diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/organisms/create_key_button.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/organisms/create_key_button.tsx
index 802dfd14b63..bfc545cd701 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/organisms/create_key_button.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/organisms/create_key_button.tsx
@@ -350,9 +350,11 @@ const CreateKey: React.FC<CreateKeyProps> = ({ team, teams, data, addKey }) => {
         formValues.rotation_interval = rotationInterval;
       }
 
-      // Handle duration field for key expiry - convert empty string to null
-      if (!formValues.duration || formValues.duration.trim() === "") {
-        formValues.duration = null;
+      // Handle duration field for key expiry:
+      // - null means Never Expires (explicitly set by checkbox) — keep as-is
+      // - empty string or undefined means not provided — omit entirely
+      if (formValues.duration !== null && (!formValues.duration || formValues.duration.trim() === "")) {
+        delete formValues.duration;
       }
 
       // Update the formValues with the final metadata
@@ -1407,7 +1409,7 @@ const CreateKey: React.FC<CreateKeyProps> = ({ team, teams, data, addKey }) => {
                         />
                       </div>
                     </AccordionBody>
-                    <Form.Item name="duration" hidden initialValue={null}>
+                    <Form.Item name="duration" hidden>
                       <Input />
                     </Form.Item>
                   </Accordion>
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_edit_view.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_edit_view.tsx
index 8a8a018f267..436375673ca 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_edit_view.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/templates/key_edit_view.tsx
@@ -263,6 +263,11 @@ export function KeyEditView({
       }
       // If it's already an array (shouldn't happen, but handle it), keep as is
 
+      // Handle duration: null = Never Expires (keep); empty string or undefined = not changed (omit)
+      if (values.duration !== null && (!values.duration || values.duration.trim() === "")) {
+        delete values.duration;
+      }
+
       await onSubmit(values);
     } finally {
       setIsKeySaving(false);
@@ -659,7 +664,7 @@ export function KeyEditView({
           rotationInterval={rotationInterval}
           onRotationIntervalChange={setRotationInterval}
         />
-        <Form.Item name="duration" hidden initialValue="">
+        <Form.Item name="duration" hidden>
           <Input />
         </Form.Item>
       </div>