diff --git a/litellm/proxy/auth/model_checks.py b/litellm/proxy/auth/model_checks.py
index de2ca4762f1..55b4670d14e 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/auth/model_checks.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/auth/model_checks.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from litellm.router import Router
 from litellm.router_utils.fallback_event_handlers import get_fallback_model_group
 from litellm.types.router import CredentialLiteLLMParams, LiteLLM_Params
 from litellm.types.utils import LlmProviders
-from litellm.utils import get_valid_models
+from litellm.utils import ProviderConfigManager, get_valid_models
 
 _CREDENTIAL_LITELLM_PARAM_FIELDS = set(CredentialLiteLLMParams.model_fields)
 
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ def _check_wildcard_routing(model: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def _provider_supports_model_discovery(provider: str) -> bool:
+    if provider in litellm.models_by_provider:
+        return True
+    try:
+        llm_provider: Final = LlmProviders(provider)
+    except ValueError:
+        return False
+    return ProviderConfigManager.get_provider_model_info(model=None, provider=llm_provider) is not None
+
+
 def get_provider_models(provider: str, litellm_params: LiteLLM_Params | None = None) -> list[str] | None:
     """
     Returns the list of known models by provider
@@ -42,7 +52,7 @@ def get_provider_models(provider: str, litellm_params: LiteLLM_Params | None = N
     if provider == "*":
         return get_valid_models(litellm_params=litellm_params)
 
-    if provider in litellm.models_by_provider:
+    if _provider_supports_model_discovery(provider):
         provider_models: Final = get_valid_models(custom_llm_provider=provider, litellm_params=litellm_params)
         return provider_models
     return None
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_model_checks.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_model_checks.py
index 36bfc4c5dd3..f580df2dad6 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_model_checks.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_model_checks.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, patch
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -432,6 +432,47 @@ def test_wildcard_credential_hydration_preserves_deployment_params(
     }
 
 
+def test_get_known_models_from_wildcard_hosted_vllm_uses_provider_endpoint():
+    import litellm
+    from litellm.proxy.auth.model_checks import get_known_models_from_wildcard
+    from litellm.types.router import LiteLLM_Params
+
+    response = MagicMock()
+    response.json.return_value = {
+        "data": [
+            {"id": "meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct"},
+            {"id": "qwen2.5"},
+        ]
+    }
+    original_check_provider_endpoint = litellm.check_provider_endpoint
+    try:
+        litellm.check_provider_endpoint = True  # test-quality-ok: required to exercise provider endpoint discovery
+        with (
+            patch("litellm.module_level_client.get", return_value=response),  # test-quality-ok: required HTTP boundary
+            patch(  # test-quality-ok: VLLM model listing has no injectable API key seam
+                "litellm.llms.vllm.common_utils.VLLMModelInfo.get_api_key",
+                return_value="test-key",
+            ),
+        ):
+            result = get_known_models_from_wildcard(
+                "hosted_vllm/*",
+                LiteLLM_Params(model="hosted_vllm/*", api_base="http://localhost:8000/v1"),
+            )
+    finally:
+        litellm.check_provider_endpoint = original_check_provider_endpoint  # test-quality-ok: restore test global
+
+    assert result == [
+        "hosted_vllm/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct",
+        "hosted_vllm/qwen2.5",
+    ]
+
+
+def test_get_known_models_from_wildcard_unknown_provider_returns_empty():
+    from litellm.proxy.auth.model_checks import get_known_models_from_wildcard
+
+    assert get_known_models_from_wildcard("not_a_real_provider/*") == []
+
+
 def test_wildcard_custom_prefix_does_not_stack_provider_prefix(monkeypatch):
     """Regression test for #30358.