diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-integration.yml b/.github/workflows/test-integration.yml
index 8be7b89e076..5bcd5d6d7c4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-integration.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-integration.yml
@@ -116,6 +116,17 @@ jobs:
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: .github/scripts/uv_sync_with_retries.sh --frozen --all-groups --all-extras
 
+      - name: Install the Rust gateway
+        if: matrix.suite == 'management' || matrix.suite == 'management-replica'
+        timeout-minutes: 15
+        working-directory: packaging/litellm-proxy
+        env:
+          CARGO_INCREMENTAL: "0"
+        run: |
+          uv run --no-project --with maturin==1.15.0 maturin build --profile dev --strip --out "$RUNNER_TEMP/gateway-dist"
+          uv pip install --no-deps --python ../../.venv/bin/python "$RUNNER_TEMP"/gateway-dist/*.whl
+          test -x ../../.venv/bin/litellm-gateway
+
       - name: Install redis-server 7.2.16
         timeout-minutes: 3
         run: |
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/rust_forward/supervisor/__init__.py b/litellm/proxy/rust_forward/supervisor/__init__.py
index b6611e30ffa..768ce336af1 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/rust_forward/supervisor/__init__.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/rust_forward/supervisor/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from litellm.proxy.rust_forward.supervisor.preflight import StartupError, gatewa
 from litellm.proxy.rust_forward.supervisor.runtime import SpawnFailed, exit_like, run
 
 OWN_COMMAND: Final = (sys.executable, *sys.orig_argv[1:])
+SERVING_WITHOUT_RUST: Final = "so Python serves the public port without Rust forwarding"
 
 
 def _nothing_to_prepare() -> None:
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ def supervise(
     chosen: Final = current_platform() if platform is None else platform
     checked: Final = startup_check(chosen, server, gateway_binary(chosen, scripts_dir))
     if isinstance(checked, StartupError):
-        sys.stderr.write(f"{checked.reason}, so Python serves the public port without Rust forwarding\n")
+        sys.stderr.write(f"{checked.reason}, {SERVING_WITHOUT_RUST}\n")
         return checked
     before_start()
     try:
diff --git a/tests/integration/_support/rust_forward.py b/tests/integration/_support/rust_forward.py
index 14b557897c5..86cc064a370 100644
--- a/tests/integration/_support/rust_forward.py
+++ b/tests/integration/_support/rust_forward.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from typing import Final
 import httpx
 from pydantic import JsonValue
 
+from litellm.proxy.rust_forward.supervisor import SERVING_WITHOUT_RUST
 from tests.integration._support.client import eventually
 from tests.integration._support.ports import allocate_port
 from tests.integration._support.process import stop_root_process
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ def forwarded_proxy(
     ):
         try:
             assert eventually(lambda: _serving(proxy.url), bool, seconds=180), proxy.log.read_text()
+            assert SERVING_WITHOUT_RUST not in proxy.log.read_text(), proxy.log.read_text()
             yield proxy
         finally:
             assert stop_root_process(process), proxy.log.read_text()