diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index 351f19e1638..fbd73f947fe 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -5722,6 +5722,7 @@ class ProxyConfig:
         self._sso_environment_removals: frozenset[str] = frozenset()
         self._warned_shadowed_keys: frozenset[tuple[Section, str]] = frozenset()
         self._warned_unmanaged_keys: frozenset[str] = frozenset()
+        self._warned_unreadable_db_general_settings: bool = False
         self._db_config_callback_entries: Mapping[tuple[str, str], _DbCallbackRegistration] = MappingProxyType({})
         self._settings_stores: Final[Mapping[Section, SettingsStore]] = MappingProxyType(
             {
@@ -8217,7 +8218,10 @@ class ProxyConfig:
 
     async def _update_general_settings(self, db_general_settings: Mapping[str, SettingsJsonValue] | str | None) -> None:
         global general_settings
+        if db_general_settings is None:
+            return
         if not isinstance(db_general_settings, Mapping):
+            self._warn_about_unreadable_db_general_settings()
             return
         if not isinstance(general_settings, SettingsStore):
             self.settings.load_yaml(_as_settings_mapping(general_settings))
@@ -8514,6 +8518,15 @@ class ProxyConfig:
             )
         self._warned_unmanaged_keys = unmanaged
 
+    def _warn_about_unreadable_db_general_settings(self) -> None:
+        if self._warned_unreadable_db_general_settings:
+            return
+        verbose_proxy_logger.warning(
+            "general_settings is stored in the database as something other than a JSON object, so the proxy "
+            "ignores every stored general setting."
+        )
+        self._warned_unreadable_db_general_settings = True
+
     def _config_sets_ignored_db_key(self, key: str) -> bool:
         return self.settings.owned_by_config(key) or (
             key in _GENERAL_SETTINGS_UI_LITELLM_FIELDS and self.config_owns(section_name="litellm_settings", key=key)
@@ -20651,9 +20664,9 @@ async def delete_config_general_settings(
         stored_copy: Final = await _stored_general_settings()
         if stored_copy is None or data.field_name not in stored_copy:
             return await _reset_general_settings_ui_litellm_field(data.field_name, user_api_key_dict)
-        removed: Final = await _remove_stored_general_setting(data.field_name, stored_copy, user_api_key_dict)
+        await _remove_stored_general_setting(data.field_name, stored_copy, user_api_key_dict)
         if proxy_config.config_owns(section_name="litellm_settings", key=data.field_name):
-            return removed
+            return {"message": f"Field {data.field_name} removed", "status": "success"}
         return await _reset_general_settings_ui_litellm_field(data.field_name, user_api_key_dict)
 
     stored: Final = await _stored_general_settings()
@@ -20679,14 +20692,9 @@ async def delete_config_general_settings(
 async def _stored_general_settings() -> Mapping[str, SettingsJsonValue] | None:
     config_table: Final[TableActions[_ConfigParamValueRow]] = _config_param_table(prisma_client)
     row: Final = await config_table.find_first(where={"param_name": "general_settings"})
-    if row is None or row.param_value is None:
+    if row is None or not isinstance(row.param_value, Mapping):
         return None
-    value: Final = (
-        cast(object, json.loads(row.param_value))  # cast-ok: json.loads is untyped; the row is opaque JSON
-        if isinstance(row.param_value, str)
-        else row.param_value
-    )
-    return _SETTINGS_MAPPING.validate_python(value) if isinstance(value, Mapping) else None
+    return _SETTINGS_MAPPING.validate_python(row.param_value)
 
 
 async def _remove_stored_general_setting(
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
index a4f81c1645b..b7959b00f03 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/proxy_server/test_proxy_config.py
@@ -4422,6 +4422,26 @@ async def test_ProxyConfig__update_general_settings_says_the_config_file_applies
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_ProxyConfig__update_general_settings_warns_once_about_a_stored_row_that_is_not_an_object(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    pc: Final = ProxyConfig()
+    pc._load_yaml_settings_stores({"general_settings": {}})
+    monkeypatch.setattr("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings", pc.settings)
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="LiteLLM Proxy"):
+        await pc._update_general_settings(None)
+        await pc._update_general_settings('{"enforce_user_param": true}')
+        await pc._update_general_settings('{"enforce_user_param": true}')
+
+    warnings: Final = [record.getMessage() for record in caplog.records if "JSON object" in record.getMessage()]
+    assert warnings == [
+        "general_settings is stored in the database as something other than a JSON object, so the proxy ignores "
+        "every stored general setting."
+    ]
+
+
 def _paused_scheduler(monkeypatch):
     from apscheduler.schedulers.asyncio import AsyncIOScheduler
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
index f33a38df00d..06234de8723 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy/test_proxy_server_endpoints_and_startup.py
@@ -15546,13 +15546,14 @@ async def test_delete_config_general_settings_removes_a_stored_copy_of_a_ui_lite
     monkeypatch.setattr(litellm, "budget_rollover", True)
 
     admin: Final = UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed-admin", user_id="admin-1", user_role=LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
-    await delete_config_general_settings(
+    response: Final = await delete_config_general_settings(
         data=ConfigFieldDelete(field_name="budget_rollover", config_type="general_settings"),
         user_api_key_dict=admin,
     )
 
     written: Final = json.loads(fake_prisma.db.litellm_config.upsert.await_args.kwargs["data"]["update"]["param_value"])
     assert written == {"store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
+    assert response == {"message": "Field budget_rollover removed", "status": "success"}
     assert litellm.budget_rollover is True
     assert pc.settings.unmanaged_db_keys() == ()
 
@@ -15582,26 +15583,28 @@ async def test_delete_config_general_settings_refuses_an_unknown_key_when_the_st
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_delete_config_general_settings_removes_a_key_from_a_json_string_row(
-    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("stored_row", ['{"max_request_size_mb": 42, "store_prompts_in_spend_logs": true}', "not json"])
+async def test_delete_config_general_settings_leaves_a_string_row_untouched(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, stored_row: str
 ) -> None:
     from litellm.proxy._types import ConfigFieldDelete
     from litellm.proxy.proxy_server import ProxyConfig, delete_config_general_settings
 
     pc: Final = ProxyConfig()
     pc._load_yaml_settings_stores({"general_settings": {}})
-    fake_prisma: Final = _fake_prisma_with_config('{"max_request_size_mb": 42, "store_prompts_in_spend_logs": true}')
+    fake_prisma: Final = _fake_prisma_with_config(stored_row)
     monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "proxy_config", pc)
     monkeypatch.setattr(proxy_server_module, "prisma_client", fake_prisma)
 
     admin: Final = UserAPIKeyAuth(api_key="hashed-admin", user_id="admin-1", user_role=LitellmUserRoles.PROXY_ADMIN)
-    await delete_config_general_settings(
-        data=ConfigFieldDelete(field_name="max_request_size_mb", config_type="general_settings"),
-        user_api_key_dict=admin,
-    )
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as refused:
+        await delete_config_general_settings(
+            data=ConfigFieldDelete(field_name="max_request_size_mb", config_type="general_settings"),
+            user_api_key_dict=admin,
+        )
 
-    written: Final = json.loads(fake_prisma.db.litellm_config.upsert.await_args.kwargs["data"]["update"]["param_value"])
-    assert written == {"store_prompts_in_spend_logs": True}
+    assert refused.value.status_code == 400
+    fake_prisma.db.litellm_config.upsert.assert_not_awaited()
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio