diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
index 0fdfb301291..72205237951 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/exception_mapping_utils.py
@@ -401,12 +401,12 @@ def _map_openai_exception(
     elif (
         "The api_key client option must be set either by passing api_key to the client or by setting the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable"
         in error_str
+        or ("Missing credentials" in error_str and "api_key" in error_str)
     ):
         raise AuthenticationError(
             message=f"AuthenticationError: {exception_provider} - {message}",
             llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
             model=model,
-            response=response,
             litellm_debug_info=extra_information,
         )
     elif "Mistral API raised a streaming error" in error_str:
diff --git a/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py b/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
index 9de768ea47b..7896dec485c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/litellm_core_utils/test_exception_mapping_utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from typing import Final
+
 import httpx
 import openai
 import pytest
@@ -360,6 +362,31 @@ def test_openai_compatible_429_still_maps_to_rate_limit():
     assert excinfo.value.status_code == 429
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "error_message",
+    (
+        "The api_key client option must be set either by passing api_key to the client "
+        "or by setting the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable",
+        "Missing credentials. Please pass an `api_key`, `workload_identity`, "
+        "`admin_api_key`, or set the `OPENAI_API_KEY` or `OPENAI_ADMIN_KEY` "
+        "environment variable.",
+    ),
+)
+def test_openai_missing_credentials_maps_to_authentication_error(error_message: str) -> None:
+    original_exception: Final = OpenAIError(status_code=500, message=error_message)
+
+    with pytest.raises(litellm.AuthenticationError) as excinfo:
+        exception_type(
+            model="test-model",
+            original_exception=original_exception,
+            custom_llm_provider="openai",
+        )
+
+    assert excinfo.value.status_code == 401
+    assert excinfo.value.response.status_code == 401
+    assert excinfo.value.llm_provider == "openai"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "error_message",
     [