diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/host-python/src/marshal.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/host-python/src/marshal.rs
index 53f11d8c40a..ae9066379ae 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/host-python/src/marshal.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/host-python/src/marshal.rs
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ pub fn to_py<T>(py: Python<'_>, value: &T) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>>
 where
     T: Serialize + ?Sized,
 {
-    pythonize::pythonize(py, value)
-        .map(Bound::unbind)
-        .map_err(PyErr::from)
+    Pythonized(value).into_pyobject(py).map(Bound::unbind)
 }
 
 pub fn json_object_field(py: Python<'_>, document: &str, name: &str) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>> {
@@ -114,13 +112,19 @@ mod tests {
         });
     }
 
-    #[test]
-    fn pythonized_maps_serializer_panics_to_a_base_exception() {
+    #[rstest::rstest]
+    #[case::wrapped(false)]
+    #[case::direct(true)]
+    fn output_conversion_maps_serializer_panics_to_a_base_exception(#[case] direct: bool) {
         crate::initialize_python();
         Python::attach(|py| {
-            let error = Pythonized(PanickingSerializer)
-                .into_pyobject(py)
-                .expect_err("serializer panic should become a Python exception");
+            let error = if direct {
+                to_py(py, &PanickingSerializer).unwrap_err()
+            } else {
+                Pythonized(PanickingSerializer)
+                    .into_pyobject(py)
+                    .unwrap_err()
+            };
             assert!(error.is_instance_of::<PanicException>(py));
             assert_eq!(error.to_string(), "PanicException: serializer panicked");
         });
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/marshal.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/marshal.rs
index d1d0e5ff270..df15a9591a1 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/marshal.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/marshal.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use litellm_auth::InputSource;
-use litellm_host_python::{from_py, from_py_argument};
+use litellm_host_python::{from_py, from_py_argument, to_py};
 use pyo3::{exceptions::PyValueError, prelude::*, types::PyDict};
-use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
+use serde::{Serialize, de::DeserializeOwned};
 use serde_json::{Map, Value};
 
 /// The keyword arguments every value route shares, validated at the Python boundary.
@@ -102,20 +102,35 @@ pub(crate) fn value_route_options(fields: &Bound<'_, PyDict>) -> PyResult<RouteO
     })
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn project_optional_fields(
-    kwargs: &Bound<'_, PyDict>,
-    names: &[&str],
+/// Builds a route's optional body fields from the caller's Python arguments, in `names` order.
+/// `lookup` decides what counts as unset: a name it returns `None` for is left out of the map.
+pub(crate) fn project_optional_fields<'a, 'py>(
+    names: impl IntoIterator<Item = &'a str>,
+    lookup: impl Fn(&str) -> PyResult<Option<Bound<'py, PyAny>>>,
 ) -> PyResult<Map<String, Value>> {
     names
-        .iter()
-        .filter_map(|name| match kwargs.get_item(name) {
-            Ok(Some(value)) => Some(from_py(&value).map(|value| ((*name).to_string(), value))),
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter_map(|name| match lookup(name) {
+            Ok(Some(value)) => Some(from_py(&value).map(|value| (name.to_string(), value))),
             Ok(None) => None,
             Err(error) => Some(Err(error)),
         })
         .collect()
 }
 
+/// Converts a Rust route response to Python and returns `module.response(...)` called on it,
+/// so each route's Python factory builds the public LiteLLM response object.
+pub(crate) fn public_response(
+    py: Python<'_>,
+    module: &str,
+    response: &(impl Serialize + ?Sized),
+) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>> {
+    py.import(module)?
+        .getattr("response")?
+        .call1((to_py(py, response)?,))
+        .map(Bound::unbind)
+}
+
 struct RequestFieldSources<'py> {
     body: Option<Bound<'py, PyAny>>,
     credentials: Option<Bound<'py, PyAny>>,
@@ -183,6 +198,7 @@ pub(crate) fn marshal_headers(headers: Option<Value>) -> PyResult<HashMap<String
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use pyo3::exceptions::PyTypeError;
+    use rstest::rstest;
     use serde_json::json;
 
     use super::*;
@@ -193,6 +209,178 @@ mod tests {
         locals
     }
 
+    #[rstest]
+    #[case::keep_none(false)]
+    #[case::skip_none(true)]
+    fn selected_fields_preserve_lookup_order_and_caller_none_policy(#[case] skip_none: bool) {
+        Python::initialize();
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let locals = eval(
+                py,
+                c"
+reads = []
+fields = {'first': {'future': [None, True, 2]}, 'second': None, 'unused': object()}
+def lookup(name):
+    reads.append(name)
+    if name == 'first':
+        fields['last'] = 'observed after first'
+    return fields.get(name)
+",
+            );
+            let lookup = locals.get_item("lookup").unwrap().unwrap();
+            let result = project_optional_fields(["first", "second", "last"], |name| {
+                let value = lookup.call1((name,))?;
+                Ok((!skip_none || !value.is_none()).then_some(value))
+            })
+            .unwrap();
+            let expected = if skip_none {
+                json!({"first": {"future": [null, true, 2]}, "last": "observed after first"})
+            } else {
+                json!({"first": {"future": [null, true, 2]}, "second": null, "last": "observed after first"})
+            };
+            assert_eq!(Value::Object(result), expected);
+            assert_eq!(
+                locals
+                    .get_item("reads")
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .extract::<Vec<String>>()
+                    .unwrap(),
+                ["first", "second", "last"]
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[rstest]
+    fn selected_field_failure_stops_lookup_and_keeps_python_provenance() {
+        Python::initialize();
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let locals = eval(
+                py,
+                c"
+reads = []
+failure = LookupError('selected field failed')
+cause = ValueError('cause')
+def lookup(name):
+    reads.append(name)
+    raise failure from cause
+",
+            );
+            let lookup = locals.get_item("lookup").unwrap().unwrap();
+            let error =
+                project_optional_fields(["first", "later"], |name| lookup.call1((name,)).map(Some))
+                    .unwrap_err();
+            assert!(
+                error
+                    .value(py)
+                    .is(locals.get_item("failure").unwrap().unwrap())
+            );
+            assert!(
+                error
+                    .cause(py)
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .value(py)
+                    .is(locals.get_item("cause").unwrap().unwrap())
+            );
+            assert!(error.traceback(py).is_some());
+            assert_eq!(
+                locals
+                    .get_item("reads")
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .extract::<Vec<String>>()
+                    .unwrap(),
+                ["first"]
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[rstest]
+    #[case::lookup_failure(false)]
+    #[case::factory_failure(true)]
+    fn public_response_resolves_factory_before_serializing_and_keeps_its_errors(
+        #[case] factory: bool,
+    ) {
+        struct Observed<'a>(&'a std::cell::Cell<bool>);
+
+        impl Serialize for Observed<'_> {
+            fn serialize<S: serde::Serializer>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error> {
+                self.0.set(true);
+                json!({"future": [null, true]}).serialize(serializer)
+            }
+        }
+
+        Python::initialize();
+        Python::attach(|py| {
+            let module_name = if factory {
+                "bridge_response_conversion_test_factory"
+            } else {
+                "bridge_response_conversion_test_lookup"
+            };
+            let locals = eval(
+                py,
+                c"
+import types
+failure = LookupError('response failed')
+cause = ValueError('cause')
+received = []
+def fail(name):
+    raise failure from cause
+def response(value):
+    received.append(value)
+    return fail('response')
+module = types.ModuleType('bridge_response_conversion_test')
+module.__getattr__ = fail
+",
+            );
+            py.import("sys")
+                .unwrap()
+                .getattr("modules")
+                .unwrap()
+                .set_item(module_name, locals.get_item("module").unwrap().unwrap())
+                .unwrap();
+            if factory {
+                locals
+                    .get_item("module")
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .setattr("response", locals.get_item("response").unwrap().unwrap())
+                    .unwrap();
+            }
+            let serialized = std::cell::Cell::new(false);
+            let error = public_response(py, module_name, &Observed(&serialized)).unwrap_err();
+            assert_eq!(serialized.get(), factory);
+            assert!(
+                error
+                    .value(py)
+                    .is(locals.get_item("failure").unwrap().unwrap())
+            );
+            assert!(
+                error
+                    .cause(py)
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .value(py)
+                    .is(locals.get_item("cause").unwrap().unwrap())
+            );
+            assert!(error.traceback(py).is_some());
+            let received: Value = from_py(&locals.get_item("received").unwrap().unwrap()).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(
+                received,
+                if factory {
+                    json!([{"future": [null, true]}])
+                } else {
+                    json!([])
+                }
+            );
+            py.import("sys")
+                .unwrap()
+                .getattr("modules")
+                .unwrap()
+                .del_item(module_name)
+                .unwrap();
+        });
+    }
+
     fn sources(
         py: Python<'_>,
         proxy: &Bound<'_, PyAny>,
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/inference.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/inference.rs
index ed18ed659b9..28025b80b0f 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/inference.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/inference.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use litellm_core_utils::get_llm_provider_logic::get_custom_llm_provider;
-use litellm_host_python::{from_py, lookup, to_py};
+use litellm_host_python::{from_py, lookup};
 use litellm_http::transport::Error as TransportError;
 use litellm_inference::RouteError;
 use pyo3::{exceptions::PyValueError, prelude::*, types::PyDict};
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ use serde_json::{Map, Value};
 
 use crate::{
     errors::{RustUpstreamError, route_error_to_pyerr},
-    marshal::{RouteOptions, optional_timeout, python_timeout_seconds},
+    marshal::{
+        RouteOptions, optional_timeout, project_optional_fields, public_response,
+        python_timeout_seconds,
+    },
 };
 
 pub(super) struct InferenceHost {
@@ -105,21 +108,13 @@ impl InferenceHost {
         arguments: &Bound<'_, PyDict>,
     ) -> PyResult<Map<String, Value>> {
         let names: Vec<String> = py.import(self.module)?.getattr("PARAMETERS")?.extract()?;
-        names
-            .iter()
-            .filter_map(|name| match self.argument(py, arguments, name) {
-                Ok(Some(value)) => Some(from_py(&value).map(|value| (name.clone(), value))),
-                Ok(None) => None,
-                Err(error) => Some(Err(error)),
-            })
-            .collect()
+        project_optional_fields(names.iter().map(String::as_str), |name| {
+            self.argument(py, arguments, name)
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn response(&self, py: Python<'_>, response: &impl Serialize) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>> {
-        py.import(self.module)?
-            .getattr("response")?
-            .call1((to_py(py, response)?,))
-            .map(Bound::unbind)
+        public_response(py, self.module, response)
     }
 
     pub fn error(&self, py: Python<'_>, error: RouteError) -> PyResult<PyErr> {
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/messages/host.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/messages/host.rs
index 0271e744b5c..bde1cc7269c 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/messages/host.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/messages/host.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use serde_json::{Map, Value};
 
 use crate::{
     errors::{RustUpstreamError, route_error_to_pyerr},
-    marshal::{optional_timeout, python_timeout_seconds},
+    marshal::{optional_timeout, project_optional_fields, public_response, python_timeout_seconds},
 };
 
 const ROUTE_HOST_MODULE: &str = "litellm.rust_bridge.messages.route_host";
@@ -116,14 +116,7 @@ impl MessagesPythonHost {
         let model = string("model")?.ok_or_else(|| PyValueError::new_err("model is required"))?;
         let messages =
             argument("messages")?.ok_or_else(|| PyValueError::new_err("messages is required"))?;
-        let fields = BODY_FIELDS
-            .iter()
-            .filter_map(|name| match argument(name) {
-                Ok(Some(value)) => Some(from_py(&value).map(|value| ((*name).to_string(), value))),
-                Ok(None) => None,
-                Err(error) => Some(Err(error)),
-            })
-            .collect::<PyResult<Vec<(String, Value)>>>()?;
+        let fields = project_optional_fields(BODY_FIELDS, argument)?;
         let body = [
             ("model".to_string(), Value::String(model.clone())),
             ("messages".to_string(), from_py(&messages)?),
@@ -256,10 +249,7 @@ impl PythonBinding for MessagesPythonHost {
         py: Python<'_>,
         response: Box<litellm_llms_types::formats::messages::MessagesResponse>,
     ) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>> {
-        py.import(ROUTE_HOST_MODULE)?
-            .getattr("response")?
-            .call1((to_py(py, response.as_ref())?,))
-            .map(Bound::unbind)
+        public_response(py, ROUTE_HOST_MODULE, response.as_ref())
     }
 
     fn encode_stream_head(
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/host.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/host.rs
index ed61b93a224..7ddaba70937 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/host.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/host.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use litellm_auth::ResolvedCredential;
-use litellm_host_python::{InvokeError, PythonBinding, missing_state, to_py};
+use litellm_host_python::{InvokeError, PythonBinding, missing_state};
 use litellm_host_python::{PythonHostCalls, PythonOwned};
 use litellm_inference_ocr::route::{Ocr, OcrCall, OcrOp};
 use litellm_llms::base_llm::ocr::error::Error;
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use super::{
     errors::to_pyerr as ocr_error_to_pyerr,
     project::{OcrHostHandles, project_request},
 };
+use crate::marshal::public_response;
 
 enum OcrHostData {
     Unprojected,
@@ -104,10 +105,7 @@ impl PythonBinding for OcrPythonHost {
         py: Python<'_>,
         response: LiteLLMOcrResponse,
     ) -> PyResult<Py<PyAny>> {
-        py.import("litellm.rust_bridge.ocr.route_host")?
-            .getattr("response")?
-            .call1((to_py(py, &response)?,))
-            .map(Bound::unbind)
+        public_response(py, "litellm.rust_bridge.ocr.route_host", &response)
     }
 
     fn encode_stream_head(
diff --git a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/project.rs b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/project.rs
index 4bdc0b0119b..ee7f6238510 100644
--- a/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/project.rs
+++ b/litellm-rust/crates/python-bridge/src/routes/ocr/project.rs
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ pub(super) fn project_request(
     let specs = consumed_optional_params(&model, custom_llm_provider.as_deref())
         .map_err(ocr_error_to_pyerr)?;
     let names = specs.iter().map(|spec| spec.name).collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    let optional_params = project_optional_fields(kwargs, &names)?;
+    let optional_params =
+        project_optional_fields(names.iter().copied(), |name| kwargs.get_item(name))?;
     let input_sources = request_input_sources(
         kwargs,
         names