diff --git a/litellm/__init__.py b/litellm/__init__.py
index b9d9891ca..75a6751b0 100644
--- a/litellm/__init__.py
+++ b/litellm/__init__.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ baseten_key: Optional[str] = None
 aleph_alpha_key: Optional[str] = None
 nlp_cloud_key: Optional[str] = None
 use_client: bool = False
+ssl_verify: bool = True
 disable_streaming_logging: bool = False
 ### GUARDRAILS ###
 llamaguard_model_name: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index 371d8e8eb..8cb0f3ed2 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -2052,9 +2052,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2074,9 +2076,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.Client(
-                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2096,9 +2100,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=stream_timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2118,9 +2124,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=stream_timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.Client(
-                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2158,9 +2166,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2178,9 +2188,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.Client(
-                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
                             ),
                             mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                         ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2199,9 +2211,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=stream_timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                         ),
@@ -2219,9 +2233,11 @@ class Router:
                         timeout=stream_timeout,
                         max_retries=max_retries,
                         http_client=httpx.Client(
-                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                            limits=httpx.Limits(
-                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                                limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                    max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                                ),
+                                verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                             ),
                             mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                         ),
@@ -2249,9 +2265,11 @@ class Router:
                     max_retries=max_retries,
                     organization=organization,
                     http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                        transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                        limits=httpx.Limits(
-                            max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                        transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                            limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            ),
+                            verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                         ),
                         mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                     ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2271,9 +2289,11 @@ class Router:
                     max_retries=max_retries,
                     organization=organization,
                     http_client=httpx.Client(
-                        transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                        limits=httpx.Limits(
-                            max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                        transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                            limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            ),
+                            verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                         ),
                         mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                     ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2294,9 +2314,11 @@ class Router:
                     max_retries=max_retries,
                     organization=organization,
                     http_client=httpx.AsyncClient(
-                        transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(),
-                        limits=httpx.Limits(
-                            max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                        transport=AsyncCustomHTTPTransport(
+                            limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            ),
+                            verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                         ),
                         mounts=async_proxy_mounts,
                     ),  # type: ignore
@@ -2317,9 +2339,11 @@ class Router:
                     max_retries=max_retries,
                     organization=organization,
                     http_client=httpx.Client(
-                        transport=CustomHTTPTransport(),
-                        limits=httpx.Limits(
-                            max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                        transport=CustomHTTPTransport(
+                            limits=httpx.Limits(
+                                max_connections=1000, max_keepalive_connections=100
+                            ),
+                            verify=litellm.ssl_verify,
                         ),
                         mounts=sync_proxy_mounts,
                     ),  # type: ignore
diff --git a/litellm/tests/test_router.py b/litellm/tests/test_router.py
index 26843b50b..fd95083b7 100644
--- a/litellm/tests/test_router.py
+++ b/litellm/tests/test_router.py
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ load_dotenv()
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "timeout", [10, 1.0, httpx.Timeout(timeout=300.0, connect=20.0)]
 )
-def test_router_timeout_init(timeout):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ssl_verify", [True, False])
+def test_router_timeout_init(timeout, ssl_verify):
     """
     Allow user to pass httpx.Timeout
 
     related issue - https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm/issues/3162
     """
+    litellm.ssl_verify = ssl_verify
 
     router = Router(
         model_list=[
@@ -40,14 +42,28 @@ def test_router_timeout_init(timeout):
                     "api_version": os.getenv("AZURE_API_VERSION"),
                     "timeout": timeout,
                 },
+                "model_info": {"id": 1234},
             }
         ]
     )
 
-    router.completion(
-        model="test-model", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hey!"}]
+    model_client = router._get_client(
+        deployment={"model_info": {"id": 1234}}, client_type="sync_client", kwargs={}
     )
 
+    assert getattr(model_client, "timeout") == timeout
+
+    print(f"vars model_client: {vars(model_client)}")
+    http_client = getattr(model_client, "_client")
+    print(f"http client: {vars(http_client)}, ssl_Verify={ssl_verify}")
+    if ssl_verify == False:
+        assert http_client._transport._pool._ssl_context.verify_mode.name == "CERT_NONE"
+    else:
+        assert (
+            http_client._transport._pool._ssl_context.verify_mode.name
+            == "CERT_REQUIRED"
+        )
+
 
 def test_exception_raising():
     # this tests if the router raises an exception when invalid params are set