diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/get_llm_provider_logic.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/get_llm_provider_logic.py
index 48840445c64..e674fc37673 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/get_llm_provider_logic.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/get_llm_provider_logic.py
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def get_llm_provider(
                         dynamic_api_key = get_secret_str("META_API_KEY")
                     elif (json_provider := JSONProviderRegistry.get_by_base_url(endpoint)) is not None:
                         custom_llm_provider = json_provider.slug
-                        dynamic_api_key = get_secret_str(json_provider.api_key_env)
+                        dynamic_api_key = api_key if api_key is not None else get_secret_str(json_provider.api_key_env)
 
                     if api_base is not None and not isinstance(api_base, str):
                         raise Exception(f"api base needs to be a string. api_base={api_base}")
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai_like/test_cognition_provider.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai_like/test_cognition_provider.py
index 68758b70363..1dcc1b984e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai_like/test_cognition_provider.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai_like/test_cognition_provider.py
@@ -79,6 +79,21 @@ class TestCognitionProviderIdentity:
         assert api_base == "https://api.cognition.ai/v1"
         assert api_key == "sk-cognition-env"
 
+    def test_autodetected_api_base_keeps_the_caller_api_key(self, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+        from litellm.litellm_core_utils.get_llm_provider_logic import get_llm_provider
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("COGNITION_API_KEY", "sk-cognition-env")
+
+        _, provider, api_key, _ = get_llm_provider(
+            model="swe-1.7",
+            custom_llm_provider=None,
+            api_base="https://api.cognition.ai/v1",
+            api_key="sk-cognition-caller",
+        )
+
+        assert provider == "cognition"
+        assert api_key == "sk-cognition-caller"
+
     def test_env_api_key_is_read_from_cognition_variable(self, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
         from litellm.llms.openai_like.dynamic_config import create_config_class
         from litellm.llms.openai_like.json_loader import JSONProviderRegistry