diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 52a19eb6aa0..105287b28e2 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -8501,7 +8501,7 @@ class ProxyConfig:
         for key in sorted(unmanaged - self._warned_unmanaged_keys):
             verbose_proxy_logger.warning(
                 "general_settings.%s is stored in the database, but no settings API manages it, so the stored value "
-                "is ignored. Set it in the config file to use it.",
+                "is ignored. Set it in the config file to use it, or remove it with POST /config/field/delete.",
                 key,
             )
         self._warned_unmanaged_keys = unmanaged
@@ -20646,7 +20646,16 @@ async def delete_config_general_settings(
     if data.field_name in _GENERAL_SETTINGS_UI_LITELLM_FIELDS:
         return await _reset_general_settings_ui_litellm_field(data.field_name, user_api_key_dict)
 
-    if data.field_name not in ConfigGeneralSettings.model_fields:
+    db_general_settings: Final[_ConfigParamRow | None] = await _config_param_table(prisma_client).find_first(
+        where={"param_name": "general_settings"}
+    )
+    stored_keys: Final[frozenset[str]] = (
+        frozenset(dict(db_general_settings.param_value))
+        if db_general_settings is not None and db_general_settings.param_value is not None
+        else frozenset()
+    )
+
+    if data.field_name not in ConfigGeneralSettings.model_fields and data.field_name not in stored_keys:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=400,
             detail={"error": f"Invalid field={data.field_name} passed in."},
@@ -20654,12 +20663,6 @@ async def delete_config_general_settings(
 
     proxy_config.reject_config_owned_deletes(section_name="general_settings", keys=(data.field_name,))
 
-    ## get general settings from db
-    db_general_settings: Final[_ConfigParamRow | None] = await _config_param_table(prisma_client).find_first(
-        where={"param_name": "general_settings"}
-    )
-    ### pop the value
-
     if db_general_settings is None or db_general_settings.param_value is None:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=400,
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
index 36afbc5ad78..629d39efd3f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
@@ -4355,14 +4355,13 @@ async def test_ProxyConfig__update_general_settings_updates_health_check_retenti
     reschedule.assert_awaited_once()
 
 
-
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_ProxyConfig__update_general_settings_ignores_a_stored_key_no_settings_api_manages_and_warns_once(
-    monkeypatch, caplog
-):
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
     monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings", {})
-    pc = ProxyConfig()
-    stored_row = {"enforce_user_param": True, "store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
+    pc: Final = ProxyConfig()
+    stored_row: Final = {"enforce_user_param": True, "store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
 
     with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
         await pc._update_general_settings(stored_row)
@@ -4371,10 +4370,10 @@ async def test_ProxyConfig__update_general_settings_ignores_a_stored_key_no_sett
 
     assert proxy_server.general_settings["store_prompts_in_spend_logs"] is True
     assert "enforce_user_param" not in proxy_server.general_settings
-    warnings = [record.getMessage() for record in caplog.records if "enforce_user_param" in record.getMessage()]
+    warnings: Final = [record.getMessage() for record in caplog.records if "enforce_user_param" in record.getMessage()]
     assert warnings == [
         "general_settings.enforce_user_param is stored in the database, but no settings API manages it, so the "
-        "stored value is ignored. Set it in the config file to use it."
+        "stored value is ignored. Set it in the config file to use it, or remove it with POST /config/field/delete."
     ]
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
index 11c9bca6ca0..812fb020e21 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
@@ -15417,6 +15417,56 @@ async def test_delete_config_general_settings_still_removes_a_key_the_database_o
     assert "max_request_size_mb" not in pc.settings
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_config_general_settings_removes_a_stored_key_no_settings_api_manages(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    from litellm.proxy._types import ConfigFieldDelete
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import ProxyConfig, delete_config_general_settings
+
+    pc: Final = ProxyConfig()
+    pc._load_yaml_settings_stores({"general_settings": {}})
+    stored_row: Final = {"enforce_user_param": True, "store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
+    pc.settings.apply_db_row("general_settings", stored_row)
+    fake_prisma: Final = _fake_prisma_with_config(stored_row)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "proxy_config", pc)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "prisma_client", fake_prisma)
+
+    admin: Final = UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed-admin", user_id="admin-1", user_role=LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
+    await delete_config_general_settings(
+        data=ConfigFieldDelete(field_name="enforce_user_param", config_type="general_settings"),
+        user_api_key_dict=admin,
+    )
+
+    written: Final = json.loads(fake_prisma.db.litellm_config.upsert.await_args.kwargs["data"]["update"]["param_value"])
+    assert written == {"store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
+    assert pc.settings.unmanaged_db_keys() == ()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_config_general_settings_refuses_a_key_neither_managed_nor_stored(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    from litellm.proxy._types import ConfigFieldDelete
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import ProxyConfig, delete_config_general_settings
+
+    pc: Final = ProxyConfig()
+    pc._load_yaml_settings_stores({"general_settings": {}})
+    fake_prisma: Final = _fake_prisma_with_config({"store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "proxy_config", pc)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "prisma_client", fake_prisma)
+
+    admin: Final = UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed-admin", user_id="admin-1", user_role=LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as refused:
+        await delete_config_general_settings(
+            data=ConfigFieldDelete(field_name="enforce_user_param", config_type="general_settings"),
+            user_api_key_dict=admin,
+        )
+
+    assert refused.value.status_code == 400
+    fake_prisma.db.litellm_config.upsert.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_config_field_info_reports_the_declared_value_of_a_config_owned_secret(monkeypatch):
     from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import ProxyConfig, get_config_general_settings