diff --git a/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/complexity_router.py b/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/complexity_router.py
index c4296f029b2..41552ee3745 100644
--- a/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/complexity_router.py
+++ b/litellm/router_strategy/complexity_router/complexity_router.py
@@ -871,11 +871,20 @@ class ComplexityRouter(CustomLogger):
         from litellm.types.router import RoutingContext
 
         tier_key = tier.value
+        candidates = list(self._tier_pools().get(tier_key, []))
+        if not candidates:
+            # Distinct from the plugin denial below: nothing was filtered out, the tier was
+            # never given models. Saying "after routing-plugin filtering" would send an
+            # operator to read plugin code for what is a gap in `tiers`.
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Tier {tier_key} has no models configured. Routing plugins are configured, so "
+                f"default_model is not consulted: a model the plugins never vetted must not serve"
+            )
         metadata_key = "litellm_metadata" if "litellm_metadata" in request_kwargs else "metadata"
         context = RoutingContext(
             raw_messages=raw_messages or [],
             structured_messages=resolved_messages or [],
-            candidate_models=list(self._tier_pools().get(tier_key, [])),
+            candidate_models=candidates,
             metadata=request_kwargs.get(metadata_key) or {},
         )
         for plugin in self.config.plugins:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/test_complexity_router.py b/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/test_complexity_router.py
index d37eb5bdeb7..54a7b8c2b52 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/test_complexity_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/router_strategy/test_complexity_router.py
@@ -4914,6 +4914,33 @@ class TestNoSignalDefaultTier:
                 },
             )
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_an_unconfigured_default_tier_under_plugins_names_the_real_gap(self, mock_router_instance):
+        """The implicit MEDIUM default is deliberately not validated at load, so a partial
+        tiers map keeps loading. With plugins configured it has no fallback, so the request
+        fails; the error has to name the missing tier rather than blaming the plugins for a
+        filter they never applied."""
+
+        class NoOpPlugin:
+            async def run(self, context):
+                return context
+
+        router = ComplexityRouter(
+            model_name="test-router",
+            litellm_router_instance=mock_router_instance,
+            complexity_router_config={
+                "tiers": {"SIMPLE": "simple-model", "COMPLEX": "complex-model"},
+                "plugins": [NoOpPlugin()],
+                "session_affinity": False,
+            },
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Tier MEDIUM has no models configured"):
+            await router.async_pre_routing_hook(
+                model="test-model",
+                request_kwargs={},
+                messages=[{"role": "user", "content": RIVER_CROSSING}],
+            )
+
     def test_default_tier_outside_tiers_is_allowed_with_default_model(self, mock_router_instance):
         router = ComplexityRouter(
             model_name="test-router",