diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 24532cc051c..138657fd5c3 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -5748,6 +5748,13 @@ class ProxyConfig:
         general_settings = config.get("general_settings", {})
         if general_settings is None:
             general_settings = {}
+
+        ### FAILED-LOGIN ACCOUNTING MULTI-INSTANCE PREREQUISITE CHECK ###
+        # Failed Admin UI sign-in counters live in redis_usage_cache when available so a
+        # brute-force run is counted once across workers instead of once per worker.
+        if os.getenv("NUM_WORKERS", "1") != "1" and redis_usage_cache is None:
+            warn_login_counters_are_per_worker(os.getenv("NUM_WORKERS", "1"))
+
         _bg_hc_model_groups: Final = parse_background_health_check_model_groups(general_settings)
         _enable_hc_routing = False
         _hc_staleness = None
@@ -5844,12 +5851,6 @@ class ProxyConfig:
                         "or ensure sticky sessions for single-instance deployments."
                     )
 
-            ### FAILED-LOGIN ACCOUNTING MULTI-INSTANCE PREREQUISITE CHECK ###
-            # Failed Admin UI sign-in counters live in redis_usage_cache when available so a
-            # brute-force run is counted once across workers instead of once per worker.
-            if os.getenv("NUM_WORKERS", "1") != "1" and redis_usage_cache is None:
-                warn_login_counters_are_per_worker(os.getenv("NUM_WORKERS", "1"))
-
             ### STORE MODEL IN DB ### feature flag for `/model/new`
             store_model_in_db = general_settings.get("store_model_in_db", False)
             if store_model_in_db is None:
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
index 2f8d5cbc43a..9a41b3a7006 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/test_proxy_server.py
@@ -3411,6 +3411,30 @@ async def test_load_config_user_url_validation_handles_null_and_string_false(tmp
     assert litellm.user_url_validation is False
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_load_config_warns_per_worker_login_counters_without_general_settings(tmp_path, monkeypatch, caplog):
+    """Regression: the failed-login throttle is on by default, so a multi-worker proxy with no
+    Redis must hear that its counters are per worker even when the config has no general_settings."""
+    import logging
+
+    import litellm.proxy.proxy_server as proxy_server
+    from litellm.proxy.auth.login_throttle import warn_login_counters_are_per_worker
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import ProxyConfig
+
+    for redis_var in ("REDIS_HOST", "REDIS_URL", "REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES", "REDIS_SENTINEL_NODES"):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(redis_var, raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("NUM_WORKERS", "4")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server, "redis_usage_cache", None)
+    warn_login_counters_are_per_worker.cache_clear()
+    config_file = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+    config_file.write_text("model_list: []\n")
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
+        await ProxyConfig().load_config(router=MagicMock(), config_file_path=str(config_file))
+
+    assert "Running 4 workers but Redis is not configured" in caplog.text
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_load_environment_variables_direct_and_os_environ():
     """