diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index d4b5d3405d2..e0270122994 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -8957,7 +8957,8 @@ class Router:
             ptu_error: Final = (
                 (ptu_config_error(_model_info, model_name=_model_name) or identity_error) if config_sourced else None
             )
-            if ptu_error is not None and is_ptu_cost_attribution_enabled():
+            declares_split: Final = _model_info.get("ptu_shares") is not None
+            if ptu_error is not None and (declares_split or is_ptu_cost_attribution_enabled()):
                 raise ValueError(ptu_error)
             access_windows_error: Final = access_windows_config_error(_model_info, model_name=_model_name)
             if access_windows_error is not None:
diff --git a/litellm/router_utils/ptu_shares.py b/litellm/router_utils/ptu_shares.py
index 858e5260b54..938f3483a4e 100644
--- a/litellm/router_utils/ptu_shares.py
+++ b/litellm/router_utils/ptu_shares.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from collections.abc import Mapping, Sequence
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Final, Generic, TypeVar
 
-from litellm.litellm_core_utils.ptu_pricing import is_model_info_mapping, ptu_terms
+from litellm.litellm_core_utils.ptu_pricing import is_model_info_mapping, parsed_ptu_shares, ptu_terms
 from litellm.llms.azure.ptu_capacity import PTUCapacity, deployment_ptu_capacity, is_azure_deployment
 from litellm.router_utils.common_utils import team_may_use_deployment
 
@@ -36,17 +36,15 @@ class PTUShareFilterResult(Generic[_DeploymentT]):
 
 
 def _deployment_shares(deployment: Mapping[str, object]) -> Mapping[str, int] | None:
-    """The teams a deployment's capacity is split across, else None.
+    """The teams a deployment is declared split across, else None.
 
-    Only a map registration would accept counts, read through the same terms flat cost accrues
-    under, so a row that reached the table without its count, rate and start reserves nothing
-    instead of refusing every other team while charging nobody.
+    The declared map is the access rule on its own; the pricing terms are read separately, so a
+    split whose terms are missing still serves only the teams it names rather than everyone.
     """
     model_info: Final = deployment.get("model_info")
-    if not is_model_info_mapping(model_info) or model_info.get("ptu_shares") is None:
+    if not is_model_info_mapping(model_info):
         return None
-    terms: Final = ptu_terms(model_info)
-    return None if terms is None else terms.shares
+    return parsed_ptu_shares(model_info.get("ptu_shares"))
 
 
 def filter_ptu_shared_deployments(
diff --git a/tests/unit/router_utils/test_ptu_shares.py b/tests/unit/router_utils/test_ptu_shares.py
index ae4e26bac74..dfd41ac3050 100644
--- a/tests/unit/router_utils/test_ptu_shares.py
+++ b/tests/unit/router_utils/test_ptu_shares.py
@@ -90,14 +90,15 @@ _TERMLESS_SHARED: Final = {
 }
 
 
-def test_a_share_map_registration_would_refuse_reserves_nothing():
-    """Registration refuses ``ptu_shares`` without the count, rate and start they split, and a map
-    that does not add up to the count, so a row carrying either shape holds nobody's capacity:
-    every team is served from it and no ceiling applies, the same as before the map was read."""
-    short: Final = _shared(shares={"team-a": 30}, ptu_count=50)
-    for deployment in (_TERMLESS_SHARED, short):
-        assert filter_ptu_shared_deployments([deployment], "team-z").withheld is False
-        assert _unaliased_ceiling([deployment], "team-a", "gpt-4.1-ptu") is None
+def test_a_declared_split_is_the_access_rule_even_without_pricing_terms():
+    """A map that reached the router without the count, rate and start registration now demands
+    still names who the deployment is for, so it is served to those teams alone and sized from
+    their shares; only the flat cost, which needs the terms, goes unattributed."""
+    assert filter_ptu_shared_deployments([_TERMLESS_SHARED], "team-z").withheld is True
+    assert filter_ptu_shared_deployments([_TERMLESS_SHARED], "team-a").withheld is False
+    ceiling: Final = _unaliased_ceiling([_TERMLESS_SHARED], "team-a", "gpt-4.1-ptu")
+    assert ceiling is not None
+    assert ceiling.tpm_limit == 30 * _GPT41.input_tpm_per_ptu
 
 
 def test_a_team_is_served_from_its_shared_deployment_first_and_never_from_another_teams_reservation():
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_router/test_router.py b/tests/unit/test_router/test_router.py
index b61aea30b67..324c4585188 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_router/test_router.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_router/test_router.py
@@ -18845,6 +18845,16 @@ def test_a_shared_ptu_deployment_whose_shares_do_not_add_up_is_refused_at_regist
         Router(model_list=model_list)
 
 
+def test_a_config_entry_declaring_shares_without_terms_is_refused_even_while_the_feature_is_off(monkeypatch):
+    """The split is enforced with the flag off, so its shape is checked with the flag off too: a
+    malformed one is refused at boot instead of being honoured or ignored without a word."""
+    monkeypatch.delenv("LITELLM_ENABLE_PTU_COST_ATTRIBUTION", raising=False)
+    model_list = _shared_ptu_model_list()[:1]
+    model_list[0]["model_info"] = {"id": "shared-deployment", "ptu_shares": {"team-a": 30, "team-b": 20}}
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"ptu_count and cost_per_ptu_per_hour are required when ptu_shares is set"):
+        Router(model_list=model_list)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "verdict",