diff --git a/litellm/utils.py b/litellm/utils.py
index a231644addf..97df6b25c96 100644
--- a/litellm/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/utils.py
@@ -11079,9 +11079,7 @@ def get_requester_metadata(metadata: Mapping[str, object]):
 
     requester_metadata: Final = metadata.get("requester_metadata")
     if isinstance(requester_metadata, dict):
-        cleaned_metadata = add_openai_metadata(requester_metadata)
-        if cleaned_metadata:
-            return cleaned_metadata
+        return add_openai_metadata(requester_metadata) or None
 
     cleaned_metadata = add_openai_metadata(metadata)
     if cleaned_metadata:
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/test_litellm_pre_call_utils.py b/tests/unit/proxy/test_litellm_pre_call_utils.py
index 81a196af676..c79f8dd6749 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/test_litellm_pre_call_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/test_litellm_pre_call_utils.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ from litellm.proxy.litellm_pre_call_utils import (
 from litellm.proxy.spend_tracking.spend_tracking_utils import get_logging_payload
 from litellm.types.litellm_params import AGENTIC_LOOP_KWARG_NAMES
 from litellm.types.utils import CredentialItem
+from litellm.utils import get_requester_metadata
 
 
 def test_check_if_token_is_service_account():
@@ -276,6 +277,43 @@ async def test_add_litellm_data_to_request_keeps_requester_ip_address_for_guardr
     assert updated_data["metadata"]["requester_ip_address"] == "203.0.113.9"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "data, expected",
+    (
+        ({"model": "gpt-4o"}, None),
+        ({"model": "gpt-4o", "metadata": {"team": "search"}}, {"team": "search"}),
+    ),
+)
+async def test_proxy_forwards_only_caller_metadata_to_openai(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, data: dict[str, object], expected: dict[str, str] | None
+) -> None:
+    from litellm.proxy import proxy_server
+
+    settings: Final = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server, "general_settings", settings)
+    request_mock: Final = MagicMock(spec=Request)
+    request_mock.url = MagicMock()
+    request_mock.url.path = "/v1/chat/completions"
+    request_mock.url.__str__.return_value = "http://localhost/v1/chat/completions"
+    request_mock.method = "POST"
+    request_mock.query_params = {}
+    request_mock.headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "user-agent": "test-agent"}
+    request_mock.client = MagicMock()
+    request_mock.client.host = "127.0.0.1"
+
+    updated_data: Final = await add_litellm_data_to_request(
+        data=data,
+        request=request_mock,
+        user_api_key_dict=UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed-key", user_id="u1"),
+        proxy_config=MagicMock(),
+        general_settings=settings,
+        version="test-version",
+    )
+
+    assert get_requester_metadata(updated_data["metadata"]) == expected, f"metadata={updated_data['metadata']!r}"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_key_otel_service_name_outranks_team_metadata_merge():
     from litellm.proxy.litellm_pre_call_utils import add_litellm_data_to_request
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_utils_get_optional_params.py b/tests/unit/test_utils_get_optional_params.py
index 13a64577efb..3881cda8931 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_utils_get_optional_params.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_utils_get_optional_params.py
@@ -57,6 +57,20 @@ def test_get_requester_metadata_returns_none_for_empty():
     assert get_requester_metadata(metadata) is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("metadata", "expected"),
+    [
+        ({"user_api_key_hash": "h", "requester_metadata": {"headers": {"host": "proxy"}}}, None),
+        ({"user_api_key_hash": "h", "requester_metadata": {"team": "a"}}, {"team": "a"}),
+        ({"team": "a"}, {"team": "a"}),
+    ],
+)
+def test_get_requester_metadata_forwards_only_caller_metadata(
+    metadata: dict[str, object], expected: dict[str, str] | None
+) -> None:
+    assert get_requester_metadata(metadata) == expected
+
+
 @patch("litellm.main.openai_chat_completions.completion")
 def test_requester_metadata_forwarded_to_openai(mock_completion):
     mock_completion.return_value = MagicMock()