diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_http_handler.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_http_handler.py
index 9e64bfafa54..4590a361026 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_http_handler.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/custom_httpx/test_http_handler.py
@@ -1025,6 +1025,74 @@ def test_handed_out_sync_client_pool_survives_handler_collection(keepalive_serve
     consumer_client.close()
 
 
+def _mock_transport() -> httpx.MockTransport:
+    """Answers anything with a short body, left unread when the caller asked to stream."""
+
+    def respond(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+        return httpx.Response(200, request=request, content=b"ab")
+
+    return httpx.MockTransport(respond)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_streaming_response_holds_its_handler_until_it_is_released():
+    """The finalizer must not run while a body this handler issued can still arrive.
+
+    ``_handler_may_close_client`` cannot see that body: it holds the connection it
+    reads from and never the client. Anchoring the handler to the response is what
+    withholds the close, and releasing it is what still delivers one.
+    """
+    handler = AsyncHTTPHandler()
+    handler.client._transport = _mock_transport()
+    ref = weakref.ref(handler)
+    response = await handler.post("https://example.invalid/stream", stream=True)
+
+    del handler
+    gc.collect()
+    assert ref() is not None, "the handler was released while its response could still read"
+
+    assert await response.aread() == b"ab"
+    del response
+    gc.collect()
+    assert ref() is None, "the handler outlived the response that was holding it"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_fully_read_response_does_not_hold_its_handler():
+    """A non-streaming response is complete when ``post`` returns, so it anchors nothing.
+
+    Otherwise every client close would wait on whatever the caller does next with
+    a response it has already read.
+    """
+    handler = AsyncHTTPHandler()
+    handler.client._transport = _mock_transport()
+    ref = weakref.ref(handler)
+    response = await handler.post("https://example.invalid/whole")
+    assert response.content == b"ab"
+
+    del handler
+    gc.collect()
+
+    assert ref() is None, "a fully-read response pinned its handler"
+
+
+def test_a_sync_streaming_response_holds_its_handler_until_it_is_released():
+    """The sync finalizer closes inline, so the same anchor has to hold it off."""
+    handler = HTTPHandler()
+    handler.client._transport = _mock_transport()
+    ref = weakref.ref(handler)
+    response = handler.post("https://example.invalid/stream", stream=True)
+
+    del handler
+    gc.collect()
+    assert ref() is not None, "the handler was released while its response could still read"
+
+    assert response.read() == b"ab"
+    del response
+    gc.collect()
+    assert ref() is None, "the handler outlived the response that was holding it"
+
+
 def test_sync_close_leaves_caller_supplied_client_open():
     supplied = httpx.Client()
     handler = HTTPHandler(client=supplied)