diff --git a/litellm/images/main.py b/litellm/images/main.py
index 953a8012e49..c3226f7998b 100644
--- a/litellm/images/main.py
+++ b/litellm/images/main.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import contextvars
 from functools import partial
-from typing import Any, Coroutine, Dict, Literal, Optional, Union, cast, overload
+from typing import Any, Coroutine, Dict, List, Literal, Optional, Union, cast, overload
 
 import httpx
 
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ def image_generation(  # noqa: PLR0915
                 raise ValueError(f"image generation config is not supported for {custom_llm_provider}")
             
             return llm_http_handler.image_generation_handler(
+                api_key=api_key,
                 model=model,
                 prompt=prompt,
                 image_generation_provider_config=image_generation_config,
diff --git a/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/llm_http_handler.py b/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/llm_http_handler.py
index c9d70088d04..54e9f4eb0ed 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/llm_http_handler.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/custom_httpx/llm_http_handler.py
@@ -2678,6 +2678,7 @@ class BaseLLMHTTPHandler:
         _is_async: bool = False,
         fake_stream: bool = False,
         litellm_metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        api_key: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> Union[
         ImageResponse,
         Coroutine[Any, Any, ImageResponse],
@@ -2702,6 +2703,7 @@ class BaseLLMHTTPHandler:
                 client=client if isinstance(client, AsyncHTTPHandler) else None,
                 fake_stream=fake_stream,
                 litellm_metadata=litellm_metadata,
+                api_key=api_key,
             )
 
         if client is None or not isinstance(client, HTTPHandler):
@@ -2712,7 +2714,7 @@ class BaseLLMHTTPHandler:
             sync_httpx_client = client
 
         headers = image_generation_provider_config.validate_environment(
-            api_key=litellm_params.get("api_key", None),
+            api_key=api_key,
             headers=image_generation_optional_request_params.get("extra_headers", {})
             or {},
             model=model,
@@ -2795,6 +2797,7 @@ class BaseLLMHTTPHandler:
         client: Optional[Union[HTTPHandler, AsyncHTTPHandler]] = None,
         fake_stream: bool = False,
         litellm_metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        api_key: Optional[str] = None,
     ) -> ImageResponse:
         """
         Async version of the image generation handler.
@@ -2809,7 +2812,7 @@ class BaseLLMHTTPHandler:
             async_httpx_client = client
 
         headers = image_generation_provider_config.validate_environment(
-            api_key=litellm_params.get("api_key", None),
+            api_key=api_key,
             headers=image_generation_optional_request_params.get("extra_headers", {})
             or {},
             model=model,