diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.test.tsx
index 4713f8c6869..1e58437c878 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.test.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ vi.mock("../networking", () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock("@/components/llm_calls/fetch_models", () => ({
-  fetchAvailableModels: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
+  fetchAvailableModels: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ model_group: "gpt-4o", mode: "chat" }]),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("./handle_add_auto_router_submit", () => ({
@@ -37,4 +37,20 @@ describe("AddAutoRouterTab", () => {
     expect(screen.getAllByText("This tier is required")).toHaveLength(4);
     expect(NotificationManager.fromBackend).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Please enter an Auto Router Name");
   });
+
+  it("blocks the semantic router submit until an embedding model is selected", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderWithProviders(<Harness />);
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("radio", { name: /semantic router/i }));
+    await user.type(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/smart_router/i), "sem_router");
+
+    const defaultModelSelect = await screen.findByRole("combobox", { name: /default model/i });
+    await user.click(defaultModelSelect);
+    await user.click(await screen.findByTitle("gpt-4o"));
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /add auto router/i }));
+
+    expect(NotificationManager.fromBackend).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Please select an Embedding Model");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
index a74eab0abdd..f199542b65a 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ const AddAutoRouterTab: React.FC<AddAutoRouterTabProps> = ({ form, handleOk, acc
       return;
     }
 
+    if (!form.getFieldValue("auto_router_embedding_model")) {
+      NotificationManager.fromBackend("Please select an Embedding Model");
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (!routerConfig || !routerConfig.routes || routerConfig.routes.length === 0) {
       NotificationManager.fromBackend("Please configure at least one route for the auto router");
       return;
@@ -346,18 +351,18 @@ const AddAutoRouterTab: React.FC<AddAutoRouterTabProps> = ({ form, handleOk, acc
               </Form.Item>
 
               <Form.Item
+                rules={[{ required: true, message: "Embedding model is required" }]}
                 label="Embedding Model"
                 name="auto_router_embedding_model"
-                tooltip="Optional: embedding model to use for semantic routing decisions"
+                tooltip="Embedding model to use for semantic routing decisions"
                 labelCol={{ span: 10 }}
                 labelAlign="left"
               >
                 <AntdSelect
-                  placeholder="Select an embedding model (optional)"
+                  placeholder="Select an embedding model"
                   options={modelGroupOptions}
                   style={{ width: "100%" }}
                   showSearch
-                  allowClear
                 />
               </Form.Item>
             </>