refactor: regenerate model_prices backup at build time

The local backup `litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json`
was a hand-edited mirror of the root `model_prices_and_context_window.json`.
The two routinely drifted (xAI grok-3 prompt-caching, deepseek capability
flags, etc.), masking real bugs in CI. Make the backup a generated build
artefact instead of a committed file:

- `get_model_cost_map.load_local_model_cost_map()` now reads the root JSON
  when available (source checkout / editable install) and falls back to
  the bundled package copy in installed wheels.
- The release pipeline already copies root -> backup before build
  (`publish_to_pypi.yml`); add the same step to the 5 Dockerfiles that
  build a wheel from source (`Dockerfile`, `docker/Dockerfile.{alpine,non_root,dev,database}`).
- Delete the committed backup JSON and `ci_cd/check_files_match.py`,
  gitignore the backup path.
- Tests that opened the backup directly now go through the helper.

Closes #27124

.gitignore

@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ litellm_config.yaml
 .vscode/launch.json
 litellm/proxy/to_delete_loadtest_work/*
 update_model_cost_map.py
+litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
 tests/test_litellm/proxy/_experimental/mcp_server/test_mcp_server_manager.py
 scripts/test_vertex_ai_search.py
 LAZY_LOADING_IMPROVEMENTS.md

Dockerfile

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ RUN uv sync --frozen --no-install-project --no-install-workspace --no-default-gr
 # Copy full source tree
 COPY . .
 
+# Generate the model-cost backup artefact inside the package before the wheel build (mirrors publish_to_pypi.yml).
+RUN cp model_prices_and_context_window.json litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
+
 # Build Admin UI before final sync
 RUN sed -i 's/\r$//' docker/build_admin_ui.sh && chmod +x docker/build_admin_ui.sh && ./docker/build_admin_ui.sh
 

ci_cd/check_files_match.py

@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-import sys
-import filecmp
-import shutil
-
-
-def main(argv=None):
-    print(
-        "Comparing model_prices_and_context_window and litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json files... checking if they match."
-    )
-
-    file1 = "model_prices_and_context_window.json"
-    file2 = "litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json"
-
-    cmp_result = filecmp.cmp(file1, file2, shallow=False)
-
-    if cmp_result:
-        print(f"Passed! Files {file1} and {file2} match.")
-        return 0
-    else:
-        print(
-            f"Failed! Files {file1} and {file2} do not match. Copying content from {file1} to {file2}."
-        )
-        copy_content(file1, file2)
-        return 1
-
-
-def copy_content(source, destination):
-    shutil.copy2(source, destination)
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    sys.exit(main())

docker/Dockerfile.alpine

@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ RUN uv sync --frozen --no-install-project --no-install-workspace --no-default-gr
 # Copy full source tree
 COPY . .
 
+# Generate the model-cost backup artefact inside the package before the wheel build (mirrors publish_to_pypi.yml).
+RUN cp model_prices_and_context_window.json litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
+
 # Install project and workspace packages (fast - deps already cached)
 RUN uv sync --frozen --no-default-groups --no-editable \
     --extra proxy \

docker/Dockerfile.database

@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ RUN uv sync --frozen --no-install-project --no-install-workspace --no-default-gr
 # Copy full source tree
 COPY . .
 
+# Generate the model-cost backup artefact inside the package before the wheel build (mirrors publish_to_pypi.yml).
+RUN cp model_prices_and_context_window.json litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
+
 # Build Admin UI before final sync
 RUN sed -i 's/\r$//' docker/build_admin_ui.sh && chmod +x docker/build_admin_ui.sh && ./docker/build_admin_ui.sh
 

docker/Dockerfile.dev

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ RUN uv sync --frozen --no-install-project --no-install-workspace --no-default-gr
 # Copy full source tree
 COPY . .
 
+# Generate the model-cost backup artefact inside the package before the wheel build (mirrors publish_to_pypi.yml).
+RUN cp model_prices_and_context_window.json litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
+
 # Build Admin UI before final sync
 RUN sed -i 's/\r$//' docker/build_admin_ui.sh && chmod +x docker/build_admin_ui.sh && ./docker/build_admin_ui.sh
 

docker/Dockerfile.non_root

@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/app/.cache/uv,id=litellm-uv-cache \
 # Copy full source tree
 COPY . .
 
+# Generate the model-cost backup artefact inside the package before the wheel build (mirrors publish_to_pypi.yml).
+RUN cp model_prices_and_context_window.json litellm/model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json
+
 # Set non-root flag for build time consistency
 ENV LITELLM_NON_ROOT=true
 

litellm/litellm_core_utils/get_model_cost_map.py

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export LITELLM_LOCAL_MODEL_COST_MAP=True
 import json
 import os
 from importlib.resources import files
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 
 import httpx
@@ -35,13 +36,18 @@ class GetModelCostMap:
 
     @staticmethod
     def load_local_model_cost_map() -> dict:
-        """Load the local backup model cost map bundled with the package."""
-        content = json.loads(
+        """Load the local model cost map: repo-root JSON in a source checkout, bundled package copy in an installed wheel."""
+        repo_root_json = (
+            Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "model_prices_and_context_window.json"
+        )
+        if repo_root_json.is_file():
+            return json.loads(repo_root_json.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+        return json.loads(
             files("litellm")
             .joinpath("model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json")
             .read_text(encoding="utf-8")
         )
-        return content
 
     @classmethod
     def _get_backup_model_count(cls) -> int:

tests/local_testing/test_get_model_file.py

@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 import os, sys, traceback
-import importlib.resources
-import json
 
 sys.path.insert(
     0, os.path.abspath("../..")
@@ -8,6 +6,8 @@ sys.path.insert(
 import litellm
 import pytest
 
+from litellm.litellm_core_utils.get_model_cost_map import GetModelCostMap
+
 
 def test_get_model_cost_map():
     try:
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ def test_get_model_cost_map():
         pytest.fail(f"An exception occurred: {e}")
 
 
-def test_get_backup_model_cost_map():
-    with importlib.resources.open_text(
-        "litellm", "model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json"
-    ) as f:
-        print("inside backup")
-        content = json.load(f)
-        print("content", content)
+def test_load_local_model_cost_map():
+    content = GetModelCostMap.load_local_model_cost_map()
+    assert (
+        isinstance(content, dict) and content
+    ), "load_local_model_cost_map must return a non-empty dict"

tests/test_litellm/test_deepseek_model_metadata.py

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ sys.path.insert(
 )  # Adds the parent directory to the system path
 
 import litellm
+from litellm.litellm_core_utils.get_model_cost_map import GetModelCostMap
 from litellm.utils import (
     _supports_factory,
     supports_response_schema,
@@ -30,13 +31,8 @@ from litellm.utils import (
 
 
 def _load_backup_json() -> dict:
-    """Load the backup JSON directly from disk."""
-    backup_path = os.path.join(
-        os.path.dirname(litellm.__file__),
-        "model_prices_and_context_window_backup.json",
-    )
-    with open(backup_path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
-        return json.load(f)
+    """Load the local model-cost JSON via the public helper (resolves to repo root in dev, bundled copy in wheel)."""
+    return GetModelCostMap.load_local_model_cost_map()
 
 
 class TestDeepSeekModelCostEntries: