diff --git a/litellm/proxy/policy_engine/response_retrieval.py b/litellm/proxy/policy_engine/response_retrieval.py
index 0aa9579ca71..8fc75e40070 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/policy_engine/response_retrieval.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/policy_engine/response_retrieval.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from collections.abc import Mapping
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from types import MappingProxyType
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final, TypeAlias
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final, Literal, TypeAlias
 
 from pydantic import TypeAdapter
 
@@ -29,14 +30,23 @@ PolicyPipelines: TypeAlias = tuple[tuple[str, GuardrailPipeline], ...]
 _POLICY_PIPELINES_ADAPTER: Final = TypeAdapter(PolicyPipelines)
 
 
-def _model_group_for_response_id(response_id: object, llm_router: "Router | None") -> str | None:
-    if llm_router is None or not isinstance(response_id, str):
-        return None
-    model_id: Final = ResponsesAPIRequestUtils.get_model_id_from_response_id(response_id)
+@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
+class UngovernedRetrieval:
+    reason: Literal["no router", "response id names no deployment", "deployment no longer in the router"]
+
+
+def _model_group_for_response_id(response_id: object, llm_router: "Router | None") -> str | UngovernedRetrieval:
+    if llm_router is None:
+        return UngovernedRetrieval("no router")
+    model_id: Final = (
+        ResponsesAPIRequestUtils.get_model_id_from_response_id(response_id) if isinstance(response_id, str) else None
+    )
     if model_id is None:
-        return None
+        return UngovernedRetrieval("response id names no deployment")
     deployment: Final = llm_router.get_deployment(model_id)
-    return deployment.model_name if deployment is not None else None
+    if deployment is None:
+        return UngovernedRetrieval("deployment no longer in the router")
+    return deployment.model_name
 
 
 def _retrieval_context(
@@ -78,7 +88,12 @@ def attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(
     if not get_policy_registry().is_initialized():
         return
     model_group: Final = _model_group_for_response_id(data.get("response_id"), llm_router)
-    if model_group is None:
+    if isinstance(model_group, UngovernedRetrieval):
+        verbose_proxy_logger.warning(
+            "Policy engine: background response %s is retrieved without its post_call policy pipelines (%s)",
+            data.get("response_id"),
+            model_group.reason,
+        )
         return
     context: Final = _retrieval_context(data, user_api_key_dict, model_group)
     post_call_pipelines, policy_sources = _post_call_pipelines_for_context(context)
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/utils.py b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
index 3d03d3858ee..1972d92b610 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ from litellm.integrations.SlackAlerting.slack_alerting import SlackAlerting
 from litellm.integrations.SlackAlerting.utils import _add_langfuse_trace_id_to_alert
 from litellm.litellm_core_utils.core_helpers import (
     coerce_token_limit,
+    get_or_create_metadata_bucket,
     independent_snapshot,
     is_expected_client_error,
 )
@@ -156,6 +157,8 @@ from litellm.proxy.hooks.sensitive_data_routing import (
 from litellm.proxy.litellm_pre_call_utils import LiteLLMProxyRequestSetup, add_guardrails_from_auth_metadata
 from litellm.proxy.management_helpers.key_settings_audit import with_settings_updated_at
 from litellm.proxy.policy_engine.pipeline_executor import PipelineExecutor
+from litellm.proxy.policy_engine.policy_registry import get_policy_registry
+from litellm.proxy.policy_engine.policy_resolver import PolicyResolver
 from litellm.repositories.budget_repository import BudgetRepository
 from litellm.repositories.config_repository import ConfigRepository
 from litellm.repositories.table_repositories import (
@@ -533,16 +536,65 @@ def _is_pending_background_response(response: LLMResponseTypes) -> bool:
     return isinstance(response, ResponsesAPIResponse) and response.status in _PENDING_BACKGROUND_RESPONSE_STATUSES
 
 
-def _log_deferred_post_call_pipelines(data: Mapping[str, object], response: ResponsesAPIResponse) -> None:
-    policy_names: Final = tuple(policy_name for policy_name, _pipeline in _post_call_pipelines(data))
-    if not policy_names:
+def _guardrails_outside_pipeline(policy_name: str, pipeline: "GuardrailPipeline") -> frozenset[str]:
+    resolved: Final = PolicyResolver.resolve_policy_guardrails(
+        policy_name=policy_name, policies=get_policy_registry().get_all_policies()
+    )
+    return frozenset(resolved.guardrails) - frozenset(step.guardrail for step in pipeline.steps)
+
+
+def _without_names(
+    bucket: dict,  # mutable-ok: the applied_* header slots live in the request-state dict every hook writes in place
+    slot: str,
+    names: frozenset[str],
+) -> None:
+    claimed: Final = bucket.get(slot)
+    if not isinstance(claimed, list):
+        return
+    remaining: Final = [name for name in claimed if name not in names]
+    if remaining:
+        bucket[slot] = remaining
+    else:
+        bucket.pop(slot)
+
+
+def _withdraw_deferred_claims(
+    data: dict,  # mutable-ok: same request-payload shape as post_call_success_hook's data
+    deferred: Sequence[tuple[str, "GuardrailPipeline"]],
+) -> None:
+    outside_by_policy: Final = MappingProxyType(
+        {policy_name: _guardrails_outside_pipeline(policy_name, pipeline) for policy_name, pipeline in deferred}
+    )
+    running_elsewhere: Final = _pipeline_managed_guardrail_names(data, "pre_call").union(*outside_by_policy.values())
+    withdrawn_policies: Final = frozenset(name for name, outside in outside_by_policy.items() if not outside)
+    withdrawn_guardrails: Final = _pipeline_step_guardrail_names(deferred) - running_elsewhere
+    _, bucket = get_or_create_metadata_bucket(data)
+    _without_names(bucket, "applied_policies", withdrawn_policies)
+    _without_names(bucket, "applied_guardrails", withdrawn_guardrails)
+    sources: Final = bucket.get("policy_sources")
+    if not isinstance(sources, dict):
+        return
+    remaining_sources: Final = {name: reason for name, reason in sources.items() if name not in withdrawn_policies}
+    if remaining_sources:
+        bucket["policy_sources"] = remaining_sources
+    else:
+        bucket.pop("policy_sources")
+
+
+def _defer_post_call_pipelines(
+    data: dict,  # mutable-ok: same request-payload shape as post_call_success_hook's data
+    response: ResponsesAPIResponse,
+) -> None:
+    deferred: Final = _post_call_pipelines(data)
+    if not deferred:
         return
     verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
         "Post_call guardrail pipelines wait for background response %s (status=%s) to be retrieved complete: %s",
         response.id,
         response.status,
-        ", ".join(policy_names),
+        ", ".join(policy_name for policy_name, _pipeline in deferred),
     )
+    _withdraw_deferred_claims(data, deferred)
 
 
 def _pipeline_is_streamable(policy_name: str, pipeline: "GuardrailPipeline") -> bool:
@@ -2939,7 +2991,7 @@ class ProxyLogging:
         response: LLMResponseTypes,
     ) -> LLMResponseTypes | None:
         if _is_pending_background_response(response):
-            _log_deferred_post_call_pipelines(data, response)
+            _defer_post_call_pipelines(data, response)
             return None
         _, pipeline_response = await self._maybe_execute_pipelines(
             data=data,
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/policy_engine/test_response_retrieval.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/policy_engine/test_response_retrieval.py
index f7f29d6b46e..8c00b18eb63 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/policy_engine/test_response_retrieval.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/policy_engine/test_response_retrieval.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import logging
+
 import pytest
 
 from litellm.proxy._types import UserAPIKeyAuth
@@ -128,30 +130,48 @@ def test_already_attached_policy_is_not_attached_twice(policy_engine):
     assert data["litellm_metadata"]["applied_policies"] == ["response-governance"]
 
 
+def _ungoverned_retrieval_warnings(caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> list[str]:
+    return [
+        record.getMessage()
+        for record in caplog.records
+        if record.levelno == logging.WARNING and "retrieved without its post_call policy pipelines" in record.getMessage()
+    ]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "response_id",
-    ["resp_plain_upstream_id", _encoded_response_id("deployment-missing-from-router"), None],
+    ("response_id", "reason"),
+    [
+        ("resp_plain_upstream_id", "response id names no deployment"),
+        (_encoded_response_id("deployment-missing-from-router"), "deployment no longer in the router"),
+        (None, "response id names no deployment"),
+    ],
 )
-def test_unresolvable_response_id_attaches_nothing(policy_engine, response_id):
+def test_unresolvable_response_id_attaches_nothing_and_warns(policy_engine, caplog, response_id, reason):
     data = {"response_id": response_id, "litellm_metadata": {}}
 
-    attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=_router())
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
+        attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=_router())
 
     assert data == {"response_id": response_id, "litellm_metadata": {}}
+    assert [message.endswith(f"({reason})") for message in _ungoverned_retrieval_warnings(caplog)] == [True]
 
 
-def test_without_a_router_attaches_nothing(policy_engine):
+def test_without_a_router_attaches_nothing_and_warns(policy_engine, caplog):
     data = _retrieval_data(GOVERNED_MODEL_ID)
 
-    attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=None)
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
+        attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=None)
 
     assert data == _retrieval_data(GOVERNED_MODEL_ID)
+    assert [message.endswith("(no router)") for message in _ungoverned_retrieval_warnings(caplog)] == [True]
 
 
-def test_without_policy_engine_attaches_nothing():
+def test_without_policy_engine_attaches_nothing_quietly(caplog):
     get_policy_registry().clear()
     data = _retrieval_data(GOVERNED_MODEL_ID)
 
-    attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=_router())
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
+        attach_post_call_pipelines_to_retrieval(data=data, user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(), llm_router=None)
 
     assert data == _retrieval_data(GOVERNED_MODEL_ID)
+    assert _ungoverned_retrieval_warnings(caplog) == []
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/utils/proxy_logging/test_guardrail_pipeline.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/utils/proxy_logging/test_guardrail_pipeline.py
index 7d2c232ad97..8da07f39fd8 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/utils/proxy_logging/test_guardrail_pipeline.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/utils/proxy_logging/test_guardrail_pipeline.py
@@ -1481,6 +1481,103 @@ async def test_post_call_success_hook_runs_pipeline_on_retrieved_background_resp
     assert seen["response"] is response
 
 
+def _output_passing_callbacks() -> list[CustomGuardrail]:
+    class OutputPassingGuardrail(CustomGuardrail):
+        async def async_post_call_success_hook(self, data, user_api_key_dict, response):
+            return response
+
+    return [OutputPassingGuardrail(guardrail_name="gr-post", event_hook=GuardrailEventHooks.post_call, default_on=False)]
+
+
+def _claimed_post_call_pipeline_data(*policy_names: str, extra_guardrails: dict[str, list[str]] | None = None):
+    from litellm.proxy.policy_engine.policy_registry import get_policy_registry
+
+    step = {"guardrail": "gr-post", "on_pass": "allow", "on_fail": "block"}
+    get_policy_registry().load_policies(
+        {
+            policy_name: {
+                "guardrails": {"add": ["gr-post", *(extra_guardrails or {}).get(policy_name, [])]},
+                "pipeline": {"mode": "post_call", "steps": [step]},
+            }
+            for policy_name in policy_names
+        }
+    )
+    pipeline = GuardrailPipeline(mode="post_call", steps=[PipelineStep(**step)])
+    return {
+        "model": "m",
+        "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}],
+        "metadata": {
+            "_guardrail_pipelines": [(policy_name, pipeline) for policy_name in policy_names],
+            "_pipeline_managed_guardrails": {"gr-post"},
+            "applied_policies": list(policy_names),
+            "applied_guardrails": ["gr-post", *(g for gs in (extra_guardrails or {}).values() for g in gs)],
+            "policy_sources": {policy_name: "model:m" for policy_name in policy_names},
+        },
+    }
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def clear_policy_registry():
+    from litellm.proxy.policy_engine.policy_registry import get_policy_registry
+
+    yield
+    get_policy_registry().clear()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pending_background_response_withdraws_the_deferred_policy_claims(
+    proxy_logging, make_user_api_key_auth, monkeypatch, clear_policy_registry
+):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "callbacks", _output_blocking_callbacks({}))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.llm_router", None, raising=False)
+    data = _claimed_post_call_pipeline_data("response-governance")
+
+    out = await proxy_logging.post_call_success_hook(
+        data=data, response=_background_response("queued"), user_api_key_dict=make_user_api_key_auth()
+    )
+
+    assert out.status == "queued"
+    assert "applied_policies" not in data["metadata"]
+    assert "policy_sources" not in data["metadata"]
+    assert "applied_guardrails" not in data["metadata"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pending_background_response_keeps_the_claim_of_a_policy_that_runs_outside_its_pipeline(
+    proxy_logging, make_user_api_key_auth, monkeypatch, clear_policy_registry
+):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "callbacks", _output_blocking_callbacks({}))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.llm_router", None, raising=False)
+    data = _claimed_post_call_pipeline_data(
+        "input-and-output-governance", "response-governance", extra_guardrails={"input-and-output-governance": ["gr-pre"]}
+    )
+
+    await proxy_logging.post_call_success_hook(
+        data=data, response=_background_response("in_progress"), user_api_key_dict=make_user_api_key_auth()
+    )
+
+    assert data["metadata"]["applied_policies"] == ["input-and-output-governance"]
+    assert data["metadata"]["applied_guardrails"] == ["gr-pre"]
+    assert data["metadata"]["policy_sources"] == {"input-and-output-governance": "model:m"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_retrieved_background_response_keeps_the_policy_claim_once_its_pipeline_ran(
+    proxy_logging, make_user_api_key_auth, monkeypatch, clear_policy_registry
+):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "callbacks", _output_passing_callbacks())
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.llm_router", None, raising=False)
+    data = _claimed_post_call_pipeline_data("response-governance")
+
+    await proxy_logging.post_call_success_hook(
+        data=data, response=_background_response("completed", text="fine"), user_api_key_dict=make_user_api_key_auth()
+    )
+
+    assert data["metadata"]["applied_policies"] == ["response-governance"]
+    assert data["metadata"]["policy_sources"] == {"response-governance": "model:m"}
+    assert data["metadata"]["applied_guardrails"] == ["gr-post"]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_pre_call_hook_stays_quiet_on_background_request_with_post_call_pipeline(
     proxy_logging, make_user_api_key_auth, monkeypatch, caplog