diff --git a/litellm/accounting/metrics.py b/litellm/accounting/metrics.py
index ade715d5d14..d4650813549 100644
--- a/litellm/accounting/metrics.py
+++ b/litellm/accounting/metrics.py
@@ -1,30 +1,55 @@
-from typing import Final
-
-from prometheus_client import Gauge, Histogram
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final
 
 from litellm.repositories.accounting_delivery_repository import DeliveryMetrics
 
-_PENDING: Final = Gauge("litellm_accounting_pending", "Pending SpendLogs deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax")
-_PARKED: Final = Gauge("litellm_accounting_parked", "Parked SpendLogs deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax")
-_OLDEST: Final = Gauge(
-    "litellm_accounting_oldest_pending_seconds",
-    "Age of the oldest pending SpendLogs delivery",
-    multiprocess_mode="livemax",
-)
-_BATCH_TIME: Final = Histogram("litellm_accounting_batch_seconds", "SpendLogs delivery worker batch time")
-_BATCH_COUNT: Final = Gauge(
-    "litellm_accounting_batch_deliveries", "Retained batch deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax"
-)
-_TABLE_BYTES: Final = Gauge(
-    "litellm_accounting_delivery_table_bytes", "Delivery table size in bytes", multiprocess_mode="livemax"
-)
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from prometheus_client import Gauge, Histogram
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
+class _Instruments:
+    pending: "Gauge"
+    parked: "Gauge"
+    oldest: "Gauge"
+    batch_time: "Histogram"
+    batch_count: "Gauge"
+    table_bytes: "Gauge"
+
+
+def _instruments() -> _Instruments | None:
+    try:
+        # prometheus-client ships only in the proxy-runtime extra, so a plain litellm[proxy] install lands here
+        from prometheus_client import Gauge, Histogram
+    except ImportError:
+        return None
+    return _Instruments(
+        pending=Gauge("litellm_accounting_pending", "Pending SpendLogs deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax"),
+        parked=Gauge("litellm_accounting_parked", "Parked SpendLogs deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax"),
+        oldest=Gauge(
+            "litellm_accounting_oldest_pending_seconds",
+            "Age of the oldest pending SpendLogs delivery",
+            multiprocess_mode="livemax",
+        ),
+        batch_time=Histogram("litellm_accounting_batch_seconds", "SpendLogs delivery worker batch time"),
+        batch_count=Gauge(
+            "litellm_accounting_batch_deliveries", "Retained batch deliveries", multiprocess_mode="livemax"
+        ),
+        table_bytes=Gauge(
+            "litellm_accounting_delivery_table_bytes", "Delivery table size in bytes", multiprocess_mode="livemax"
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+_INSTRUMENTS: Final = _instruments()
 
 
 def record_deliveries(metrics: DeliveryMetrics, seconds: float) -> None:
-    _PENDING.set(metrics.pending_count)
-    _PARKED.set(metrics.parked_count)
-    _OLDEST.set(max(0.0, metrics.oldest_pending_seconds))
-    _BATCH_TIME.observe(seconds)
-
-    _BATCH_COUNT.set(metrics.batch_count)
-    _TABLE_BYTES.set(metrics.table_bytes)
+    if _INSTRUMENTS is None:
+        return
+    _INSTRUMENTS.pending.set(metrics.pending_count)
+    _INSTRUMENTS.parked.set(metrics.parked_count)
+    _INSTRUMENTS.oldest.set(max(0.0, metrics.oldest_pending_seconds))
+    _INSTRUMENTS.batch_time.observe(seconds)
+    _INSTRUMENTS.batch_count.set(metrics.batch_count)
+    _INSTRUMENTS.table_bytes.set(metrics.table_bytes)
diff --git a/tests/unit/accounting/test_metrics.py b/tests/unit/accounting/test_metrics.py
index 49b46eb36c2..054ceaba967 100644
--- a/tests/unit/accounting/test_metrics.py
+++ b/tests/unit/accounting/test_metrics.py
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+
+import pytest
 from prometheus_client.metrics import MetricWrapperBase
 
 from litellm.accounting import metrics
 from litellm.accounting.metrics import record_deliveries
 from litellm.repositories.accounting_delivery_repository import DeliveryMetrics
 
+_DELIVERY_METRICS = DeliveryMetrics(
+    pending_count=4, parked_count=1, oldest_pending_seconds=-3.0, batch_count=7, table_bytes=8192
+)
+
 
 def _sample(metric: MetricWrapperBase, suffix: str = "") -> float:
     family = metric.collect()[0]
@@ -11,18 +19,31 @@ def _sample(metric: MetricWrapperBase, suffix: str = "") -> float:
 
 
 def test_delivery_metrics_publish_backlog_and_clamp_clock_skew() -> None:
-    batches_before = _sample(metrics._BATCH_TIME, "_count")
+    instruments = metrics._INSTRUMENTS
+    assert instruments is not None
+    batches_before = _sample(instruments.batch_time, "_count")
 
-    record_deliveries(
-        DeliveryMetrics(pending_count=4, parked_count=1, oldest_pending_seconds=-3.0, batch_count=7, table_bytes=8192),
-        0.5,
-    )
+    record_deliveries(_DELIVERY_METRICS, 0.5)
 
     assert (
-        _sample(metrics._PENDING),
-        _sample(metrics._PARKED),
-        _sample(metrics._OLDEST),
-        _sample(metrics._BATCH_COUNT),
-        _sample(metrics._TABLE_BYTES),
+        _sample(instruments.pending),
+        _sample(instruments.parked),
+        _sample(instruments.oldest),
+        _sample(instruments.batch_count),
+        _sample(instruments.table_bytes),
     ) == (4.0, 1.0, 0.0, 7.0, 8192.0)
-    assert _sample(metrics._BATCH_TIME, "_count") == batches_before + 1
+    assert _sample(instruments.batch_time, "_count") == batches_before + 1
+
+
+def test_delivery_metrics_are_skipped_when_prometheus_client_is_not_installed(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "prometheus_client", None)
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("accounting_metrics_without_prometheus", metrics.__file__)
+    assert spec is not None and spec.loader is not None
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, spec.name, module)
+
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+
+    assert module.record_deliveries(_DELIVERY_METRICS, 0.5) is None