diff --git a/litellm/integrations/newrelic/newrelic.py b/litellm/integrations/newrelic/newrelic.py
index e0e61e9cacd..93fe09d6010 100644
--- a/litellm/integrations/newrelic/newrelic.py
+++ b/litellm/integrations/newrelic/newrelic.py
@@ -186,12 +186,13 @@ class NewRelicLogger(CustomLogger):
             # Record metric with value of 1 (will be aggregated by New Relic)
             app = newrelic.agent.application()
 
+            # Always update the timestamp so the 27-hour back-off applies
+            # regardless of whether the app is ready, preventing lock contention
+            # on every request when the agent is slow to register or never starts.
+            _last_metric_emission_time = time.time()
+
             if app and app.enabled:
                 app.record_custom_metric(metric_name, 1)
-
-                # Update last emission time
-                _last_metric_emission_time = time.time()
-
                 verbose_logger.info(
                     f"Emitted New Relic supportability metric: {metric_name}"
                 )
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/newrelic/test_newrelic.py b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/newrelic/test_newrelic.py
index 166fec98b93..4bac745c7f1 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/integrations/newrelic/test_newrelic.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/integrations/newrelic/test_newrelic.py
@@ -607,12 +607,15 @@ class TestEmitSupportabilityMetric:
         with patch("newrelic.agent.application", return_value=mock_app):
             self.logger._emit_supportability_metric()
         mock_app.record_custom_metric.assert_not_called()
-        assert nr_module._last_metric_emission_time == 0.0
+        # Timestamp is still updated to back off lock contention during registration.
+        assert nr_module._last_metric_emission_time != 0.0
 
     def test_skips_when_no_app(self):
         with patch("newrelic.agent.application", return_value=None):
             self.logger._emit_supportability_metric()
-        assert nr_module._last_metric_emission_time == 0.0
+        # Timestamp is updated even when app is None to back off lock contention
+        # if the agent never starts or is slow to initialise.
+        assert nr_module._last_metric_emission_time != 0.0
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------