diff --git a/litellm/proxy/middleware/litellm_response_headers_middleware.py b/litellm/proxy/middleware/litellm_response_headers_middleware.py
index 620c63f8715..879e5e58c5f 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/middleware/litellm_response_headers_middleware.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/middleware/litellm_response_headers_middleware.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 """Apply the proxy's opt-out to all HTTP response headers, including streams."""
 
+from typing import Final
+
+from starlette.datastructures import Headers
 from starlette.types import ASGIApp, Message, Receive, Scope, Send
 
 import litellm
@@ -15,15 +18,17 @@ class LiteLLMResponseHeadersMiddleware:
             return
 
         async def send_response(message: Message) -> None:
-            if message["type"] == "http.response.start" and litellm.include_litellm_headers is False:
-                message = {
-                    **message,
-                    "headers": [
-                        (name, value)
-                        for name, value in message.get("headers", [])
-                        if not name.lower().startswith(b"x-litellm-")
-                    ],
-                }
-            await send(message)
+            if message["type"] != "http.response.start" or litellm.include_litellm_headers is not False:
+                await send(message)
+                return
+            response: Final[Message] = {
+                **message,
+                "headers": [
+                    (name, value)
+                    for name, value in Headers(scope=message).raw
+                    if not name.lower().startswith(b"x-litellm-")
+                ],
+            }
+            await send(response)
 
         await self.app(scope, receive, send_response)