diff --git a/litellm/integrations/otel/plumbing/providers.py b/litellm/integrations/otel/plumbing/providers.py
index 8aee90ffe0a..0fbe70a2ae4 100644
--- a/litellm/integrations/otel/plumbing/providers.py
+++ b/litellm/integrations/otel/plumbing/providers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Provider / exporter factory + the Baggage span processor."""
 
+import math
 import os
 import queue
 import threading
@@ -940,13 +941,13 @@ def build_metric_reader(config: OpenTelemetryV2Config) -> "MetricReader":
     else:
         exporter = ConsoleMetricExporter()
 
-    return PeriodicExportingMetricReader(exporter, export_interval_millis=_metric_export_interval_millis())
+    return PeriodicExportingMetricReader(exporter, export_interval_millis=resolve_metric_export_interval_millis())
 
 
 DEFAULT_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL_MILLIS: Final = 5000
 
 
-def _metric_export_interval_millis() -> float:
+def resolve_metric_export_interval_millis() -> float:
     """The metric export period: ``OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL`` if set, else 5s.
 
     The SDK only consults the variable when no explicit interval is passed, so
@@ -965,9 +966,9 @@ def _metric_export_interval_millis() -> float:
             DEFAULT_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL_MILLIS,
         )
         return DEFAULT_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL_MILLIS
-    if interval <= 0:
+    if not math.isfinite(interval) or interval <= 0:
         verbose_logger.warning(
-            "OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL=%r must be positive; using %sms",
+            "OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL=%r must be a positive finite number; using %sms",
             raw,
             DEFAULT_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL_MILLIS,
         )
diff --git a/tests/unit/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_components.py b/tests/unit/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_components.py
index 6f6003659aa..5e5bb6244b2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_components.py
+++ b/tests/unit/integrations/otel/test_otel_v2_components.py
@@ -893,13 +893,12 @@ def test_otlp_metric_exporter_uses_cumulative_histogram_temporality():
     assert temporality[Histogram] is AggregationTemporality.CUMULATIVE
 
 
-def test_metric_reader_default_interval_is_5s(monkeypatch):
+def test_metric_export_interval_defaults_to_5s(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.delenv("OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL", raising=False)
-    reader = providers.build_metric_reader(OpenTelemetryV2Config(exporter="console"))
-    assert reader._export_interval_millis == 5000  # noqa: SLF001  # reader exposes no public accessor
+    assert providers.resolve_metric_export_interval_millis() == 5000
 
 
-def test_metric_reader_honours_otel_metric_export_interval(monkeypatch):
+def test_metric_export_interval_honours_otel_metric_export_interval(monkeypatch):
     """``OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL`` is the standard knob for the export period.
 
     The SDK reads it only when no explicit interval is passed, and litellm
@@ -909,15 +908,14 @@ def test_metric_reader_honours_otel_metric_export_interval(monkeypatch):
     charges for.
     """
     monkeypatch.setenv("OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL", "60000")
-    reader = providers.build_metric_reader(OpenTelemetryV2Config(exporter="console"))
-    assert reader._export_interval_millis == 60000  # noqa: SLF001  # reader exposes no public accessor
+    assert providers.resolve_metric_export_interval_millis() == 60000
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("raw", ["", "abc", "0", "-5"])
-def test_metric_reader_rejects_bad_interval(monkeypatch, raw):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("raw", ["", "abc", "0", "-5", "nan", "inf", "-inf"])
+def test_metric_export_interval_rejects_bad_values(monkeypatch, raw):
+    """A bad value keeps the 5s default; ``inf`` in particular would start no export worker."""
     monkeypatch.setenv("OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL", raw)
-    reader = providers.build_metric_reader(OpenTelemetryV2Config(exporter="console"))
-    assert reader._export_interval_millis == 5000  # noqa: SLF001  # reader exposes no public accessor
+    assert providers.resolve_metric_export_interval_millis() == 5000
 
 
 def test_otlp_logs_endpoint_normalization():