diff --git a/litellm/utils.py b/litellm/utils.py
index 5970ea8876a..85b20bdd602 100644
--- a/litellm/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/utils.py
@@ -1658,6 +1658,7 @@ def client(original_function):
                 start_time=start_time,
                 end_time=end_time,
             )
+            completion.release()
             return result
         except Exception as e:
             call_type = original_function.__name__
@@ -1941,12 +1942,14 @@ def client(original_function):
                 and _caching_handler_response is not None
                 and _caching_handler_response.final_embedding_cached_response is not None
             ):
-                return _llm_caching_handler._combine_cached_embedding_response_with_api_result(
+                combined_response: Final = _llm_caching_handler._combine_cached_embedding_response_with_api_result(
                     _caching_handler_response=_caching_handler_response,
                     embedding_response=result,
                     start_time=start_time,
                     end_time=end_time,
                 )
+                completion.release()
+                return combined_response
 
             _update_response_metadata(
                 result=result,
@@ -1957,6 +1960,7 @@ def client(original_function):
                 end_time=end_time,
             )
 
+            completion.release()
             return result
         except Exception as e:
             traceback_exception: Final = traceback.format_exc()
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/litellm_core_utils/test_call_completion.py b/tests/test_litellm/litellm_core_utils/test_call_completion.py
index 36836f08630..140e482a3c1 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/litellm_core_utils/test_call_completion.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/litellm_core_utils/test_call_completion.py
@@ -235,3 +235,33 @@ async def test_async_ocr_wrapper_sends_final_failure_to_attached_completion(
 
     assert caught.value is mapped_error
     assert native_completion.failures == [mapped_error, mapped_error]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_async_ocr_wrapper_retains_completion_until_metadata_finishes(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    native_completion: Final = RecordingCompletion()
+    response: Final = object()
+    metadata_error: Final = ValueError("metadata failure")
+
+    async def aocr(**kwargs: object) -> object:
+        completion = kwargs.get("_litellm_call_completion")
+        assert isinstance(completion, CallCompletion)
+        assert completion.attach(native_completion)
+        return response
+
+    def fail_metadata(**kwargs: object) -> None:
+        raise metadata_error
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.utils.function_setup", MagicMock(return_value=(MagicMock(), {})))
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.utils.load_credentials_from_list", MagicMock())
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.utils.update_response_metadata", fail_metadata)
+    wrapped: Final = client(aocr)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="metadata failure") as caught:
+        await wrapped()
+
+    assert caught.value is metadata_error
+    assert native_completion.successes == [response]
+    assert native_completion.failures == [metadata_error, metadata_error]