diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 33dcf978854..91bbc418ffd 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -5717,7 +5717,6 @@ def _with_config_file_pass_through_endpoints(
 def _reload_settings_store(section: Section, store: SettingsStore, section_config: object) -> None:
     serving_pass_throughs: Final = store.get("pass_through_endpoints")
     store.load_yaml(_as_settings_mapping(section_config))
-    store.apply_db_row(section, _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING)
     if is_resource_list(section, "pass_through_endpoints") and serving_pass_throughs is not None:
         store["pass_through_endpoints"] = serving_pass_throughs
 
@@ -6540,6 +6539,9 @@ class ProxyConfig:
                 prisma_client=prisma_client,
                 store_model_in_db=store_model_in_db,
             )
+        else:
+            for section, store in self._settings_stores.items():
+                store.apply_db_row(section, _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING)
 
         config = self._config_with_resolved_settings(config)
 
@@ -8623,12 +8625,24 @@ class ProxyConfig:
         environment_read: Final = next(self._environment_read_numbers)
         sections: Final = tuple(self._settings_stores)
         responses: Final = await asyncio.gather(*(get_config_param(prisma_client, section) for section in sections))
+        general_settings_response: Final = responses[sections.index("general_settings")]
+        general_settings_value: Final[Mapping[str, SettingsJsonValue]] = (
+            self._prepared_db_settings_values("general_settings", general_settings_response.param_value)
+            if general_settings_response is not None and general_settings_response.param_value is not None
+            else _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING
+        )
+        self._settings_stores["general_settings"].apply_db_row("general_settings", general_settings_value)
+
         response: _ConfigParamValueRow | None
         for section, response in zip(sections, responses):
+            if section == "general_settings":
+                continue
             if response is None:
+                self._settings_stores[section].apply_db_row(section, _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING)
                 continue
             param_value: JsonValue = getattr(response, "param_value", None)
             if param_value is None:
+                self._settings_stores[section].apply_db_row(section, _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING)
                 continue
 
             verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
@@ -8639,6 +8653,7 @@ class ProxyConfig:
             if section == "litellm_settings":
                 self._apply_litellm_settings_db_values(self._prepared_db_settings_values(section, param_value))
             elif section == "environment_variables":
+                self._settings_stores[section].apply_db_row(section, _EMPTY_SETTINGS_MAPPING)
                 await self._apply_db_environment_variables_row(
                     prisma_client, response, environment_before_db, environment_read
                 )
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
index a78209e16fe..55226fc629b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@ import litellm
 from litellm._logging import turn_on_json
 from litellm.proxy._types import CommonProxyErrors, ConfigGeneralSettings
 from litellm.proxy.common_utils.encrypt_decrypt_utils import encrypt_value_helper
+from litellm.proxy.config_resolvers.settings_store import SettingsStore
 from litellm.router_api import ApplyResult, RouterSettings
 from litellm.types.router import Deployment, LiteLLM_Params
 from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import (
     ProxyConfig,
     _is_remote_module_url,
+    _reload_settings_store,
     _scrub_db_overlay_remote_module_loads,
     _scrub_guardrail_inner,
     resolve_complexity_router_plugins,
@@ -70,6 +72,15 @@ def _db_model(model_id: str, model_name: str = "gpt-3.5-turbo") -> SimpleNamespa
     )
 
 
+def test_yaml_settings_reload_keeps_db_general_settings_until_sync() -> None:
+    settings: Final = SettingsStore("general_settings")
+    settings.apply_db_row("general_settings", {"max_file_downloads_per_minute": 2})
+
+    _reload_settings_store("general_settings", settings, {})
+
+    assert settings["max_file_downloads_per_minute"] == 2
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_proxy_config_adds_and_deletes_stale_deployment(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     from litellm.proxy import proxy_server