diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index ca28dcb07..ad3129304 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -2435,18 +2435,6 @@ class Router:
         """
         Common checks for 'get_available_deployment' across sync + async call.
         """
-        if specific_deployment == True:
-            # users can also specify a specific deployment name. At this point we should check if they are just trying to call a specific deployment
-            for deployment in self.model_list:
-                deployment_model = deployment.get("litellm_params").get("model")
-                if deployment_model == model:
-                    # User Passed a specific deployment name on their config.yaml, example azure/chat-gpt-v-2
-                    # return the first deployment where the `model` matches the specificed deployment name
-                    return deployment
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"LiteLLM Router: Trying to call specific deployment, but Model:{model} does not exist in Model List: {self.model_list}"
-            )
-
         # check if aliases set on litellm model alias map
         if model in self.model_group_alias:
             verbose_router_logger.debug(
@@ -2507,6 +2495,19 @@ class Router:
                 input=input,
                 specific_deployment=specific_deployment,
             )
+
+        if specific_deployment == True:
+            # users can also specify a specific deployment name. At this point we should check if they are just trying to call a specific deployment
+            for deployment in self.model_list:
+                deployment_model = deployment.get("litellm_params").get("model")
+                if deployment_model == model:
+                    # User Passed a specific deployment name on their config.yaml, example azure/chat-gpt-v-2
+                    # return the first deployment where the `model` matches the specificed deployment name
+                    return deployment
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"LiteLLM Router: Trying to call specific deployment, but Model:{model} does not exist in Model List: {self.model_list}"
+            )
+
         model, healthy_deployments = self._common_checks_available_deployment(
             model=model,
             messages=messages,
@@ -2571,6 +2572,17 @@ class Router:
         """
         # users need to explicitly call a specific deployment, by setting `specific_deployment = True` as completion()/embedding() kwarg
         # When this was no explicit we had several issues with fallbacks timing out
+        if specific_deployment == True:
+            # users can also specify a specific deployment name. At this point we should check if they are just trying to call a specific deployment
+            for deployment in self.model_list:
+                deployment_model = deployment.get("litellm_params").get("model")
+                if deployment_model == model:
+                    # User Passed a specific deployment name on their config.yaml, example azure/chat-gpt-v-2
+                    # return the first deployment where the `model` matches the specificed deployment name
+                    return deployment
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"LiteLLM Router: Trying to call specific deployment, but Model:{model} does not exist in Model List: {self.model_list}"
+            )
 
         model, healthy_deployments = self._common_checks_available_deployment(
             model=model,