diff --git a/litellm/_redis.py b/litellm/_redis.py
index 1c300afcb..8d0fa4e18 100644
--- a/litellm/_redis.py
+++ b/litellm/_redis.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import redis.asyncio as async_redis  # type: ignore
 
 import litellm
 
+from ._logging import verbose_logger
+
 
 def _get_redis_kwargs():
     arg_spec = inspect.getfullargspec(redis.Redis)
@@ -121,17 +123,56 @@ def _get_redis_client_logic(**env_overrides):
         **env_overrides,
     }
 
+    _startup_nodes = redis_kwargs.get("startup_nodes", None) or litellm.get_secret(
+        "REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES"
+    )
+
+    if _startup_nodes is not None:
+        redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"] = json.loads(_startup_nodes)
+
     if "url" in redis_kwargs and redis_kwargs["url"] is not None:
         redis_kwargs.pop("host", None)
         redis_kwargs.pop("port", None)
         redis_kwargs.pop("db", None)
         redis_kwargs.pop("password", None)
+    elif "startup_nodes" in redis_kwargs and redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"] is not None:
+        pass
     elif "host" not in redis_kwargs or redis_kwargs["host"] is None:
         raise ValueError("Either 'host' or 'url' must be specified for redis.")
     # litellm.print_verbose(f"redis_kwargs: {redis_kwargs}")
     return redis_kwargs
 
 
+def init_redis_cluster(redis_kwargs) -> redis.RedisCluster:
+    _redis_cluster_nodes_in_env = litellm.get_secret("REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES")
+    if _redis_cluster_nodes_in_env is not None:
+        try:
+            redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"] = json.loads(_redis_cluster_nodes_in_env)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES environment variable is not valid JSON. Please ensure it's properly formatted."
+            )
+
+    verbose_logger.debug(
+        "init_redis_cluster: startup nodes: ", redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"]
+    )
+    from redis.cluster import ClusterNode
+
+    args = _get_redis_cluster_kwargs()
+    cluster_kwargs = {}
+    for arg in redis_kwargs:
+        if arg in args:
+            cluster_kwargs[arg] = redis_kwargs[arg]
+
+    new_startup_nodes: List[ClusterNode] = []
+
+    for item in redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"]:
+        new_startup_nodes.append(ClusterNode(**item))
+
+    redis_kwargs.pop("startup_nodes")
+    return redis.RedisCluster(startup_nodes=new_startup_nodes, **cluster_kwargs)
+
+
 def get_redis_client(**env_overrides):
     redis_kwargs = _get_redis_client_logic(**env_overrides)
     if "url" in redis_kwargs and redis_kwargs["url"] is not None:
@@ -147,24 +188,8 @@ def get_redis_client(**env_overrides):
         "startup_nodes" in redis_kwargs
         or litellm.get_secret("REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES") is not None
     ):
-        _redis_cluster_nodes_in_env = litellm.get_secret("REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES")
-        if _redis_cluster_nodes_in_env is not None:
-            redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"] = json.loads(_redis_cluster_nodes_in_env)
+        return init_redis_cluster(redis_kwargs)
 
-        from redis.cluster import ClusterNode
-
-        args = _get_redis_cluster_kwargs()
-        cluster_kwargs = {}
-        for arg in redis_kwargs:
-            if arg in args:
-                cluster_kwargs[arg] = redis_kwargs[arg]
-
-        new_startup_nodes: List[ClusterNode] = []
-
-        for item in redis_kwargs["startup_nodes"]:
-            new_startup_nodes.append(ClusterNode(**item))
-        redis_kwargs.pop("startup_nodes")
-        return redis.RedisCluster(startup_nodes=new_startup_nodes, **cluster_kwargs)
     return redis.Redis(**redis_kwargs)