diff --git a/ddtrace/llmobs/_llmobs.py b/ddtrace/llmobs/_llmobs.py
index 8336ee40991..e1de8a074d8 100644
--- a/ddtrace/llmobs/_llmobs.py
+++ b/ddtrace/llmobs/_llmobs.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import inspect
 import json
 import os
+import sys
 import time
 from typing import Any
 from typing import Callable
@@ -645,6 +646,8 @@ def enable(
             log.debug("%s already enabled", cls.__name__)
             return
 
+        cls._warn_if_litellm_was_imported()
+
         if os.getenv("DD_LLMOBS_ENABLED") and not asbool(os.getenv("DD_LLMOBS_ENABLED")):
             log.debug("LLMObs.enable() called when DD_LLMOBS_ENABLED is set to false or 0, not starting LLMObs service")
             return
@@ -767,6 +770,20 @@ def enable(
                 config._llmobs_ml_app,
             )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _warn_if_litellm_was_imported() -> None:
+        if "litellm" in sys.modules:
+            import litellm
+
+            if not getattr(litellm, "_datadog_patch", False):
+                log.warning(
+                    "LLMObs.enable() called after litellm was imported but before it was patched. "
+                    "This may cause tracing issues if you are importing patched methods like 'litellm.completion' "
+                    "directly. To ensure proper tracing, either run your application with ddtrace-run, "
+                    "call ddtrace.patch_all() before importing litellm, or "
+                    "enable LLMObs before importing other modules."
+                )
+
     def _on_asyncio_create_task(self, task_data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         """Propagates llmobs active trace context across asyncio tasks."""
         task_data["llmobs_ctx"] = self._current_trace_context()
diff --git a/tests/contrib/litellm/conftest.py b/tests/contrib/litellm/conftest.py
index 62ea0c234fd..be0754b82e7 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/litellm/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/litellm/conftest.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-from litellm import Router
 import pytest
 
 from ddtrace._trace.pin import Pin
@@ -81,4 +80,6 @@ def request_vcr_include_localhost():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def router():
+    from litellm import Router
+
     yield Router(model_list=model_list)
diff --git a/tests/contrib/litellm/test_litellm_llmobs.py b/tests/contrib/litellm/test_litellm_llmobs.py
index 5c039c56d55..619797dd983 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/litellm/test_litellm_llmobs.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/litellm/test_litellm_llmobs.py
@@ -488,3 +488,37 @@ def test_completion_openai_enabled(
 
         assert len(llmobs_events) == 1
         assert llmobs_events[0]["name"] == "OpenAI.createChatCompletion" if not stream else "litellm.request"
+
+
+def test_enable_llmobs_after_litellm_was_imported(run_python_code_in_subprocess):
+    """
+    Test that LLMObs.enable() logs a warning if litellm is imported before LLMObs.enable() is called.
+    """
+    _, err, _, _ = run_python_code_in_subprocess(
+        """
+import litellm
+from ddtrace.llmobs import LLMObs
+LLMObs.enable(ml_app="<ml-app-name>", integrations_enabled=False)
+assert LLMObs.enabled
+LLMObs.disable()
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert ("LLMObs.enable() called after litellm was imported but before it was patched") in err.decode()
+
+
+def test_import_litellm_after_llmobs_was_enabled(run_python_code_in_subprocess):
+    """
+    Test that LLMObs.enable() does not logs a warning if litellm is imported after LLMObs.enable() is called.
+    """
+    _, err, _, _ = run_python_code_in_subprocess(
+        """
+from ddtrace.llmobs import LLMObs
+LLMObs.enable(ml_app="<ml-app-name>", integrations_enabled=False)
+assert LLMObs.enabled
+import litellm
+LLMObs.disable()
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert ("LLMObs.enable() called after litellm was imported but before it was patched") not in err.decode()