diff --git a/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py b/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
index 359bb944546..7ae906e7a7d 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
@@ -75,6 +75,23 @@ db_cache_expiry = DEFAULT_IN_MEMORY_TTL  # refresh every 5s
 
 all_routes = LiteLLMRoutes.openai_routes.value + LiteLLMRoutes.management_routes.value
 
+def _log_budget_lookup_failure(entity: str, error: Exception) -> None:
+    """
+    Log a warning when budget lookup fails; cache will not be populated.
+
+    Adds a schema migration hint when the error appears schema-related.
+    """
+    err_str = str(error).lower()
+    hint = ""
+    if any(
+        x in err_str
+        for x in ("column", "schema", "does not exist", "prisma", "migrate")
+    ):
+        hint = " Run `prisma db push` or `prisma migrate deploy` to fix schema mismatches."
+    verbose_proxy_logger.error(
+        f"Budget lookup failed for {entity}; cache will not be populated. "
+        f"Each request will hit the database. Error: {error}.{hint}"
+    )
 
 def _is_model_cost_zero(
     model: Optional[Union[str, List[str]]], llm_router: Optional[Router]
@@ -1208,6 +1225,7 @@ async def get_user_object(
 
         return _response
     except Exception as e:  # if user not in db
+        _log_budget_lookup_failure("user", e)
         raise ValueError(
             f"User doesn't exist in db. 'user_id'={user_id}. Create user via `/user/new` call. Got error - {e}"
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_auth_checks.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_auth_checks.py
index ebcd9676129..7ca3696302a 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_auth_checks.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_auth_checks.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from litellm.proxy.auth.auth_checks import (
     _can_object_call_vector_stores,
     _get_fuzzy_user_object,
     _get_team_db_check,
+    _log_budget_lookup_failure,
     _virtual_key_max_budget_alert_check,
     _virtual_key_soft_budget_check,
     get_user_object,
@@ -273,6 +274,19 @@ async def test_default_internal_user_params_with_get_user_object(monkeypatch):
     assert creation_args["user_role"] == "internal_user"
 
 
+def test_log_budget_lookup_failure_dry_run():
+    """Dry run: verify _log_budget_lookup_failure logs without raising."""
+    with patch("litellm.proxy.auth.auth_checks.verbose_proxy_logger") as mock_logger:
+        err = Exception("column 'policies' does not exist in prisma schema")
+        _log_budget_lookup_failure("user", err)
+        mock_logger.error.assert_called_once()
+        call_msg = mock_logger.error.call_args[0][0]
+        assert "user" in call_msg
+        assert "cache will not be populated" in call_msg
+        assert "policies" in call_msg or "prisma" in call_msg
+        assert "prisma db push" in call_msg
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @patch("litellm.proxy.management_endpoints.team_endpoints.new_team", new_callable=AsyncMock)
 async def test_get_team_db_check_calls_new_team_on_upsert(mock_new_team, monkeypatch):