preserve `reasoning_content` from the original assistant "
+                        "response when building multi-turn conversation history."
                     )
                     patched["reasoning_content"] = " "
                 result.append(cast(AllMessageValues, patched))
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 059bd9f8125..5d89d3fa9c5 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -8090,6 +8090,11 @@ async def model_list(
             proxy_logging_obj=proxy_logging_obj,
         )
 
+    # Compute once — used in both branches below to hide paused models from the listing.
+    blocked_names = (
+        llm_router.get_fully_blocked_model_names() if llm_router is not None else set()
+    )
+
     # If scope=expand and user has admin privileges, return all proxy models
     if should_expand_scope:
         # Get all proxy models as if user is a proxy admin
@@ -8123,10 +8128,8 @@ async def model_list(
         )
 
         # Hide paused models from the public listing (admins manage them via /model/info)
-        if llm_router is not None:
-            blocked_names = llm_router.get_fully_blocked_model_names()
-            if blocked_names:
-                all_models = [m for m in all_models if m not in blocked_names]
+        if blocked_names:
+            all_models = [m for m in all_models if m not in blocked_names]
 
         # Build response data with all proxy models
         model_data = []
@@ -8162,10 +8165,8 @@ async def model_list(
     )
 
     # Hide paused models from the public listing (admins manage them via /model/info)
-    if llm_router is not None:
-        blocked_names = llm_router.get_fully_blocked_model_names()
-        if blocked_names:
-            all_models = [m for m in all_models if m not in blocked_names]
+    if blocked_names:
+        all_models = [m for m in all_models if m not in blocked_names]
 
     # Build response data
     model_data = []
diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index 61534f32ba2..52e4e9bab85 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -10163,7 +10163,11 @@ class Router:
 
         if isinstance(healthy_deployments, dict):
             if (healthy_deployments.get("model_info") or {}).get("blocked") is True:
-                raise RouterRateLimitErrorBasic(model=model)
+                raise litellm.ServiceUnavailableError(
+                    message=f"Model '{model}' is administratively paused. Contact your proxy admin to unblock it.",
+                    model=model,
+                    llm_provider="",
+                )
             return healthy_deployments
 
         # Health-check-based filtering (before cooldown)
@@ -10591,7 +10595,11 @@ class Router:
 
         if isinstance(healthy_deployments, dict):
             if (healthy_deployments.get("model_info") or {}).get("blocked") is True:
-                raise RouterRateLimitErrorBasic(model=model)
+                raise litellm.ServiceUnavailableError(
+                    message=f"Model '{model}' is administratively paused. Contact your proxy admin to unblock it.",
+                    model=model,
+                    llm_provider="",
+                )
             return healthy_deployments
 
         parent_otel_span: Optional[Span] = _get_parent_otel_span_from_kwargs(
@@ -10744,7 +10752,11 @@ class Router:
         # 2. If the returned is a specific deployment (Dict), verify and return directly
         if isinstance(healthy_deployments, dict):
             if (healthy_deployments.get("model_info") or {}).get("blocked") is True:
-                raise RouterRateLimitErrorBasic(model=model)
+                raise litellm.ServiceUnavailableError(
+                    message=f"Model '{model}' is administratively paused. Contact your proxy admin to unblock it.",
+                    model=model,
+                    llm_provider="",
+                )
             litellm_params = healthy_deployments.get("litellm_params", {})
             if litellm_params.get("use_in_pass_through"):
                 return healthy_deployments
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
index 02d24aded02..1757fae69a0 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
@@ -3788,10 +3788,10 @@ def test_public_get_available_deployment_skips_blocked_on_primary_path():
 
 
 def test_get_available_deployment_raises_when_addressed_dict_is_blocked():
-    from litellm.types.router import RouterRateLimitErrorBasic
+    import litellm
 
     router = _router_with_two_deployments([True, True])
-    with pytest.raises(RouterRateLimitErrorBasic):
+    with pytest.raises(litellm.ServiceUnavailableError):
         router.get_available_deployment(model="dep-0", request_kwargs={})
 
 
@@ -3823,10 +3823,10 @@ def test_get_available_deployment_for_pass_through_skips_blocked():
 
 
 def test_get_available_deployment_for_pass_through_raises_when_dict_blocked():
-    from litellm.types.router import RouterRateLimitErrorBasic
+    import litellm
 
     router = _router_with_two_pass_through_deployments([True, True])
-    with pytest.raises(RouterRateLimitErrorBasic):
+    with pytest.raises(litellm.ServiceUnavailableError):
         router.get_available_deployment_for_pass_through(
             model="pt-0", request_kwargs={}
         )