diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index d213ea628bc..6513ea1960b 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -8885,6 +8885,7 @@ async def _get_db_only_models(
     sort_by: Optional[str] = None,
     page: int = 1,
     size: int = 50,
+    filtered_router_count: Optional[int] = None,
 ) -> Tuple[List[Dict[str, Any]], int]:
     """
     Fetch models from the database that are NOT already loaded in the router.
@@ -8894,13 +8895,16 @@ async def _get_db_only_models(
     those models still appear in the model list.
 
     Args:
-        all_models: Models already in the router
+        all_models: Models already in the router (used to collect DB model IDs to exclude)
         prisma_client: Prisma client for database queries
         proxy_config: Proxy config for decrypting models
         search: Optional search term (case-insensitive)
         sort_by: Optional sort field
         page: Current page number
         size: Page size
+        filtered_router_count: Number of router models after search filtering.
+            When provided, used for pagination instead of len(all_models).
+            This ensures correct pagination when search reduces the visible router models.
 
     Returns:
         Tuple of (db_only_models, db_only_count)
@@ -8936,8 +8940,8 @@ async def _get_db_only_models(
         if db_only_count == 0:
             return [], 0
 
-        # Determine how many to fetch
-        router_models_count = len(all_models)
+        # Use filtered count for pagination when searching, full count otherwise
+        router_models_count = filtered_router_count if filtered_router_count is not None else len(all_models)
         models_needed_for_page = size * page
 
         if sort_by:
@@ -9018,6 +9022,7 @@ async def _apply_search_filter_to_models(
             sort_by=sort_by,
             page=page,
             size=size,
+            filtered_router_count=len(filtered_router_models),
         )
 
     total_count = len(filtered_router_models) + db_only_count
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_model_list_db_only_models.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_model_list_db_only_models.py
index 8842a633cbb..e6808ba7f79 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_model_list_db_only_models.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_model_list_db_only_models.py
@@ -258,3 +258,46 @@ class TestApplySearchFilterIncludesDbOnlyModels:
 
         assert result == router_models
         assert total_count is None
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_search_pagination_uses_filtered_count(self):
+        """When searching, pagination should use the filtered router count, not the full count.
+
+        Regression test: if the router has 50 models but only 1 matches search,
+        DB-only models should still be fetched (take should be based on 1, not 50).
+        """
+        # 50 router models, but only "gpt-5" matches the search "gpt-5"
+        router_models = [_make_router_model(f"model-{i}", f"id-{i}", db_model=True) for i in range(49)]
+        router_models.append(_make_router_model("gpt-5", "id-49", db_model=True))
+
+        db_record = _make_db_record("gpt-5.1", "id-missing")
+
+        prisma_client = MagicMock()
+        prisma_client.db.litellm_proxymodeltable.count = AsyncMock(return_value=1)
+        prisma_client.db.litellm_proxymodeltable.find_many = AsyncMock(
+            return_value=[db_record]
+        )
+
+        decrypted_model = _make_router_model("gpt-5.1", "id-missing", db_model=True)
+        proxy_config = MagicMock()
+        proxy_config.decrypt_model_list_from_db = MagicMock(
+            return_value=[decrypted_model]
+        )
+
+        result, total_count = await _apply_search_filter_to_models(
+            all_models=router_models,
+            search="gpt-5",
+            page=1,
+            size=50,
+            prisma_client=prisma_client,
+            proxy_config=proxy_config,
+        )
+
+        model_names = [m["model_name"] for m in result]
+        # Only gpt-5 matches search from router, gpt-5.1 from DB
+        assert "gpt-5" in model_names
+        assert "gpt-5.1" in model_names
+        assert len(result) == 2
+        assert total_count == 2
+        # Verify find_many was actually called (not skipped due to bad take calculation)
+        prisma_client.db.litellm_proxymodeltable.find_many.assert_called_once()