diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 759534a32a1..c2d85eba524 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -10773,8 +10773,18 @@ def get_direct_access_models(
     llm_router: Router,
 ) -> List[str]:
     """
-    Get all models that user has direct access to
+    Get all models that user has direct access to.
+
+    If user.models is empty or contains the "all-proxy-models" sentinel,
+    return all non-team model IDs — same semantic as the PROXY_ADMIN branch
+    in get_all_team_and_direct_access_models and the "all model access"
+    handling in auth_checks._check_model_access_helper.
     """
+    if (
+        not user_db_object.models
+        or SpecialModelNames.all_proxy_models.value in user_db_object.models
+    ):
+        return llm_router.get_model_ids(exclude_team_models=True)
 
     direct_access_models: List[str] = []
     for model in user_db_object.models:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
index ae0996d16d5..61e56867f7c 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
@@ -1145,6 +1145,108 @@ async def test_get_all_team_models():
         assert result == {"gpt-4-model-1": ["team1"], "gpt-4-model-2": ["team1"]}
 
 
+def test_get_direct_access_models_sentinel_returns_all_non_team_models():
+    """models == ["all-proxy-models"] returns all non-team model IDs (issue #22791)."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = ["all-proxy-models"]
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.return_value = ["m1", "m2", "m3"]
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == ["m1", "m2", "m3"]
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.assert_called_once_with(exclude_team_models=True)
+    mock_router.get_model_list.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_get_direct_access_models_empty_list_returns_all_non_team_models():
+    """models == [] returns all non-team model IDs (Pfizer's case — the bug PR #22875 missed)."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = []
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.return_value = ["m1", "m2"]
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == ["m1", "m2"]
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.assert_called_once_with(exclude_team_models=True)
+    mock_router.get_model_list.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_get_direct_access_models_specific_model_preserved():
+    """Explicit model names continue to resolve via get_model_list (existing behaviour)."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = ["gpt-4o-mini"]
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_list.return_value = [
+        {"model_info": {"id": "deploy-1"}},
+        {"model_info": {"id": "deploy-2"}},
+    ]
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == ["deploy-1", "deploy-2"]
+    mock_router.get_model_list.assert_called_once_with(model_name="gpt-4o-mini")
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_get_direct_access_models_unknown_model_returns_empty():
+    """Unknown model name returns [] (existing behaviour preserved)."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = ["nonexistent-model"]
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_list.return_value = None
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == []
+
+
+def test_get_direct_access_models_sentinel_with_extra_names_wins():
+    """If "all-proxy-models" appears alongside other names, sentinel wins — no per-name lookups."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = ["all-proxy-models", "gpt-4"]
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.return_value = ["m1", "m2", "m3"]
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == ["m1", "m2", "m3"]
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.assert_called_once_with(exclude_team_models=True)
+    mock_router.get_model_list.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_get_direct_access_models_excludes_team_models_for_all_access():
+    """exclude_team_models=True is passed so team-only models do not get a phantom direct_access flag."""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import get_direct_access_models
+
+    mock_user = MagicMock()
+    mock_user.models = []
+
+    mock_router = MagicMock()
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.return_value = ["public-1", "public-2"]
+
+    result = get_direct_access_models(user_db_object=mock_user, llm_router=mock_router)
+
+    assert result == ["public-1", "public-2"]
+    mock_router.get_model_ids.assert_called_once_with(exclude_team_models=True)
+
+
 def test_add_team_models_to_all_models():
     """
     Test add_team_models_to_all_models function