diff --git a/packaging/homebrew/README.md b/packaging/homebrew/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ef441ded304
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/homebrew/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Homebrew formula for the `lite` CLI
+
+[`lite.rb`](./lite.rb) is the canonical source for the Homebrew formula that installs the thin LiteLLM CLI (`litellm[cli]`). It lives here so it is versioned with the code, but Homebrew serves formulae from a tap, so it has to be published to the `BerriAI/homebrew-litellm` tap to be installable.
+
+Once published, end users install with
+
+```shell
+brew install BerriAI/litellm/lite
+```
+
+which gives them the `lite` command (`lite login`, `lite claude`, `lite models list`, ...) without the proxy server runtime. For the full proxy server, they keep using pip/uv with `litellm[proxy]` or the Docker image.
+
+## Why a tap and not homebrew-core
+
+The formula builds the published `litellm` sdist with the `cli` extra and resolves that extra's dependencies from PyPI at build time. homebrew-core forbids network access during `install` and would require every transitive dependency declared as a pinned `resource`, regenerated on each release. For a fast-moving CLI that tradeoff is not worth it, so this stays a tap formula.
+
+## Release runbook
+
+The formula can only point at a published artifact, so it activates with the first `litellm` release that ships the `cli` extra (added in [pyproject.toml](../../pyproject.toml)).
+
+1. Cut a `litellm` release whose `pyproject.toml` includes the `cli` extra and confirm it is on PyPI.
+2. Fetch the sdist URL and checksum for that version: `curl -fsSL https://pypi.org/pypi/litellm/<version>/json | jq -r '.urls[] | select(.packagetype=="sdist") | "\(.url)\n\(.digests.sha256)"'`
+3. Set `url` and `sha256` in `lite.rb` to those values; `version` is parsed from `url`.
+4. Copy `lite.rb` into the tap repo under `Formula/lite.rb`, then run `brew install --build-from-source ./Formula/lite.rb` and `brew test lite` to verify a clean build and that `lite --help` works.
+5. Commit and push to `BerriAI/homebrew-litellm`.
+
+Keep `lite.rb` here in sync with the tap copy so the in-repo formula stays the source of truth.
diff --git a/packaging/homebrew/lite.rb b/packaging/homebrew/lite.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d0d61bb5b43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/homebrew/lite.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# Homebrew formula for the thin LiteLLM `lite` CLI (litellm[cli]).
+#
+# Ships in the BerriAI/homebrew-litellm tap, not homebrew-core: it builds the
+# published litellm sdist with the `cli` extra into a dedicated virtualenv and
+# pulls the extra's deps from PyPI. That is the low-maintenance path for a
+# fast-moving Python CLI; the resource-stanza alternative would need every
+# transitive dep re-pinned with a fresh sha256 on each release.
+#
+# RELEASE STEP (see README.md in this directory): point `url` + `sha256` at the
+# PyPI sdist of the first litellm version that ships the `cli` extra. `version`
+# is parsed from `url`, and the build installs exactly that version, so the three
+# stay in lockstep automatically.
+class Lite < Formula
+  include Language::Python::Virtualenv
+
+  desc "Thin client for the LiteLLM proxy: lite login, lite claude/codex/opencode"
+  homepage "https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/proxy/management_cli"
+  url "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/source/l/litellm/litellm-REPLACE_AT_RELEASE.tar.gz"
+  sha256 "REPLACE_AT_RELEASE"
+  license "MIT"
+
+  depends_on "python@3.13"
+
+  def install
+    virtualenv_create(libexec, "python3.13")
+    system libexec/"bin/pip", "install", "#{buildpath}[cli]"
+    bin.install_symlink libexec/"bin/lite"
+  end
+
+  test do
+    assert_match "login", shell_output("#{bin}/lite --help")
+  end
+end
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 019769d8c72..77ea0f0473f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ proxy = [
     "pyroscope-io>=0.8.16,<1.0; sys_platform != 'win32'",
     "pydantic-settings>=2.14.1,<3.0",
 ]
+# Thin client install for the `lite` CLI on developer laptops. The CLI's heavy
+# imports (fastapi, cryptography, ...) are all guarded, so it runs on the base
+# SDK plus just these three; none of the server runtime in `proxy` is pulled in.
+cli = [
+    "rich>=13.9.4,<14.0",
+    "pyyaml>=6.0.3,<7.0",
+    "requests>=2.32.0,<3.0",
+]
 extra_proxy = [
     "prisma>=0.11.0,<1.0",
     "azure-identity>=1.25.2,<2.0",
diff --git a/scripts/install-cli.sh b/scripts/install-cli.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..4842bd9c016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install-cli.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# LiteLLM CLI Installer (the thin `lite` client)
+# Usage: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/BerriAI/litellm/main/scripts/install-cli.sh | sh
+#
+# Installs only litellm[cli]: the `lite` command for authenticating to a LiteLLM
+# proxy and running coding agents (lite claude / codex / opencode) through it.
+# None of the proxy server runtime is pulled in. To run a proxy server instead,
+# use scripts/install.sh, which installs litellm[proxy].
+#
+# Needs only curl: uv is bootstrapped if missing, and uv provisions a compatible
+# Python itself (honouring litellm's requires-python), downloading a managed one
+# when the host has no suitable interpreter.
+#
+# NOTE: set -e without pipefail for POSIX sh compatibility (dash on Ubuntu/Debian
+# ignores the shebang when invoked as `sh` and does not support `pipefail`).
+set -eu
+
+# NOTE: before merging, this must stay as "litellm[cli]" to install from PyPI.
+LITELLM_PACKAGE="litellm[cli]"
+UV_VERSION="0.10.9"
+
+# ── colours ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+if [ -t 1 ]; then
+  BOLD='\033[1m'
+  GREEN='\033[38;2;78;186;101m'
+  GREY='\033[38;2;153;153;153m'
+  RESET='\033[0m'
+else
+  BOLD='' GREEN='' GREY='' RESET=''
+fi
+
+info()    { printf "${GREY}  %s${RESET}\n" "$*"; }
+success() { printf "${GREEN}  ✔ %s${RESET}\n" "$*"; }
+header()  { printf "${BOLD}  %s${RESET}\n" "$*"; }
+die()     { printf "\n  Error: %s\n\n" "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+# ── banner ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+cat << 'EOF'
+  ██╗     ██╗████████╗███████╗
+  ██║     ██║╚══██╔══╝██╔════╝
+  ██║     ██║   ██║   █████╗
+  ██║     ██║   ██║   ██╔══╝
+  ███████╗██║   ██║   ███████╗
+  ╚══════╝╚═╝   ╚═╝   ╚══════╝
+EOF
+printf "  ${BOLD}LiteLLM CLI Installer${RESET}  ${GREY}the thin 'lite' client for your proxy${RESET}\n\n"
+
+# ── OS detection ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+OS="$(uname -s)"
+ARCH="$(uname -m)"
+
+case "$OS" in
+  Darwin)  PLATFORM="macOS ($ARCH)" ;;
+  Linux)   PLATFORM="Linux ($ARCH)" ;;
+  *)       die "Unsupported OS: $OS. LiteLLM supports macOS and Linux." ;;
+esac
+
+info "Platform: $PLATFORM"
+
+# ── uv detection / install ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+UV_BIN=""
+CURRENT_UV_VERSION=""
+for candidate in uv "$HOME/.local/bin/uv"; do
+  if command -v "$candidate" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    UV_BIN="$(command -v "$candidate")"
+    break
+  elif [ -x "$candidate" ]; then
+    UV_BIN="$candidate"
+    break
+  fi
+done
+
+if [ -n "$UV_BIN" ]; then
+  CURRENT_UV_VERSION="$("$UV_BIN" --version 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $2}' | head -1 || true)"
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$UV_BIN" ] || [ "${CURRENT_UV_VERSION:-}" != "$UV_VERSION" ]; then
+  header "Installing uv…"
+  if [ -n "${CURRENT_UV_VERSION:-}" ]; then
+    info "Upgrading uv from ${CURRENT_UV_VERSION} to ${UV_VERSION}"
+  fi
+  curl -LsSf "https://astral.sh/uv/${UV_VERSION}/install.sh" | env UV_NO_MODIFY_PATH=1 sh \
+    || die "uv installation failed. Try manually: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/${UV_VERSION}/install.sh | sh"
+  UV_BIN="$HOME/.local/bin/uv"
+fi
+
+# ── install ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# No --python: uv selects an interpreter that satisfies litellm's requires-python
+# and downloads a managed one when the host has none, so a too-old (3.9) or
+# too-new (3.14+) system Python is skipped instead of causing a resolve failure.
+echo ""
+header "Installing litellm[cli]…"
+echo ""
+
+"$UV_BIN" tool install --force "${LITELLM_PACKAGE}" \
+  || die "uv tool install failed. Try manually: $UV_BIN tool install '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
+
+# ── find the lite binary installed by uv tool ──────────────────────────────
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$("$UV_BIN" tool dir --bin)"
+LITE_BIN="${SCRIPTS_DIR}/lite"
+
+if [ ! -x "$LITE_BIN" ]; then
+  die "lite binary not found after install. Try: $UV_BIN tool install '${LITELLM_PACKAGE}'"
+fi
+
+# ── success banner ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+success "LiteLLM CLI installed"
+
+installed_ver="$("$LITE_BIN" --version 2>&1 | grep -oE '[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+' | head -1 || true)"
+[ -n "$installed_ver" ] && info "Version: $installed_ver"
+
+# ── PATH hint ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+if ! command -v lite >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  info "Note: add lite to your PATH:  export PATH=\"\$PATH:${SCRIPTS_DIR}\""
+fi
+
+# ── next steps ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+echo ""
+header "Next steps:"
+echo ""
+info "  export LITELLM_PROXY_URL=https://your-proxy   # point at your gateway"
+info "  lite login                                    # authenticate via SSO"
+info "  lite claude                                   # run Claude Code through the proxy"
+echo ""
+info "Docs: https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/proxy/management_cli"
+echo ""
diff --git a/tests/local_testing/test_basic_python_version.py b/tests/local_testing/test_basic_python_version.py
index 8308e0d6033..e31c3953714 100644
--- a/tests/local_testing/test_basic_python_version.py
+++ b/tests/local_testing/test_basic_python_version.py
@@ -92,6 +92,56 @@ def test_package_dependencies():
         )
 
 
+def test_cli_extra_is_a_thin_client_install():
+    """The `cli` extra must install a working `lite` client without dragging in the
+    proxy server runtime. It therefore has to declare the CLI's real third-party
+    deps (rich, pyyaml, requests) and must never contain a server-only dependency
+    from the `proxy` extra; a leak there silently re-bloats the laptop install.
+    """
+    import pathlib
+
+    import litellm
+    from packaging.requirements import Requirement
+
+    try:
+        import tomllib as tomli
+    except ImportError:
+        try:
+            import tomli
+        except ImportError:
+            pytest.skip("tomli/tomllib not available - skipping dependency check")
+
+    pyproject_path = pathlib.Path(litellm.__file__).parent.parent / "pyproject.toml"
+    with open(pyproject_path, "rb") as f:
+        optional_deps = tomli.load(f)["project"]["optional-dependencies"]
+
+    assert "cli" in optional_deps, "Expected a `cli` extra for the thin lite install"
+
+    cli_names = {Requirement(req).name.lower() for req in optional_deps["cli"]}
+
+    missing = {"rich", "pyyaml", "requests"} - cli_names
+    assert not missing, f"`cli` extra is missing deps the lite CLI imports: {missing}"
+
+    server_only = {
+        "fastapi",
+        "uvicorn",
+        "gunicorn",
+        "granian",
+        "starlette",
+        "boto3",
+        "polars",
+        "soundfile",
+        "mcp",
+        "cryptography",
+        "apscheduler",
+        "rq",
+        "litellm-enterprise",
+        "litellm-proxy-extras",
+    }
+    leaked = cli_names & server_only
+    assert not leaked, f"`cli` extra leaks proxy-server deps onto laptops: {leaked}"
+
+
 import os
 import subprocess
 import time
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index db2c5cbb72a..6626c9840e2 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ resolution-markers = [
 ]
 
 [options]
-exclude-newer = "2026-05-28T03:32:27.927695Z"
+exclude-newer = "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z" # This has no effect and is included for backwards compatibility when using relative exclude-newer values.
 exclude-newer-span = "P3D"
 
 [manifest]
@@ -3297,6 +3297,11 @@ dependencies = [
 caching = [
     { name = "diskcache" },
 ]
+cli = [
+    { name = "pyyaml" },
+    { name = "requests" },
+    { name = "rich" },
+]
 extra-proxy = [
     { name = "a2a-sdk" },
     { name = "azure-identity" },
@@ -3528,10 +3533,13 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pyroscope-io", marker = "sys_platform != 'win32' and extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=0.8.16,<1.0" },
     { name = "python-dotenv", specifier = ">=1.0.0,<2.0" },
     { name = "python-multipart", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=0.0.27,<1.0" },
+    { name = "pyyaml", marker = "extra == 'cli'", specifier = ">=6.0.3,<7.0" },
     { name = "pyyaml", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=6.0.3,<7.0" },
     { name = "redisvl", marker = "python_full_version < '3.14' and extra == 'extra-proxy'", specifier = ">=0.4.1,<1.0" },
+    { name = "requests", marker = "extra == 'cli'", specifier = ">=2.32.0,<3.0" },
     { name = "resend", marker = "extra == 'extra-proxy'", specifier = ">=2.23.0,<3.0" },
     { name = "restrictedpython", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=8.1,<9.0" },
+    { name = "rich", marker = "extra == 'cli'", specifier = ">=13.9.4,<14.0" },
     { name = "rich", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=13.9.4,<14.0" },
     { name = "rq", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=2.7.0,<3.0" },
     { name = "semantic-router", marker = "python_full_version < '3.14' and extra == 'semantic-router'", specifier = ">=0.1.15,<1.0" },
@@ -3545,7 +3553,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "uvloop", marker = "sys_platform != 'win32' and extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=0.21.0,<1.0" },
     { name = "websockets", marker = "extra == 'proxy'", specifier = ">=15.0.1,<16.0" },
 ]
-provides-extras = ["proxy", "extra-proxy", "utils", "caching", "semantic-router", "mlflow", "grpc", "stt-nvidia-riva", "google", "proxy-runtime"]
+provides-extras = ["proxy", "cli", "extra-proxy", "utils", "caching", "semantic-router", "mlflow", "grpc", "stt-nvidia-riva", "google", "proxy-runtime"]
 
 [package.metadata.requires-dev]
 ci = [