diff --git a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/aporia_ai/aporia_ai.py b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/aporia_ai/aporia_ai.py
index dafa6e06652..cd6b0e26385 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/aporia_ai/aporia_ai.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/aporia_ai/aporia_ai.py
@@ -129,7 +129,14 @@ class AporiaGuardrail(CustomGuardrail):
             # check if the response was flagged
             _json_response: Final = response.json()
             action: str = _json_response.get("action")  # possible values are modify, passthrough, block, rephrase
-            if action == "block":
+            # Only `passthrough` says the content may go out as written.
+            # `modify` and `rephrase` are interventions: Aporia is saying this
+            # should not ship unchanged, and litellm cannot apply either from
+            # this response, so forwarding the original would defeat the
+            # guardrail while reporting success. An unrecognised or missing
+            # action is treated the same way: a guardrail that cannot tell what
+            # it was told must not be the one to decide the content is fine.
+            if action != "passthrough":
                 raise HTTPException(
                     status_code=400,
                     detail={
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_aporia.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_aporia.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1c7177e0386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_aporia.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""Tests for how the Aporia guardrail acts on Aporia's verdict.
+
+Aporia answers with one of four actions. Only ``passthrough`` says the content
+may go out as written; ``modify`` and ``rephrase`` are interventions. Forwarding
+the original for those defeats the guardrail and reports success while doing it
+(#41097).
+"""
+
+import json
+from typing import Any
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+from fastapi import HTTPException
+
+from litellm.proxy.guardrails.guardrail_hooks.aporia_ai.aporia_ai import AporiaGuardrail
+
+
+def _guardrail(action: Any, include_action: bool = True) -> AporiaGuardrail:
+    """An AporiaGuardrail whose /validate call answers with one verdict."""
+    guardrail = AporiaGuardrail(
+        guardrail_name="aporia",
+        api_key="k",
+        api_base="https://example.invalid",
+    )
+    body = {"action": action} if include_action else {"reason": "no action key"}
+    response = MagicMock()
+    response.status_code = 200
+    response.text = json.dumps(body)
+    response.json = MagicMock(return_value=body)
+    guardrail.async_handler = MagicMock()
+    guardrail.async_handler.post = AsyncMock(return_value=response)
+    return guardrail
+
+
+async def _validate(guardrail: AporiaGuardrail) -> None:
+    await guardrail.make_aporia_api_request(
+        request_data={},
+        new_messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "hello"}],
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_passthrough_is_forwarded():
+    """The accept control: a cleanly scanned request must still go out, or the
+    guardrail is a wall rather than a filter."""
+    guardrail = _guardrail("passthrough")
+
+    await _validate(guardrail)
+
+    # It reached Aporia and came back without raising, which is the whole
+    # observable effect of letting a request through.
+    guardrail.async_handler.post.assert_awaited_once()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_block_is_refused():
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc:
+        await _validate(_guardrail("block"))
+
+    assert exc.value.status_code == 400
+    assert "Violated guardrail policy" in str(exc.value.detail)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("action", ["modify", "rephrase"])
+async def test_an_intervention_is_not_forwarded_unchanged(action):
+    """Aporia is saying this should not ship as written, and litellm cannot
+    apply the modification from this response — so it must not ship it."""
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as exc:
+        await _validate(_guardrail(action))
+
+    assert exc.value.status_code == 400
+    assert action in str(exc.value.detail)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "action,include_action",
+    [
+        ("BLOCK", True),
+        ("blocked", True),
+        ("", True),
+        (None, True),
+        (None, False),
+    ],
+)
+async def test_a_verdict_it_cannot_read_is_not_taken_for_permission(action, include_action):
+    """A response shape change, or an error object with no action at all, used
+    to forward. A guardrail that cannot tell what it was told is not the one to
+    decide the content is fine."""
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException):
+        await _validate(_guardrail(action, include_action=include_action))