diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-rust.yml b/.github/workflows/test-rust.yml
index 1b71232bc2e..8cafb62b8a7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-rust.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-rust.yml
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run core tests with Bedrock auth
         run: cargo test -p litellm-core --features bedrock-auth --locked
 
+      - name: Run gateway tests with Python config
+        run: cargo test -p litellm-ai-gateway --features python-config --locked
+
   release-wheel:
     name: release wheel
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/python/config.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/python/config.rs
index d5a4dd69c8d..29bf5d3dd09 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/python/config.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/ai-gateway/src/python/config.rs
@@ -35,3 +35,254 @@ pub fn load_router_from_config(config_path: &str) -> Result<Router, Error> {
         Ok(Router::new(deployments))
     })
 }
+
+#[cfg(all(test, feature = "python-config"))]
+mod tests {
+    use std::ffi::CStr;
+    use std::sync::{Mutex, MutexGuard};
+
+    use pyo3::PyAny;
+    use pyo3::types::PyDict;
+
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::gil;
+
+    const TWO_DEPLOYMENT_MODEL_LIST: &str = r#"[
+        {
+            "model_name": "gpt-realtime",
+            "litellm_params": {
+                "model": "openai/gpt-realtime",
+                "api_key": "sk-primary",
+                "api_base": "https://primary.example.com"
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "model_name": "gpt-realtime",
+            "litellm_params": {"model": "openai/gpt-realtime", "api_key": "sk-secondary"}
+        }
+    ]"#;
+
+    const READER_RETURNING_PAYLOAD: &CStr = cr#"
+import sys, types, json
+litellm = types.ModuleType("litellm")
+proxy = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy")
+reader = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy.read_model_list")
+def read_model_list(config_path):
+    reader.calls.append(config_path)
+    return json.loads(model_list_json)
+reader.calls = []
+reader.read_model_list = read_model_list
+litellm.proxy = proxy
+proxy.read_model_list = reader
+sys.modules["litellm"] = litellm
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy"] = proxy
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy.read_model_list"] = reader
+"#;
+
+    const READER_RETURNING_UNSERIALIZABLE: &CStr = cr#"
+import sys, types
+litellm = types.ModuleType("litellm")
+proxy = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy")
+reader = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy.read_model_list")
+def read_model_list(config_path):
+    return set((1, 2))
+reader.read_model_list = read_model_list
+litellm.proxy = proxy
+proxy.read_model_list = reader
+sys.modules["litellm"] = litellm
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy"] = proxy
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy.read_model_list"] = reader
+"#;
+
+    const READER_ATTRIBUTE_MISSING: &CStr = cr#"
+import sys, types
+litellm = types.ModuleType("litellm")
+proxy = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy")
+reader = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy.read_model_list")
+litellm.proxy = proxy
+proxy.read_model_list = reader
+sys.modules["litellm"] = litellm
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy"] = proxy
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy.read_model_list"] = reader
+"#;
+
+    const READER_MODULE_MISSING: &CStr = cr#"
+import sys, types
+litellm = types.ModuleType("litellm")
+proxy = types.ModuleType("litellm.proxy")
+litellm.proxy = proxy
+sys.modules["litellm"] = litellm
+sys.modules["litellm.proxy"] = proxy
+"#;
+
+    const STUB_MODULE_NAMES: [&str; 3] =
+        ["litellm", "litellm.proxy", "litellm.proxy.read_model_list"];
+
+    fn stub_lock() -> MutexGuard<'static, ()> {
+        static LOCK: Mutex<()> = Mutex::new(());
+        LOCK.lock().unwrap_or_else(|poisoned| poisoned.into_inner())
+    }
+
+    fn sys_modules(py: Python<'_>) -> Bound<'_, PyDict> {
+        py.import("sys")
+            .and_then(|sys| sys.getattr("modules"))
+            .expect("sys.modules should resolve")
+            .cast_into::<PyDict>()
+            .expect("sys.modules should be a dict")
+    }
+
+    struct StubRestore {
+        previous: Vec<Option<Py<PyAny>>>,
+    }
+
+    impl Drop for StubRestore {
+        fn drop(&mut self) {
+            Python::attach(|py| {
+                let modules = sys_modules(py);
+                for (name, previous) in STUB_MODULE_NAMES.iter().zip(&self.previous) {
+                    match previous {
+                        Some(module) => modules
+                            .set_item(name, module)
+                            .expect("restoring sys.modules should succeed"),
+                        None => {
+                            let _ = modules.del_item(name);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn install_stub(py: Python<'_>, source: &CStr, globals: &Bound<'_, PyDict>) -> StubRestore {
+        let modules = sys_modules(py);
+        let previous = STUB_MODULE_NAMES
+            .iter()
+            .map(|name| {
+                modules
+                    .get_item(name)
+                    .expect("reading sys.modules should succeed")
+                    .map(Bound::unbind)
+            })
+            .collect();
+        py.run(source, Some(globals), None)
+            .expect("installing the stub modules should succeed");
+        StubRestore { previous }
+    }
+
+    fn load_with_stub(
+        _stub_lock: &MutexGuard<'static, ()>,
+        source: &CStr,
+        model_list_json: Option<&str>,
+    ) -> Result<Router, Error> {
+        Python::initialize();
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let globals = PyDict::new(py);
+            if let Some(model_list_json) = model_list_json {
+                globals
+                    .set_item("model_list_json", model_list_json)
+                    .expect("injecting the stub payload should succeed");
+            }
+            let _restore = install_stub(py, source, &globals);
+            load_router_from_config("proxy_config.yaml")
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn assert_routing_error(error: &Error, expected_prefix: &str) {
+        assert!(
+            matches!(error, Error::Routing(message) if message.starts_with(expected_prefix)),
+            "expected a routing error starting with {expected_prefix:?}, got {error:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn builds_a_router_from_the_resolved_model_list() {
+        let _stub_lock = stub_lock();
+        Python::initialize();
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let globals = PyDict::new(py);
+            globals
+                .set_item("model_list_json", TWO_DEPLOYMENT_MODEL_LIST)
+                .expect("injecting the stub payload should succeed");
+            let _restore = install_stub(py, READER_RETURNING_PAYLOAD, &globals);
+
+            let acquisitions_before = gil::snapshot().total_acquisitions;
+            let router = load_router_from_config("proxy_config.yaml")
+                .expect("the stubbed model list should load");
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                gil::snapshot().total_acquisitions,
+                acquisitions_before + 1,
+                "loading the config must record its load-time GIL acquisition"
+            );
+            let deployments = router.deployments();
+            assert_eq!(deployments.len(), 2);
+            assert_eq!(deployments[0].model_name, "gpt-realtime");
+            assert_eq!(deployments[0].litellm_params.model, "openai/gpt-realtime");
+            assert_eq!(
+                deployments[0].litellm_params.api_key.as_deref(),
+                Some("sk-primary")
+            );
+            assert_eq!(
+                deployments[0].litellm_params.api_base.as_deref(),
+                Some("https://primary.example.com")
+            );
+            assert_eq!(
+                deployments[1].litellm_params.api_key.as_deref(),
+                Some("sk-secondary")
+            );
+            assert_eq!(deployments[1].litellm_params.api_base, None);
+            assert!(router.has_deployment("gpt-realtime"));
+            assert!(!router.has_deployment("unknown-model"));
+            let chosen = router
+                .get_available_deployment("gpt-realtime")
+                .expect("the model_name group should have candidates");
+            assert_eq!(chosen.model_name, "gpt-realtime");
+
+            let received_paths: Vec<String> = sys_modules(py)
+                .get_item("litellm.proxy.read_model_list")
+                .expect("reading the stub module should succeed")
+                .expect("the stub reader module should still be registered")
+                .getattr("calls")
+                .expect("the stub should expose its recorded calls")
+                .extract()
+                .expect("the recorded calls should be a list of strings");
+            assert_eq!(received_paths, ["proxy_config.yaml"]);
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn routing_error_when_entries_do_not_match_the_deployment_shape() {
+        let stub_lock = stub_lock();
+        let error = load_with_stub(
+            &stub_lock,
+            READER_RETURNING_PAYLOAD,
+            Some(r#"[{"model_name": "gpt-realtime"}]"#),
+        )
+        .expect_err("a model list without litellm_params must not load");
+        assert_routing_error(&error, "parsing model_list failed");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn routing_error_when_the_model_list_is_not_json_serializable() {
+        let stub_lock = stub_lock();
+        let error = load_with_stub(&stub_lock, READER_RETURNING_UNSERIALIZABLE, None)
+            .expect_err("a set is not a JSON-serializable model list");
+        assert_routing_error(&error, "serializing model_list failed");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn routing_error_when_the_reader_module_lacks_the_function() {
+        let stub_lock = stub_lock();
+        let error = load_with_stub(&stub_lock, READER_ATTRIBUTE_MISSING, None)
+            .expect_err("a reader module without read_model_list must not load");
+        assert_routing_error(&error, "read_model_list failed");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn routing_error_when_the_reader_module_is_not_importable() {
+        let stub_lock = stub_lock();
+        let error = load_with_stub(&stub_lock, READER_MODULE_MISSING, None)
+            .expect_err("a missing reader module must not load");
+        assert_routing_error(&error, "read_model_list failed");
+    }
+}