diff --git a/test-quality-budget.json b/test-quality-budget.json
index db96156e4d9..ee33eb581d6 100644
--- a/test-quality-budget.json
+++ b/test-quality-budget.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "TQ001": {
-    "limit": 736
+    "limit": 733
   },
   "TQ002": {
     "limit": 742
diff --git a/tests/litellm_utils_tests/test_aiohttp_handler.py b/tests/litellm_utils_tests/test_aiohttp_handler.py
index 0257660611f..bd1e34ddb2f 100644
--- a/tests/litellm_utils_tests/test_aiohttp_handler.py
+++ b/tests/litellm_utils_tests/test_aiohttp_handler.py
@@ -1,93 +1,64 @@
 import asyncio
-import copy
-import time
-from datetime import datetime
-from unittest import mock
+import socket
+from typing import Final
 
+import aiohttp
 import httpx
-from aiohttp import ClientSession
-from dotenv import load_dotenv
-
-from litellm.types.utils import StandardCallbackDynamicParams
-
-load_dotenv()
-
 import pytest
+from aiohttp import ClientSession
 
-import litellm
 from litellm.llms.custom_httpx.aiohttp_transport import LiteLLMAiohttpTransport
 from litellm.llms.custom_httpx.http_handler import AsyncHTTPHandler
 
 
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_client_session_helper():
-    """Test that the client session helper handles event loop changes correctly"""
-    transport = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport()
-    assert isinstance(transport, LiteLLMAiohttpTransport)
+def _closed_local_port() -> int:
+    with socket.socket() as probe:
+        probe.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+        return probe.getsockname()[1]
 
-    session1 = transport._get_valid_client_session()
+
+async def test_client_session_helper() -> None:
+    transport: Final = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport()
+    assert isinstance(transport, LiteLLMAiohttpTransport)
+    session1: Final = transport._get_valid_client_session()
     assert isinstance(session1, ClientSession)
     assert session1.closed is False
     assert getattr(session1, "_loop") is asyncio.get_running_loop()
-
-    # Within the same event loop the valid session is reused, not rebuilt
-    session2 = transport._get_valid_client_session()
+    session2: Final = transport._get_valid_client_session()
     assert session2 is session1
-
     await session1.close()
 
 
-async def test_event_loop_robustness():
-    """Test behavior when event loops change (simulating CI/CD scenario)"""
-    transport = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport()
-
-    session = transport._get_valid_client_session()
+async def test_event_loop_robustness() -> None:
+    transport: Final = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport()
+    session: Final = transport._get_valid_client_session()
     assert isinstance(session, ClientSession)
-
-    # A closed session must be replaced with a live one bound to this loop
     await session.close()
-    session_after_close = transport._get_valid_client_session()
+    session_after_close: Final = transport._get_valid_client_session()
     assert isinstance(session_after_close, ClientSession)
     assert session_after_close is not session
     assert session_after_close.closed is False
-
-    # A client that is a factory rather than a session must also be rebuilt
-    transport.client = lambda: ClientSession()  # type: ignore[assignment]
-    session_after_factory = transport._get_valid_client_session()
+    transport.client = lambda: ClientSession()
+    session_after_factory: Final = transport._get_valid_client_session()
     assert isinstance(session_after_factory, ClientSession)
     assert session_after_factory is not session_after_close
     assert session_after_factory.closed is False
     assert transport.client is session_after_factory
-
     await session_after_close.close()
     await session_after_factory.close()
 
 
-async def test_httpx_request_simulation():
-    """Test that the transport can handle a simulated HTTP request"""
-    transport = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport(ssl_verify=False)
-    request = httpx.Request("GET", "https://httpbin.org/headers")
-
-    # The per-request SSL override the request path reads must reflect ssl_verify
-    assert transport._ssl_verify is False
-
-    session = transport._get_valid_client_session()
-    assert isinstance(session, ClientSession)
-    assert session.closed is False
-    assert callable(session.request)
-    assert session.connector is not None
-    assert session.connector._ssl is False
-
-    with mock.patch.object(
-        transport, "_make_aiohttp_request", new=mock.AsyncMock(side_effect=RuntimeError("boom"))
-    ) as mocked_request:
-        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("ssl_verify", "expected_ssl"), [(False, False), (None, True)])
+async def test_refused_connection_maps_to_httpx_connect_error(ssl_verify: bool | None, expected_ssl: bool) -> None:
+    transport: Final = AsyncHTTPHandler._create_aiohttp_transport(ssl_verify=ssl_verify)
+    port: Final = _closed_local_port()
+    request: Final = httpx.Request("GET", f"https://127.0.0.1:{port}/")
+    try:
+        with pytest.raises(httpx.ConnectError) as raised:
             await transport.handle_async_request(request)
-
-    assert mocked_request.call_count == 1
-    call_kwargs = mocked_request.call_args.kwargs
-    assert call_kwargs["request"] is request
-    assert call_kwargs["ssl_verify"] is False
-    assert call_kwargs["client_session"] is session
-
-    await session.close()
+    finally:
+        await transport._get_valid_client_session().close()
+    cause: Final = raised.value.__cause__
+    assert isinstance(cause, aiohttp.ClientConnectorError)
+    assert cause.ssl is expected_ssl
+    assert (cause.host, cause.port) == ("127.0.0.1", port)