diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.integration.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.integration.test.tsx
index c7493b3870a..04452271e65 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.integration.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.integration.test.tsx
@@ -333,4 +333,80 @@ describe("AddProviderPanel", () => {
     );
     expect(await screen.findByText("claude-3-opus")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+  it("refuses to create when the deployment lookup fails, rather than duplicating saved rows", async () => {
+    discoverProviderModelsCall.mockResolvedValue({ models: ["claude-3-opus"] });
+    listAllModelsCall.mockRejectedValue(new Error("proxy unreachable"));
+    const { user } = await setup();
+
+    await chooseProvider(user, "Anthropic");
+    await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("Credential name"), "anthropic-prod");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Next/ }));
+    await user.type(await screen.findByLabelText("API Key"), "sk-ant-test");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Save credential" }));
+
+    await screen.findByText("claude-3-opus");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Create 1 model" }));
+
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/could duplicate ones already saved/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(createProviderModelCall).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("creates rather than PATCHes after the credential name changes following a save", async () => {
+    discoverProviderModelsCall.mockResolvedValue({ models: ["claude-3-opus"] });
+    const { user } = await setup();
+
+    await chooseProvider(user, "Anthropic");
+    await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("Credential name"), "anthropic-first");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Next/ }));
+
+    await chooseSelectOption(
+      user,
+      await screen.findByRole("combobox", { name: "Authentication method" }),
+      "Workload Identity Federation (LiteLLM-signed)",
+    );
+    fireEvent.change(await screen.findByLabelText("Organization ID"), { target: { value: "org-1" } });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Issuer URL"), { target: { value: "https://proxy.example.com" } });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Issuer Subject"), { target: { value: "litellm-proxy" } });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Signing Key Reference"), { target: { value: "os.environ/SIGNING_KEY" } });
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Save credential" }));
+
+    // The JWKS step is the one place the wizard pauses after a save, so it is the route back to
+    // the name field. Renaming there must create the new credential, never PATCH the old name.
+    await screen.findByText("Register this JWKS with Anthropic");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Back/ }));
+    await user.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: /Back/ }));
+
+    const nameInput = await screen.findByLabelText("Credential name");
+    await user.clear(nameInput);
+    await user.type(nameInput, "anthropic-second");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Next/ }));
+
+    credentialCreateCall.mockClear();
+    credentialUpdateCall.mockClear();
+    await user.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: /Save credential/ }));
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(credentialCreateCall).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "test-access-token",
+        expect.objectContaining({ credential_name: "anthropic-second" }),
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(credentialUpdateCall).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("blocks creation while any model name is blank", async () => {
+    discoverProviderModelsCall.mockResolvedValue({ models: ["claude-3-opus"] });
+    const { user } = await setup();
+
+    await chooseProvider(user, "Anthropic");
+    await user.type(screen.getByLabelText("Credential name"), "anthropic-prod");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Next/ }));
+    await user.type(await screen.findByLabelText("API Key"), "sk-ant-test");
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Save credential" }));
+
+    const nameCell = await screen.findByDisplayValue("claude-3-opus");
+    await user.clear(nameCell);
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Create 1 model/ })).toBeDisabled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.tsx
index b46105bc84d..ccf5f65f4ec 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/AddProviderPanel.tsx
@@ -90,12 +90,13 @@ export default function AddProviderPanel() {
   const [step, setStep] = React.useState<WizardStep>("provider");
   const [selectedProvider, setSelectedProvider] = React.useState<Providers | null>(null);
   const [credentialName, setCredentialName] = React.useState("");
-  const [credentialSaved, setCredentialSaved] = React.useState(false);
+  const [savedCredentialName, setSavedCredentialName] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
   const [savedValues, setSavedValues] = React.useState<Record<string, unknown>>({});
   const [federationRuleId, setFederationRuleId] = React.useState("");
   const [jwks, setJwks] = React.useState<AnthropicJwks | null>(null);
   const [jwksError, setJwksError] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
   const [discoveryError, setDiscoveryError] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [createError, setCreateError] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
   const [isDiscovering, setIsDiscovering] = React.useState(false);
   const [rows, setRows] = React.useState<DiscoveredModelRow[]>([]);
   const [isCreating, setIsCreating] = React.useState(false);
@@ -124,8 +125,11 @@ export default function AddProviderPanel() {
   );
   const litellmProvider = selectedProviderInfo?.litellm_provider ?? "";
 
+  const credentialSaved = savedCredentialName !== null && savedCredentialName === credentialName;
+
   const nameCollision =
     credentialName.length > 0 &&
+    credentialName !== savedCredentialName &&
     (credentialsResponse?.credentials ?? []).some((c) => c.credential_name === credentialName);
 
   const goTo = (next: WizardStep) => setStep(next);
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ export default function AddProviderPanel() {
         await credentialUpdateCall(accessToken, credentialName, updatePayload);
       }
       setSavedValues(values);
-      setCredentialSaved(true);
+      setSavedCredentialName(credentialName);
       setFederationRuleId(
         typeof values.anthropic_federation_rule_id === "string" ? values.anthropic_federation_rule_id : "",
       );
@@ -231,13 +235,19 @@ export default function AddProviderPanel() {
     setIsCreating(true);
     setCreationResults([]);
     setAliasCollisions([]);
+    setCreateError(null);
     goTo("creating");
 
-    let existing: DeploymentInfoRow[] = [];
+    let existing: DeploymentInfoRow[];
     try {
       existing = (await listAllModelsCall(accessToken)).data;
-    } catch {
-      existing = [];
+    } catch (error) {
+      setIsCreating(false);
+      setCreateError(
+        `Could not read the existing deployments, so creating now could duplicate ones already saved. ${extractProxyErrorMessage(error)}`,
+      );
+      goTo("review");
+      return;
     }
     const pending = rowsPendingCreation(rows, litellmProvider, credentialName, existing);
     const pendingIds = new Set(pending.map((r) => r.id));
@@ -346,6 +356,7 @@ export default function AddProviderPanel() {
         <ReviewModelsStep
           rows={rows}
           setRows={setRows}
+          createError={createError}
           onBack={() => {
             goTo("discover");
             void runDiscovery();
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/ReviewModelsStep.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/ReviewModelsStep.tsx
index a7a9b8525d4..20326a48736 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/ReviewModelsStep.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/models-and-endpoints/panels/add-provider/ReviewModelsStep.tsx
@@ -13,13 +13,16 @@ import { buildManualRow, type DiscoveredModelRow } from "./wizardLogic";
 interface ReviewModelsStepProps {
   rows: DiscoveredModelRow[];
   setRows: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<DiscoveredModelRow[]>>;
+  createError: string | null;
   onBack: () => void;
   onCreateModels: () => void;
 }
 
-const ReviewModelsStep: React.FC<ReviewModelsStepProps> = ({ rows, setRows, onBack, onCreateModels }) => {
+const ReviewModelsStep: React.FC<ReviewModelsStepProps> = ({ rows, setRows, createError, onBack, onCreateModels }) => {
   const [manualId, setManualId] = React.useState("");
 
+  const hasBlankName = rows.some((row) => row.modelName.trim() === "");
+
   const updateRow = (id: string, patch: Partial<DiscoveredModelRow>) =>
     setRows((current) => current.map((row) => (row.id === id ? { ...row, ...patch } : row)));
 
@@ -113,11 +116,13 @@ const ReviewModelsStep: React.FC<ReviewModelsStepProps> = ({ rows, setRows, onBa
           </Button>
         </div>
 
+        {createError && <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{createError}</p>}
+
         <div className="flex justify-between">
           <Button type="button" variant="outline" onClick={onBack}>
             <ArrowLeft className="mr-1 size-4" /> Back
           </Button>
-          <Button disabled={rows.length === 0} onClick={onCreateModels}>
+          <Button disabled={rows.length === 0 || hasBlankName} onClick={onCreateModels}>
             Create {rows.length} model{rows.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}
           </Button>
         </div>