diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_cli.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_cli.py
index 7f68b72a522..4eae8a95064 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_cli.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_cli.py
@@ -569,6 +569,7 @@ class ProxyInitializationHelpers:
         ssl_keyfile_path: str,
         max_requests_before_restart: int | None = None,
         max_requests_before_restart_jitter: int | None = None,
+        keepalive_timeout: int | None = None,
     ):
         """
         Run litellm with `gunicorn`
@@ -659,6 +660,9 @@ class ProxyInitializationHelpers:
             else:
                 gunicorn_options["max_requests_jitter"] = max_requests_before_restart_jitter
 
+        if keepalive_timeout is not None:
+            gunicorn_options["keepalive"] = keepalive_timeout
+
         # Clean up prometheus .db files when a worker exits (prevents ghost gauge values)
         if os.environ.get("PROMETHEUS_MULTIPROC_DIR"):
             from litellm.proxy.prometheus_cleanup import mark_worker_exit
@@ -982,7 +986,8 @@ class ProxyInitializationHelpers:
     "--keepalive_timeout",
     default=None,
     type=int,
-    help="Set the uvicorn keepalive timeout in seconds (uvicorn timeout_keep_alive parameter)",
+    help="Idle keep-alive timeout in seconds (uvicorn timeout_keep_alive; gunicorn keepalive with --run_gunicorn, "
+    "default 2s). Behind a reverse proxy, set it above the proxy's idle-connection timeout.",
     envvar="KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT",
 )
 @click.option(
@@ -1655,6 +1660,7 @@ def run_server(
                 ssl_keyfile_path=ssl_keyfile_path,
                 max_requests_before_restart=max_requests_before_restart,
                 max_requests_before_restart_jitter=max_requests_before_restart_jitter,
+                keepalive_timeout=keepalive_timeout,
             )
         elif run_hypercorn is True:
             ProxyInitializationHelpers.init_hypercorn_server(
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_cli.py b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_cli.py
index 89a35923be0..119688e9656 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_cli.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_cli.py
@@ -2118,6 +2118,66 @@ class TestProxyInitializationHelpers:
         assert worker.config.http == UvicornWorker.CONFIG_KWARGS["http"]
         assert captured["options"]["graceful_timeout"] == 8 + GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN_TEARDOWN_HEADROOM_SECONDS
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="gunicorn server path skips Windows")
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("args", "env", "expected_keep_alive"),
+        [
+            ([], {}, 2),
+            ([], {"KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT": "120"}, 120),
+            (["--keepalive_timeout", "60"], {"KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT": "120"}, 60),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_run_gunicorn_workers_use_keepalive_timeout(self, monkeypatch, args, env, expected_keep_alive):
+        """--keepalive_timeout / KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT reaches the gunicorn uvicorn worker, unset keeps gunicorn's 2s"""
+        pytest.importorskip("gunicorn")
+        import gunicorn.glogging
+        from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+        from litellm.proxy.proxy_cli import run_server
+
+        captured: dict = {}
+
+        def capture_run(self):
+            captured["options"] = dict(self.options)
+            captured["cfg"] = self.cfg
+
+        clean_env = {
+            k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k not in ("DATABASE_URL", "DIRECT_URL", "KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT")
+        }
+        with (
+            patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env, clear=True),
+            patch.dict(
+                "sys.modules",
+                {
+                    "proxy_server": MagicMock(
+                        app=MagicMock(),
+                        ProxyConfig=MagicMock(),
+                        KeyManagementSettings=MagicMock(),
+                        save_worker_config=MagicMock(),
+                    )
+                },
+            ),
+            patch("gunicorn.app.base.BaseApplication.run", capture_run),
+            patch(  # test-quality-ok: option tests must not start a thread or change the pytest worker's child ownership
+                "litellm.proxy.proxy_cli.start_query_engine_reaper"
+            ),
+            patch("uvicorn.run") as mock_uvicorn_run,
+        ):
+            result = CliRunner().invoke(run_server, ["--local", "--run_gunicorn", *args], env=env)
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+        mock_uvicorn_run.assert_not_called()
+        for name in ("uvicorn.error", "uvicorn.access"):
+            uvicorn_logger = logging.getLogger(name)
+            for attr in ("handlers", "level", "propagate"):
+                monkeypatch.setattr(uvicorn_logger, attr, getattr(uvicorn_logger, attr))
+        cfg = captured["cfg"]
+        worker = captured["options"]["worker_class"](
+            0, os.getpid(), [], MagicMock(), 30, cfg, gunicorn.glogging.Logger(cfg)
+        )
+
+        assert worker.config.timeout_keep_alive == expected_keep_alive
+
     @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="gunicorn server path skips Windows")
     def test_gunicorn_master_is_reserved_for_forking_before_it_runs(self, fork_reservation):
         """preload forks workers from the master, so native routes are forbidden there first"""