diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index edb5c6970f..409cf63d55 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -1241,17 +1241,16 @@ async def update_database(
                         f"_update_team_db: existing spend: {existing_spend_obj}"
                     )
                     if existing_spend_obj is None:
-                        existing_spend = 0
+                        # the team does not exist in the db - return
+                        verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
+                            "team_id does not exist in db, not tracking spend for team"
+                        )
+                        return
                     else:
                         existing_spend = existing_spend_obj.spend
                     # Calculate the new cost by adding the existing cost and response_cost
                     new_spend = existing_spend + response_cost
-
-                    if existing_spend_obj is None:
-                        spend_per_model = {}
-                    else:
-                        spend_per_model = existing_spend_obj.model_spend or {}
-
+                    spend_per_model = getattr(existing_spend_obj, "model_spend", {})
                     # track cost per model, for the given team
                     spend_per_model = existing_spend_obj.model_spend or {}
                     current_model = kwargs.get("model")