diff --git a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/token_counter.py b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/token_counter.py
index e6a68de07e9..5e111f49452 100644
--- a/litellm/litellm_core_utils/token_counter.py
+++ b/litellm/litellm_core_utils/token_counter.py
@@ -509,7 +509,23 @@ def _count_extra(
     num_tokens = 3  # every reply is primed with <|start|>assistant<|message|>
 
     if tools:
-        num_tokens += count_function(_format_function_definitions(tools))
+        # Normalize Anthropic-format tools to OpenAI format before counting
+        normalized_tools = []
+        for t in tools:
+            if isinstance(t, dict) and "function" not in t and "input_schema" in t:
+                normalized_tools.append(
+                    {
+                        "type": "function",
+                        "function": {
+                            "name": t.get("name"),
+                            "description": t.get("description", ""),
+                            "parameters": t.get("input_schema", {}),
+                        },
+                    }
+                )
+            else:
+                normalized_tools.append(t)
+        num_tokens += count_function(_format_function_definitions(normalized_tools))
         num_tokens += 9  # Additional tokens for function definition of tools
     # If there's a system message and tools are present, subtract four tokens
     if tools and includes_system_message:
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 814111762b6..444c4d75769 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -10512,11 +10512,13 @@ async def token_counter(request: TokenCountRequest, call_endpoint: bool = False)
     )
 
     tokenizer_used = str(_tokenizer_used["type"])
+
     total_tokens = token_counter(
         model=model_to_use,
         text=prompt,
         messages=messages,
         custom_tokenizer=_tokenizer_used,  # type: ignore
+        tools=tools,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
     )
     return TokenCountResponse(
         total_tokens=total_tokens,
diff --git a/tests/proxy_unit_tests/test_count_tokens_tools.py b/tests/proxy_unit_tests/test_count_tokens_tools.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0a5a335f93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/proxy_unit_tests/test_count_tokens_tools.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import pytest
+from litellm.proxy._types import TokenCountRequest
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_count_tokens_anthropic_tools_not_ignored():
+    """Test that Anthropic-style tools are counted in fallback path"""
+    from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import token_counter as proxy_token_counter
+
+    request_with_tools = TokenCountRequest(
+        model="claude-opus-4-6",
+        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "hello"}],
+        tools=[{
+            "name": "example_tool",
+            "description": "A tool " + "with long description " * 100,
+            "input_schema": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties": {
+                    "param1": {"type": "string", "description": "A parameter"}
+                }
+            }
+        }]
+    )
+
+    request_without_tools = TokenCountRequest(
+        model="claude-opus-4-6",
+        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "hello"}],
+    )
+
+    response_with = await proxy_token_counter(request=request_with_tools, call_endpoint=False)
+    response_without = await proxy_token_counter(request=request_without_tools, call_endpoint=False)
+
+    assert response_with.total_tokens > response_without.total_tokens, (
+        f"Tools should add tokens: with={response_with.total_tokens}, without={response_without.total_tokens}"
+    )