diff --git a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
index 0ad4258fb04..5b85cde5e77 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/key_management_endpoints.py
@@ -5259,10 +5259,24 @@ async def generate_key_helper_fn(
         if isinstance(saved_token["metadata"], str):
             saved_token["metadata"] = json.loads(saved_token["metadata"])
         if isinstance(saved_token["permissions"], str):
-            if "get_spend_routes" in saved_token["permissions"] and premium_user is not True:
-                raise ValueError("get_spend_routes permission is only available for LiteLLM Enterprise users")
-
-            saved_token["permissions"] = json.loads(saved_token["permissions"])
+            parsed_permissions = json.loads(saved_token["permissions"])
+            # Refuse only when the permission is requested (truthy). An explicit
+            # false must not trip a substring check on the serialized JSON.
+            if (
+                isinstance(parsed_permissions, dict)
+                and parsed_permissions.get("get_spend_routes")
+                and premium_user is not True
+            ):
+                raise HTTPException(
+                    status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
+                    detail={
+                        "error": (
+                            "get_spend_routes permission is only available for "
+                            f"LiteLLM Enterprise users. {CommonProxyErrors.not_premium_user.value}"
+                        )
+                    },
+                )
+            saved_token["permissions"] = parsed_permissions
         if isinstance(saved_token["model_max_budget"], str):
             saved_token["model_max_budget"] = json.loads(saved_token["model_max_budget"])
         router_settings = cast(dict | None, saved_token.get("router_settings"))
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/management_endpoints/test_key_management_endpoints.py b/tests/unit/proxy/management_endpoints/test_key_management_endpoints.py
index d6ee9b1d29e..537fcb623cf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/management_endpoints/test_key_management_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/management_endpoints/test_key_management_endpoints.py
@@ -951,6 +951,90 @@ async def test_generate_key_helper_fn_with_access_group_ids(monkeypatch):
     assert captured_key_data.get("access_group_ids") == ["ag-1", "ag-2"]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_generate_key_helper_fn_get_spend_routes_non_premium_returns_403(
+    monkeypatch,
+):
+    """Without Enterprise, requesting get_spend_routes must be a 403 that
+    names the licence — not a bare 500 Internal Server Error. (#47011)"""
+    mock_prisma_client = AsyncMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.jsonify_object = lambda data: data  # type: ignore
+    mock_prisma_client.db = MagicMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.db.litellm_objectpermissiontable = MagicMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.db.litellm_objectpermissiontable.create = AsyncMock(
+        return_value=MagicMock(object_permission_id=None)
+    )
+    mock_prisma_client.db.query_raw = AsyncMock(return_value=[])
+    mock_prisma_client.insert_data = AsyncMock(
+        return_value=MagicMock(
+            token="hashed_token_spend",
+            litellm_budget_table=None,
+            object_permission=None,
+            created_at=None,
+            updated_at=None,
+        )
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.prisma_client", mock_prisma_client)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.premium_user", False)
+
+    from fastapi import HTTPException
+
+    from litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.key_management_endpoints import (
+        generate_key_helper_fn,
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc_info:
+        await generate_key_helper_fn(
+            request_type="key",
+            table_name="key",
+            user_id="test-user",
+            permissions={"get_spend_routes": True},
+        )
+    assert exc_info.value.status_code == 403
+    detail = str(exc_info.value.detail)
+    assert "get_spend_routes" in detail
+    assert "Enterprise" in detail
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_generate_key_helper_fn_get_spend_routes_false_allowed_non_premium(
+    monkeypatch,
+):
+    """Explicit get_spend_routes=false must not be refused on OSS. (#47011)"""
+    mock_prisma_client = AsyncMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.jsonify_object = lambda data: data  # type: ignore
+    mock_prisma_client.db = MagicMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.db.litellm_objectpermissiontable = MagicMock()
+    mock_prisma_client.db.litellm_objectpermissiontable.create = AsyncMock(
+        return_value=MagicMock(object_permission_id=None)
+    )
+    mock_prisma_client.db.query_raw = AsyncMock(return_value=[])
+    mock_prisma_client.insert_data = AsyncMock(
+        return_value=MagicMock(
+            token="hashed_token_spend_false",
+            litellm_budget_table=None,
+            object_permission=None,
+            created_at=None,
+            updated_at=None,
+        )
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.prisma_client", mock_prisma_client)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.premium_user", False)
+
+    from litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.key_management_endpoints import (
+        generate_key_helper_fn,
+    )
+
+    result = await generate_key_helper_fn(
+        request_type="key",
+        table_name="key",
+        user_id="test-user",
+        permissions={"get_spend_routes": False},
+    )
+    assert result is not None
+    assert result.get("token") or result.get("key") or result.get("token_id")
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_generate_key_helper_fn_with_budget_fallbacks(monkeypatch):
     """Regression: /key/generate must accept `budget_fallbacks` end-to-end.