diff --git a/litellm/integrations/websearch_interception/handler.py b/litellm/integrations/websearch_interception/handler.py
index 6be64c89828..3e24c64ad82 100644
--- a/litellm/integrations/websearch_interception/handler.py
+++ b/litellm/integrations/websearch_interception/handler.py
@@ -1288,14 +1288,11 @@ class WebSearchInterceptionLogger(CustomLogger):
             search_tool: Final = self._select_search_tool_from_router(llm_router=llm_router)
             search_provider: str | None = None
             search_litellm_params: dict[str, Any] = {}
-            search_tool_name: str | None = None
+            search_tool_name: Final = self._selected_search_tool_name(search_tool=search_tool)
             if search_tool is not None:
                 await self._authorize_search_tool(search_tool=search_tool, kwargs=kwargs)
                 search_litellm_params = dict(search_tool.get("litellm_params", {}) or {})
                 search_provider = search_litellm_params.get("search_provider")
-                selected_tool_name = search_tool.get("search_tool_name")
-                if isinstance(selected_tool_name, str) and selected_tool_name:
-                    search_tool_name = selected_tool_name
 
             # Fallback to perplexity if no router or no search tools configured
             if not search_provider:
@@ -1318,14 +1315,20 @@ class WebSearchInterceptionLogger(CustomLogger):
                 )
             )
             search_kwargs: Final = {
-                **{
-                    key: value
-                    for key, value in search_litellm_params.items()
-                    if key != "search_provider" and value is not None
-                },
-                **({} if search_metadata is None else {"litellm_metadata": search_metadata}),
+                key: value
+                for key, value in search_litellm_params.items()
+                if key != "search_provider" and value is not None
             }
-            result: Final = await litellm.asearch(query=query, search_provider=search_provider, **search_kwargs)
+            result: Final = (
+                await litellm.asearch(query=query, search_provider=search_provider, **search_kwargs)
+                if search_metadata is None
+                else await litellm.asearch(
+                    query=query,
+                    search_provider=search_provider,
+                    litellm_metadata=search_metadata,
+                    **search_kwargs,
+                )
+            )
 
             # Format using transformation function
             search_result_text: Final = WebSearchTransformation.format_search_response(result)
@@ -1386,7 +1389,7 @@ class WebSearchInterceptionLogger(CustomLogger):
     def _build_search_request_metadata(
         user_api_key_auth: "UserAPIKeyAuth",
         search_tool_name: str | None,
-    ) -> dict[str, object]:
+    ) -> Mapping[str, object]:
         """
         Spend-tracking metadata for the intercepted search, so its provider cost is logged
         and billed against the key/user/team that made the originating LLM request instead
@@ -1394,16 +1397,23 @@ class WebSearchInterceptionLogger(CustomLogger):
         """
         from litellm.proxy.litellm_pre_call_utils import LiteLLMProxyRequestSetup
 
-        user_api_key_metadata: StandardLoggingUserAPIKeyMetadata = (
+        user_api_key_metadata: Final[StandardLoggingUserAPIKeyMetadata] = (
             LiteLLMProxyRequestSetup.get_sanitized_user_information_from_key(user_api_key_dict=user_api_key_auth)
         )
-        return {
+        return {  # mutable-ok: litellm's metadata channel is a plain dict its logging path reads and enriches
             **user_api_key_metadata,
-            **({} if search_tool_name is None else {"model_group": search_tool_name}),
+            "model_group": search_tool_name,
             "user_api_key": user_api_key_auth.api_key,
             "user_api_key_auth": user_api_key_auth,
         }
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _selected_search_tool_name(search_tool: Mapping[str, object] | None) -> str | None:
+        if search_tool is None:
+            return None
+        search_tool_name: Final = search_tool.get("search_tool_name")
+        return search_tool_name if isinstance(search_tool_name, str) and search_tool_name else None
+
     @staticmethod
     def _get_user_api_key_auth_from_kwargs(kwargs: Mapping[str, object] | None) -> "UserAPIKeyAuth | None":
         if not kwargs: