diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-root-file-count.yml b/.github/workflows/check-root-file-count.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a862b1bfc75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-root-file-count.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+name: Check Root File Count
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - litellm_internal_staging
+      - litellm_oss_staging
+      - "litellm_**"
+  merge_group:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  check-root-file-count:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    env:
+      MAX_ROOT_FILES: "44"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@08eba0b27e820071cde6df949e0beb9ba4906955 # v4.3.0
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065 # v5.6.0
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+
+      - name: Check root file count
+        run: python scripts/check_root_file_count.py "$MAX_ROOT_FILES"
diff --git a/scripts/check_root_file_count.py b/scripts/check_root_file_count.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..630b388fd34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_root_file_count.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
+class RootFileCheck:
+    root_files: tuple[str, ...]
+    max_root_files: int
+
+    @property
+    def count(self) -> int:
+        return len(self.root_files)
+
+    @property
+    def within_limit(self) -> bool:
+        return self.count <= self.max_root_files
+
+
+def root_files_of(tracked_files: tuple[str, ...]) -> tuple[str, ...]:
+    return tuple(path for path in tracked_files if "/" not in path)
+
+
+def list_tracked_files() -> tuple[str, ...]:
+    completed = subprocess.run(
+        ["git", "ls-files", "-z"],
+        capture_output=True,
+        check=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    return tuple(path for path in completed.stdout.split("\0") if path)
+
+
+def report(check: RootFileCheck) -> str:
+    if check.within_limit:
+        return f"Root file count OK: {check.count} tracked file(s) <= limit {check.max_root_files}"
+    listing = "\n".join(f"  {path}" for path in sorted(check.root_files))
+    return (
+        f"::error::Too many files in the repository root: {check.count} tracked "
+        f"file(s), limit is {check.max_root_files}\n"
+        f"{listing}\n"
+        "Move new files into an appropriate subdirectory instead of the repo root. "
+        "If a new root file is genuinely required, raise MAX_ROOT_FILES in "
+        ".github/workflows/check-root-file-count.yml in the same PR so the bump is "
+        "reviewed"
+    )
+
+
+def main(argv: tuple[str, ...]) -> int:
+    max_root_files = int(argv[1])
+    check = RootFileCheck(
+        root_files=root_files_of(list_tracked_files()),
+        max_root_files=max_root_files,
+    )
+    print(report(check))
+    return 0 if check.within_limit else 1
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main(tuple(sys.argv)))
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_check_root_file_count.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_check_root_file_count.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..05808ced3f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_check_root_file_count.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+
+_MODULE_PATH = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "scripts" / "check_root_file_count.py"
+_spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("check_root_file_count", _MODULE_PATH)
+checker = importlib.util.module_from_spec(_spec)
+_spec.loader.exec_module(checker)
+
+
+def test_root_files_of_keeps_only_top_level_paths():
+    tracked = (
+        "README.md",
+        ".gitignore",
+        "litellm/main.py",
+        "scripts/check_root_file_count.py",
+        "docs/my-website/sidebars.js",
+    )
+    assert checker.root_files_of(tracked) == ("README.md", ".gitignore")
+
+
+def test_count_equal_to_limit_is_within_limit():
+    check = checker.RootFileCheck(root_files=("a", "b", "c"), max_root_files=3)
+    assert check.count == 3
+    assert check.within_limit is True
+
+
+def test_count_over_limit_fails_and_lists_offenders():
+    check = checker.RootFileCheck(root_files=("zzz.sh", "aaa.py", "bbb.json"), max_root_files=2)
+    assert check.within_limit is False
+    message = checker.report(check)
+    assert "::error::" in message
+    assert message.index("aaa.py") < message.index("bbb.json") < message.index("zzz.sh")
+    assert "MAX_ROOT_FILES" in message
+
+
+def test_report_ok_message_when_within_limit():
+    check = checker.RootFileCheck(root_files=("a", "b"), max_root_files=44)
+    message = checker.report(check)
+    assert "OK" in message
+    assert "::error::" not in message