diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 256e77444af..bff4d5daae5 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ async def chat_completion(request: Request, model: Optional[str] = None, user_ap
                 response = await llm_router.acompletion(**data)
         elif llm_router is not None and data["model"] in llm_router.deployment_names: # model in router deployments, calling a specific deployment on the router
             response = await llm_router.acompletion(**data, specific_deployment = True)
-        elif llm_router is not None and data["model"] in litellm.model_group_alias_map: # model set in model_group_alias_map
+        elif llm_router is not None and litellm.model_group_alias_map is not None and data["model"] in litellm.model_group_alias_map: # model set in model_group_alias_map
             response = await llm_router.acompletion(**data)
         else: # router is not set
             response = await litellm.acompletion(**data)
diff --git a/litellm/tests/test_router_get_deployments.py b/litellm/tests/test_router_get_deployments.py
index bcc19685a51..712867a5120 100644
--- a/litellm/tests/test_router_get_deployments.py
+++ b/litellm/tests/test_router_get_deployments.py
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ def test_model_group_aliases():
 		router = Router(
 			model_list=model_list, 
 		)
-
+		litellm.model_group_alias_map = {}
 		for _ in range(20):
 			selected_model = router.get_available_deployment("gpt-4")
 			print("\n selected model", selected_model)