diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/litellm_logging.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/litellm_logging.py
index d9a78156f4b..c155092fdbd 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/litellm_logging.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/litellm_logging.py
@@ -4836,8 +4836,13 @@ def _maybe_construct_otel_v2(callback_name: str, _in_memory_loggers: list[Custom
         # so customers get the same error story they had before V2 landed.
         return None
     gated: Final = _is_credential_gated(built)
+    has_operator_exporter: Final = any(
+        not _is_gated(spec) and bool(spec.model_dump(exclude_defaults=True)) for spec in built.exporters
+    )
     if _exports_nowhere(built) and not (serves_a_destination and has_v2_logger):
         return None
+    if gated and not has_operator_exporter and not (serves_a_destination and has_v2_logger):
+        return None
     config: Final = _only_the_gated_exporter(built) if gated and serves_a_destination and has_v2_logger else built
     if _exports_nowhere(config):
         verbose_logger.warning(
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_destinations.py b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_destinations.py
index 30e067df9f9..d52183638b8 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_destinations.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_destinations.py
@@ -1174,6 +1174,21 @@ class TestPresetDegradation:
             "https://otlp.nr-data.net",
         ]
 
+    def test_a_credentialless_newrelic_without_a_base_exporter_falls_back(self, monkeypatch, capsys):
+        from litellm.litellm_core_utils.litellm_logging import _maybe_construct_otel_v2
+
+        monkeypatch.delenv("NEW_RELIC_LICENSE_KEY", raising=False)
+        for name in _OTEL_SHORTHAND_ENV:
+            monkeypatch.delenv(name, raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LITELLM_OTEL_V2", "true")
+
+        is_otel_v2_enabled.cache_clear()
+        logger = in_fresh_context(_maybe_construct_otel_v2, "newrelic", [])
+        is_otel_v2_enabled.cache_clear()
+
+        assert logger is None
+        assert capsys.readouterr().out == ""
+
     def test_a_destination_for_one_backend_does_not_degrade_another(self, monkeypatch):
         from litellm.litellm_core_utils.litellm_logging import _maybe_construct_otel_v2