diff --git a/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py b/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
index 0d3e61b75c7..4f0c59474f1 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/common_request_processing.py
@@ -547,9 +547,14 @@ class ProxyBaseLLMRequestProcessing:
                 # Get model_list from current router
                 model_list = llm_router.get_model_list()
                 if model_list is not None:
-                    # Create user_config with model_list and router_settings
+                    # Create user_config with model_list, search_tools, and router_settings
                     # This creates a per-request router with the hierarchical settings
                     user_config = {"model_list": model_list, **router_settings}
+
+                    # Include search_tools from main router so per-request router has them
+                    if hasattr(llm_router, "search_tools") and llm_router.search_tools:
+                        user_config["search_tools"] = llm_router.search_tools
+
                     self.data["user_config"] = user_config
 
         if "messages" in self.data and self.data["messages"]:
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 16cdd9da64b..056367243f9 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -3173,17 +3173,18 @@ class ProxyConfig:
                 _model_list: list = self.decrypt_model_list_from_db(
                     new_models=models_list
                 )
-                if len(_model_list) > 0:
-                    verbose_proxy_logger.debug(f"_model_list: {_model_list}")
-                    llm_router = litellm.Router(
-                        model_list=_model_list,
-                        router_general_settings=RouterGeneralSettings(
-                            async_only_mode=True  # only init async clients
-                        ),
-                        search_tools=search_tools,
-                        ignore_invalid_deployments=True,
-                    )
-                    verbose_proxy_logger.debug(f"updated llm_router: {llm_router}")
+                # Create router even with empty model list to support search_tools
+                # Router can function with model_list=[] and only search_tools
+                verbose_proxy_logger.debug(f"_model_list: {_model_list}")
+                llm_router = litellm.Router(
+                    model_list=_model_list,
+                    router_general_settings=RouterGeneralSettings(
+                        async_only_mode=True  # only init async clients
+                    ),
+                    search_tools=search_tools,
+                    ignore_invalid_deployments=True,
+                )
+                verbose_proxy_logger.debug(f"updated llm_router: {llm_router}")
             else:
                 verbose_proxy_logger.debug(f"len new_models: {len(models_list)}")
                 ## DELETE MODEL LOGIC