diff --git a/litellm/__init__.py b/litellm/__init__.py
index 0d6a788e368f..957d25b3cb6f 100644
--- a/litellm/__init__.py
+++ b/litellm/__init__.py
@@ -235,6 +235,17 @@ def _dev_env_hot_reload_enabled() -> bool:
 use_chat_completions_url_for_anthropic_messages: bool = bool(
     os.getenv("LITELLM_USE_CHAT_COMPLETIONS_URL_FOR_ANTHROPIC_MESSAGES", False)
 )  # When True, routes OpenAI /v1/messages requests to chat/completions instead of the Responses API
+# When True, strip the OpenAI-flavored `usage.total_tokens` field that
+# LiteLLM injects into non-streaming /v1/messages responses, bringing the
+# wire response into line with the Anthropic spec (matches the streaming
+# SSE path, which already omits total_tokens). Default False to preserve
+# backward compatibility for clients that read the LiteLLM-shaped
+# `usage.total_tokens` today. Planned to flip to True in a future major
+# release; opt in early via Python:
+#   `litellm.strip_anthropic_total_tokens = True`
+# Or via `litellm_settings.strip_anthropic_total_tokens: true` in
+# config.yaml.
+strip_anthropic_total_tokens: bool = False
 route_all_chat_openai_to_responses: bool = (
     os.getenv("LITELLM_ROUTE_ALL_CHAT_OPENAI_TO_RESPONSES", "false").lower() == "true"
 )  # When True, routes all OpenAI /chat/completions requests through the Responses API bridge
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/endpoints.py b/litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/endpoints.py
index 1995ff275c9d..856b788b54b9 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/endpoints.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/endpoints.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Request, Response
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
 
+import litellm
 from litellm._logging import verbose_proxy_logger
 from litellm.anthropic_interface.exceptions import AnthropicExceptionMapping
 from litellm.integrations.custom_guardrail import ModifyResponseException
@@ -23,6 +24,40 @@
 router = APIRouter()
 
 
+def _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(response: Any) -> None:
+    """Remove the OpenAI-flavored `usage.total_tokens` field that LiteLLM
+    injects into Anthropic /v1/messages responses.
+
+    The Anthropic /v1/messages spec only defines:
+        input_tokens, output_tokens, cache_creation_input_tokens,
+        cache_read_input_tokens, cache_creation.{ephemeral_5m,ephemeral_1h}
+    The streaming SSE path (message_delta.usage) already does not include
+    total_tokens; this brings the non-streaming path into the same shape.
+
+    Handles both shapes returned by `base_process_llm_request`:
+    - plain `dict` (most common — `AnthropicMessagesResponse` is a TypedDict
+      and is `dict` at runtime)
+    - Pydantic model whose `usage` attribute is dict-shaped (e.g. a
+      BaseModel that holds raw Anthropic usage as a `dict[str, int]`)
+
+    Streaming results (StreamingResponse, AsyncIterator, etc.) and Pydantic
+    models with strongly-typed Usage sub-models are left untouched —
+    those paths either have separate serialization handling or impose
+    type constraints the helper does not try to subvert.
+    """
+    if response is None:
+        return
+    if isinstance(response, dict):
+        usage = response.get("usage")
+        if isinstance(usage, dict) and "total_tokens" in usage:
+            usage.pop("total_tokens", None)
+        return
+    # Pydantic-model fallback: only mutate if `usage` is a dict.
+    usage = getattr(response, "usage", None)
+    if isinstance(usage, dict) and "total_tokens" in usage:
+        usage.pop("total_tokens", None)
+
+
 @router.post(
     "/v1/messages",
     tags=["[beta] Anthropic `/v1/messages`"],
@@ -72,6 +107,18 @@ async def anthropic_response(
             user_api_base=user_api_base,
             version=version,
         )
+        # Optionally strip the non-Anthropic `usage.total_tokens` field
+        # LiteLLM adds internally. Anthropic's official /v1/messages spec
+        # only defines input_tokens / output_tokens / cache_*_input_tokens;
+        # total_tokens is an OpenAI convention. Default off
+        # (`litellm.strip_anthropic_total_tokens = False`) to preserve
+        # backward compatibility for clients that currently read it; set
+        # to True to align the wire response with the spec (and with the
+        # streaming SSE path, which already omits total_tokens).
+        # spend_logs / Prometheus still compute total internally — this
+        # only affects the wire response.
+        if litellm.strip_anthropic_total_tokens:
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(result)
         return result
     except ModifyResponseException as e:
         # Guardrail flagged content in passthrough mode - return 200 with violation message
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/test_endpoints.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/test_endpoints.py
index f6189382d741..a4da4587b7f5 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/test_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/anthropic_endpoints/test_endpoints.py
@@ -86,3 +86,96 @@ def test_event_logging_batch_endpoint_exists(self):
 
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.json() == {"status": "ok"}
+
+
+class TestStripTotalTokens(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Cover ``_strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response``.
+
+    The Anthropic /v1/messages spec does not define ``usage.total_tokens``.
+    LiteLLM injects it internally; the helper must remove it from the wire
+    response so the non-streaming path matches the streaming SSE shape and
+    direct Anthropic API responses.
+    """
+
+    def test_strips_total_tokens_when_present(self):
+        from litellm.proxy.anthropic_endpoints.endpoints import (
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response,
+        )
+
+        response = {
+            "id": "msg_123",
+            "usage": {
+                "input_tokens": 100,
+                "output_tokens": 50,
+                "total_tokens": 150,
+                "cache_read_input_tokens": 0,
+                "cache_creation_input_tokens": 0,
+            },
+        }
+        _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(response)
+        assert "total_tokens" not in response["usage"]
+        assert response["usage"]["input_tokens"] == 100
+        assert response["usage"]["output_tokens"] == 50
+        assert response["usage"]["cache_read_input_tokens"] == 0
+
+    def test_no_op_when_total_tokens_absent(self):
+        from litellm.proxy.anthropic_endpoints.endpoints import (
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response,
+        )
+
+        response = {"usage": {"input_tokens": 100, "output_tokens": 50}}
+        _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(response)
+        assert response["usage"] == {"input_tokens": 100, "output_tokens": 50}
+
+    def test_no_op_when_usage_missing(self):
+        from litellm.proxy.anthropic_endpoints.endpoints import (
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response,
+        )
+
+        response = {"id": "msg_123"}
+        _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(response)
+        assert response == {"id": "msg_123"}
+
+    def test_no_op_on_non_dict_response(self):
+        from litellm.proxy.anthropic_endpoints.endpoints import (
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response,
+        )
+
+        # Streaming responses (StreamingResponse, async iterators) are not dicts.
+        # The helper must not raise or attempt to mutate them.
+        for value in (None, "stream", 42, [{"usage": {"total_tokens": 1}}]):
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(value)  # no raise
+
+    def test_strips_total_tokens_on_pydantic_model_with_dict_usage(self):
+        """Greptile P1 on #30382: helper must not silently no-op when the
+        response is a Pydantic-shaped object whose `usage` attribute is a
+        plain dict (the common case for objects wrapping raw upstream JSON).
+        """
+        from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+        from litellm.proxy.anthropic_endpoints.endpoints import (
+            _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response,
+        )
+
+        # SimpleNamespace mimics the .usage attribute access pattern; the
+        # helper's contract: if .usage is dict-shaped, strip total_tokens.
+        response = SimpleNamespace(
+            usage={"input_tokens": 100, "output_tokens": 50, "total_tokens": 150}
+        )
+        _strip_total_tokens_from_anthropic_response(response)
+        assert "total_tokens" not in response.usage
+        assert response.usage == {"input_tokens": 100, "output_tokens": 50}
+
+
+class TestStripTotalTokensFeatureFlag(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The strip is gated behind `litellm.strip_anthropic_total_tokens`.
+
+    Default off (backward compat). Greptile P1 on #30382 required a
+    user-controlled flag so existing clients reading the LiteLLM-shaped
+    `usage.total_tokens` continue to work after this PR lands.
+    """
+
+    def test_flag_defaults_off(self):
+        import litellm
+
+        assert litellm.strip_anthropic_total_tokens is False