diff --git a/cookbook/litellm_proxy_server/cli_token_usage.py b/cookbook/litellm_proxy_server/cli_token_usage.py
index e6b3744019c..c9c91e3283b 100644
--- a/cookbook/litellm_proxy_server/cli_token_usage.py
+++ b/cookbook/litellm_proxy_server/cli_token_usage.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Example: Using CLI token with LiteLLM SDK
 
 This example shows how to use the CLI authentication token
-in your Python scripts after running `litellm-proxy login`.
+in your Python scripts after running `lite login`.
 """
 
 from textwrap import indent
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def main():
     api_key = litellm.get_litellm_gateway_api_key()
 
     if not api_key:
-        print("❌ No CLI token found. Please run 'litellm-proxy login' first.")
+        print("❌ No CLI token found. Please run 'lite login' first.")
         return
 
     print("✅ Found CLI token.")
@@ -58,6 +58,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
 
     print("\n💡 Tips:")
-    print("1. Run 'litellm-proxy login' to authenticate first")
+    print("1. Run 'lite login' to authenticate first")
     print("2. Replace 'https://your-proxy.com' with your actual proxy URL")
     print("3. The token is stored in your OS keychain, or in ~/.litellm/token.json when there is none")
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/__init__.py b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/__init__.py
index 843a0095878..7634cabb3b3 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 """CLI package for LiteLLM Proxy Client."""
 
-from .main import cli
+from .main import cli, litellm_proxy_cli
 
-__all__ = ["cli"]
+__all__ = ["cli", "litellm_proxy_cli"]
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/commands/encryption.py b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/commands/encryption.py
index 4c6ab94191e..f9a9356d0d6 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/commands/encryption.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/commands/encryption.py
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ def migrate(ctx: click.Context, check_only: bool, dry_run: bool):
     resumable; safe to re-run after an interruption.
 
     Examples:
-        litellm-proxy encryption migrate --check   # attestation scan, no writes
-        litellm-proxy encryption migrate           # perform the migration
+        lite encryption migrate --check   # attestation scan, no writes
+        lite encryption migrate           # perform the migration
     """
     client: Final = HTTPClient(ctx.obj["base_url"], ctx.obj["api_key"])
 
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/main.py b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/main.py
index 05fb877d0f1..63e38c93221 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/client/cli/main.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/client/cli/main.py
@@ -168,5 +168,16 @@ cli.add_command(configure_group)
 cli.add_command(unconfigure_group)
 
 
+LITELLM_PROXY_DEPRECATION_NOTICE: Final = (
+    "The `litellm-proxy` command is deprecated and will be removed in a future release; "
+    "run `lite` instead, it takes the same commands and options."
+)
+
+
+def litellm_proxy_cli() -> None:
+    click.secho(LITELLM_PROXY_DEPRECATION_NOTICE, err=True, fg="yellow")
+    cli()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     cli()
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/ui_sso.py b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/ui_sso.py
index 329443148a2..00cf357d89d 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/ui_sso.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/management_endpoints/ui_sso.py
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ def _get_cli_sso_flow_or_raise(login_id: str | None, cache: DualCache) -> dict:
             status_code=400,
             detail=(
                 "Your litellm CLI is out of date and uses a login flow this proxy no longer supports. "
-                "Upgrade it with `pip install -U 'litellm[proxy]'` and run `litellm-proxy login` again."
+                "Upgrade it with `pip install -U 'litellm[proxy]'` and run `lite login` again."
             ),
         )
     if not _is_valid_cli_sso_login_id(login_id):
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ def _get_cli_sso_flow_or_raise(login_id: str | None, cache: DualCache) -> dict:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=400,
             detail=(
-                "CLI login session not found or expired. Run `litellm-proxy login` again. "
+                "CLI login session not found or expired. Run `lite login` again. "
                 "If this happens immediately after starting a login, the proxy is likely running multiple "
                 "replicas without a shared cache; configure a Redis cache "
                 "so every replica can see the login session."
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 615f4b8d0ab..dfe84a28d52 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ proxy-runtime = [
 [project.scripts]
 litellm = "litellm:run_server"
 lite = "litellm.proxy.client.cli:cli"
-litellm-proxy = "litellm.proxy.client.cli:cli"
+litellm-proxy = "litellm.proxy.client.cli:litellm_proxy_cli"
 
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [
diff --git a/tests/otel_tests/test_e2e_budgeting.py b/tests/otel_tests/test_e2e_budgeting.py
index 44542558002..ca5058818e4 100644
--- a/tests/otel_tests/test_e2e_budgeting.py
+++ b/tests/otel_tests/test_e2e_budgeting.py
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ async def obtain_cli_sso_token_via_poll_flow(
     models: list[str],
 ) -> str:
     """
-    Obtain a CLI SSO JWT through the same HTTP flow as `litellm-proxy login`:
+    Obtain a CLI SSO JWT through the same HTTP flow as `lite login`:
     /sso/cli/start -> (SSO callback) -> /sso/cli/complete -> /sso/cli/poll.
 
     When the proxy SSO session cache is not shared with the test runner (otel CI
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ async def test_team_budget_enforcement():
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_team_budget_enforcement_cli_sso_token():
     """
-    Team budget enforcement for CLI SSO session tokens (litellm-proxy login JWT).
+    Team budget enforcement for CLI SSO session tokens (lite login JWT).
 
     1. Create team with a tiny max_budget and a user on that team
     2. Obtain a CLI SSO JWT (HTTP poll flow when Redis is shared, else mint)
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_encryption_commands.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_encryption_commands.py
index 43e53cf5be2..3a86eb82593 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_encryption_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_encryption_commands.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""CLI tests for the ``litellm-proxy encryption migrate`` command.
+"""CLI tests for the ``lite encryption migrate`` command.
 
 The HTTP client is mocked, so these assert the command's request routing (GET
 check vs POST migrate, dry-run param) and its residual-state messaging without a
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_global_options.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_global_options.py
index b73d1acc6e3..d46cc2ad120 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_global_options.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/client/cli/test_global_options.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # stdlib imports
 import json
 import os
+import sys
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Final
 from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 import pytest
@@ -9,7 +11,8 @@ from click.testing import CliRunner
 
 import litellm.proxy.client.cli
 from litellm._version import version as litellm_version
-from litellm.proxy.client.cli import cli
+from litellm.proxy.client.cli import cli, litellm_proxy_cli
+from litellm.proxy.client.cli.main import LITELLM_PROXY_DEPRECATION_NOTICE
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -234,3 +237,32 @@ def test_version_flag_never_sends_api_key_to_unnamed_server(cli_runner, isolated
     assert all(url.startswith("https://flag-proxy.example.com") for url in requested_urls)
     sent_keys = [call.kwargs["headers"].get("Authorization") for call in mock_request.call_args_list]
     assert sent_keys == ["Bearer sk-intended-for-flag-proxy"] * len(requested_urls)
+
+
+def test_litellm_proxy_entrypoint_prints_deprecation_notice_on_stderr_and_still_runs(monkeypatch, capsys, requests_mock):
+    requests_mock.get("http://localhost:4000/health/readiness", json={"litellm_version": "1.2.3"})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["litellm-proxy", "--version"])
+    monkeypatch.setenv("LITELLM_PROXY_URL", "http://localhost:4000")
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exit_info:
+        litellm_proxy_cli()
+
+    captured: Final = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert exit_info.value.code == 0
+    assert captured.err.strip() == LITELLM_PROXY_DEPRECATION_NOTICE
+    assert f"LiteLLM Proxy CLI Version: {litellm_version}" in captured.out
+    assert "LiteLLM Proxy Server Version: 1.2.3" in captured.out
+    assert "deprecated" not in captured.out
+
+
+def test_lite_entrypoint_prints_nothing_on_stderr(monkeypatch, capsys, requests_mock):
+    requests_mock.get("http://localhost:4000/health/readiness", json={"litellm_version": "1.2.3"})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["lite", "--version"])
+    monkeypatch.setenv("LITELLM_PROXY_URL", "http://localhost:4000")
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exit_info:
+        cli()
+
+    captured: Final = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert exit_info.value.code == 0
+    assert "LiteLLM Proxy Server Version: 1.2.3" in captured.out
+    assert f"LiteLLM Proxy CLI Version: {litellm_version}" in captured.out
+    assert captured.err == ""