diff --git a/helm/litellm-helm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
index af23512dafc..203082f27ba 100644
--- a/helm/litellm-helm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm-helm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
@@ -59,3 +59,54 @@ tests:
       - contains:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].args
           content: "4"
+
+  - it: should give the collector sidecar the same pool env as the proxy container
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      collector.enabled: true
+      db.connectionPool.enabled: true
+      db.connectionPool.maxDbConnections: 8
+      db.connectionPool.maxClientConn: 400
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: litellm-collector
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+            value: "true"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS
+            value: "8"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN
+            value: "400"
+
+  - it: should give the collector sidecar no pool env when the pool is off
+    template: deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      collector.enabled: true
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: litellm-collector
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+          any: true
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS
+          any: true
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN
+          any: true
diff --git a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
index 5c1a089b50a..c06cc9583a0 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/templates/gateway/deployment.yaml
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ spec:
             - name: CONFIG_FILE_PATH
               value: /app/config/config.yaml
             {{- end }}
+            {{- if .Values.database.connectionPool.enabled }}
+            {{- include "litellm.connectionPoolEnv" $ | nindent 12 }}
+            {{- end }}
             {{- include "litellm.gateway.collectorEnv" . | nindent 12 }}
             - name: LITELLM_JOB_ROLE
               value: collector
diff --git a/helm/litellm/tests/collector_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm/tests/collector_tests.yaml
index b1199a16793..4ef7e3c8ca4 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/tests/collector_tests.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/tests/collector_tests.yaml
@@ -29,16 +29,16 @@ tests:
           value: Resource
         template: gateway/hpa.yaml
 
-  - it: runs the collector as a sidecar sharing env, config and a unix socket emptyDir, and scales on the gateway container only
+  - it: runs the collector as a sidecar sharing env, config, the pod pool and a unix socket emptyDir, and scales on the gateway container only
     set:
       gateway.collector.enabled: true
       gateway.collector.bufferSize: 250
       gateway.collector.onUnavailable: drop
       gateway.image.tag: v1.102.0
       gateway.numWorkers: 4
-      gateway.extraEnv:
-        - name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
-          value: "true"
+      database.connectionPool.enabled: true
+      database.connectionPool.maxDbConnections: 8
+      database.connectionPool.maxClientConn: 250
       gateway.envSecrets:
         - litellm-license
       gateway.volumes:
@@ -107,6 +107,18 @@ tests:
             name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
             value: "true"
         template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS
+            value: "8"
+        template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN
+            value: "250"
+        template: gateway/deployment.yaml
       - contains:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
           content:
diff --git a/helm/litellm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml b/helm/litellm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
index 6dd9c274a8c..c39651a52c9 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/tests/connection_pool_tests.yaml
@@ -82,9 +82,70 @@ tests:
             name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
           any: true
 
+  - it: collector sidecar gets the same pool env as the gateway container, the metrics sidecar none
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.collector.enabled: true
+      gateway.metricsServer.enabled: true
+      database.connectionPool.enabled: true
+      database.connectionPool.maxDbConnections: 8
+      database.connectionPool.maxClientConn: 250
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: metrics
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+          any: true
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[2].name
+          value: collector
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[2].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+            value: "true"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[2].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS
+            value: "8"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[2].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN
+            value: "250"
+
+  - it: collector sidecar gets no pool env when the pool is off
+    template: gateway/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      gateway.collector.enabled: true
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].name
+          value: collector
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+          any: true
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS
+          any: true
+      - notContains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN
+          any: true
+
   - it: pool with IAM auth renders both the pool and the token auth flag
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
     set:
+      gateway.collector.enabled: true
       database.connectionPool.enabled: true
       database.writer.useIAMAuth: true
     asserts:
@@ -98,6 +159,16 @@ tests:
           content:
             name: IAM_TOKEN_DB_AUTH
             value: "true"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED
+            value: "true"
+      - contains:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[1].env
+          content:
+            name: IAM_TOKEN_DB_AUTH
+            value: "true"
 
   - it: pool with Entra auth renders both the pool and the token auth flag
     template: gateway/deployment.yaml
diff --git a/helm/litellm/values.yaml b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
index 1f67b984513..1873219d1ea 100644
--- a/helm/litellm/values.yaml
+++ b/helm/litellm/values.yaml
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ database:
   # workers run; the workers connect to the pool over loopback, with no extra
   # network hop. The chart emits LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED /
   # LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS / LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN on
-  # the gateway container only: the backend runs a single worker and the
-  # migrations Job must keep a direct connection. With
+  # the gateway container and its collector sidecar only: the backend runs a
+  # single worker and the migrations Job must keep a direct connection. With
   # `database.writer.useIAMAuth` or `useAzureEntraAuth` the pool mints and
   # renews the database token itself, so the workers never see it. Starting profile for
   # `gateway.numWorkers: 4` is maxDbConnections: 20, so a database with a
diff --git a/terraform/litellm/aws/README.md b/terraform/litellm/aws/README.md
index 67f1270d0c2..6fcbdc2f500 100644
--- a/terraform/litellm/aws/README.md
+++ b/terraform/litellm/aws/README.md
@@ -362,7 +362,14 @@ The sidecar gets the same database, Redis, master-key, license, proxy
 config, and `gateway_extra_env` / `gateway_extra_secrets` values as the
 gateway container, runs with `LITELLM_JOB_ROLE=collector`, and is
 non-essential with an ECS restart policy, so a sidecar crash restarts it in
-place while the gateway falls back to in-process spend tracking.
+place while the gateway falls back to in-process spend tracking. With
+`gateway_connection_pool_enabled` it also gets the `LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_*` env,
+so with a password-authenticated database (`create_database = false`) its
+Prisma client goes through the task-local PgBouncer instead of opening a
+second pool straight to the database. Under IAM token auth (the module-managed
+Aurora cluster) the collector keeps its own direct connection on purpose: the
+pooler's auth file only holds the token the gateway container minted, which
+the sidecar cannot present, so it mints its own.
 
 ```hcl
 collector_enabled = true
diff --git a/terraform/litellm/aws/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl b/terraform/litellm/aws/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
index ab0a1cfc076..7408b1179ed 100644
--- a/terraform/litellm/aws/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
+++ b/terraform/litellm/aws/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
@@ -51,6 +51,43 @@ run "pool_enabled_renders_the_three_vars_with_configured_sizes" {
   }
 }
 
+run "collector_sidecar_gets_the_same_pool_env_as_the_gateway" {
+  command = plan
+
+  variables {
+    create_database                 = false
+    database_url                    = "postgresql://litellm:pw@db.internal:5432/litellm"
+    collector_enabled               = true
+    gateway_connection_pool_enabled = true
+    gateway_pool_max_db_connections = 8
+    gateway_pool_max_client_conn    = 250
+  }
+
+  assert {
+    condition = alltrue([
+      for env in [local.gateway_environment, local.collector_container[0].environment] : (
+        { for e in env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED"] == "true" &&
+        { for e in env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS"] == "8" &&
+        { for e in env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN"] == "250"
+      )
+    ])
+    error_message = "The collector sidecar must carry the same three LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_* vars as the gateway so its Prisma connects to the task-local pool."
+  }
+}
+
+run "collector_sidecar_gets_no_pool_env_when_the_pool_is_off" {
+  command = plan
+
+  variables {
+    collector_enabled = true
+  }
+
+  assert {
+    condition     = !anytrue([for e in local.collector_container[0].environment : startswith(e.name, "LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_")])
+    error_message = "The collector sidecar must get no LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_* env unless gateway_connection_pool_enabled is set."
+  }
+}
+
 run "pool_enabled_uses_the_module_default_sizes" {
   command = plan
 
diff --git a/terraform/litellm/gcp/README.md b/terraform/litellm/gcp/README.md
index 23cfe9afc24..4b2f576adc1 100644
--- a/terraform/litellm/gcp/README.md
+++ b/terraform/litellm/gcp/README.md
@@ -339,8 +339,11 @@ instead of the Unix socket helm uses; the proxy rejects any non-loopback
 address. The sidecar runs the same Redis CA + `DATABASE_URL` bootstrap as
 the gateway container, gets the same database, Redis, master-key, license,
 proxy config, and `gateway_extra_env` / `gateway_extra_secrets` values, and
-runs with `LITELLM_JOB_ROLE=collector`. When it is unreachable the
-gateway falls back to in-process spend tracking.
+runs with `LITELLM_JOB_ROLE=collector`. With `gateway_connection_pool_enabled`
+it also gets the `LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_*` env, so its Prisma client goes through
+the instance-local PgBouncer instead of opening a second pool straight to the
+database. When it is unreachable the gateway falls back to in-process spend
+tracking.
 
 ```hcl
 collector_enabled = true
diff --git a/terraform/litellm/gcp/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl b/terraform/litellm/gcp/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
index 439fe6b1d71..999e4f0ff95 100644
--- a/terraform/litellm/gcp/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
+++ b/terraform/litellm/gcp/tests/connection_pool.tftest.hcl
@@ -79,6 +79,45 @@ run "pool_enabled_renders_the_three_vars_with_configured_sizes" {
   }
 }
 
+run "collector_sidecar_gets_the_same_pool_env_as_the_gateway" {
+  command = plan
+
+  variables {
+    collector_enabled               = true
+    gateway_connection_pool_enabled = true
+    gateway_pool_max_db_connections = 8
+    gateway_pool_max_client_conn    = 250
+  }
+
+  assert {
+    condition = alltrue([
+      for c in google_cloud_run_v2_service.gateway[0].template[0].containers : (
+        { for e in c.env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_ENABLED"] == "true" &&
+        { for e in c.env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS"] == "8" &&
+        { for e in c.env : e.name => e.value }["LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_MAX_CLIENT_CONN"] == "250"
+      ) if c.name == "spend-collector"
+    ]) && length([for c in google_cloud_run_v2_service.gateway[0].template[0].containers : c.name if c.name == "spend-collector"]) == 1
+    error_message = "The spend-collector sidecar must carry the same three LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_* vars as the gateway so its Prisma connects to the instance-local pool."
+  }
+}
+
+run "collector_sidecar_gets_no_pool_env_when_the_pool_is_off" {
+  command = plan
+
+  variables {
+    collector_enabled = true
+  }
+
+  assert {
+    condition = !anytrue(flatten([
+      for c in google_cloud_run_v2_service.gateway[0].template[0].containers : [
+        for e in c.env : startswith(e.name, "LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_")
+      ] if c.name == "spend-collector"
+    ])) && length([for c in google_cloud_run_v2_service.gateway[0].template[0].containers : c.name if c.name == "spend-collector"]) == 1
+    error_message = "The spend-collector sidecar must get no LITELLM_PGBOUNCER_* env unless gateway_connection_pool_enabled is set."
+  }
+}
+
 run "pool_enabled_uses_the_module_default_sizes" {
   command = plan