diff --git a/litellm/proxy/common_utils/http_parsing_utils.py b/litellm/proxy/common_utils/http_parsing_utils.py
index f436bc96dbd..ee2720a5cdf 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/common_utils/http_parsing_utils.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/common_utils/http_parsing_utils.py
@@ -242,6 +242,14 @@ async def _read_request_body(request: Request | None) -> dict:
                             code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
                         )
 
+        if not isinstance(parsed_body, dict):
+            raise ProxyException(
+                message="Invalid JSON request body: expected an object",
+                type="invalid_request_error",
+                param="request_body",
+                code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
+            )
+
         # Cache the parsed result
         _safe_set_request_parsed_body(request=request, parsed_body=parsed_body)
         return parsed_body
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_user_api_key_auth.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_user_api_key_auth.py
index ef6832ef77b..be04a84f347 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_user_api_key_auth.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_user_api_key_auth.py
@@ -6542,6 +6542,44 @@ async def test_user_api_key_auth_malformed_body_with_rejected_key_still_returns_
             setattr(_proxy_server_mod, k, v)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("raw_body", [b"[]", b"123", b"null"], ids=["array", "number", "null"])
+async def test_user_api_key_auth_rejects_a_non_object_json_body_with_400(raw_body: bytes):
+    from fastapi import Request
+    from starlette.datastructures import URL
+
+    import litellm.proxy.proxy_server as _proxy_server_mod
+
+    request = Request(
+        scope={
+            "type": "http",
+            "headers": [(b"content-type", b"application/json")],
+            "method": "POST",
+        }
+    )
+    request._url = URL(url="/chat/completions")
+    request._body = raw_body
+
+    attrs = _proxy_attrs_for_centralized_checks(user_custom_auth=None)
+    originals = {a: getattr(_proxy_server_mod, a, None) for a in attrs}
+    try:
+        for k, v in attrs.items():
+            setattr(_proxy_server_mod, k, v)
+        with patch(
+            "litellm.proxy.auth.user_api_key_auth._user_api_key_auth_builder",
+            new_callable=AsyncMock,
+            return_value=UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="sk-test", user_id="u1"),
+        ):
+            with pytest.raises(ProxyException) as exc_info:
+                await user_api_key_auth(request=request, api_key="Bearer sk-test")
+    finally:
+        for k, v in originals.items():
+            setattr(_proxy_server_mod, k, v)
+
+    assert exc_info.value.code == str(status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
+    assert exc_info.value.message == "Invalid JSON request body: expected an object"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_user_api_key_auth_does_not_double_log_a_malformed_body_from_a_rejected_key():
     """The auth failure this caller also earns is already logged by the handler that