- `[2026-07-04]` **LiteLLM (this gateway version) mutates the SHARED deployment config in-place on
  per-request sampler-param merge** → my deliberately-invalid `top_k=-5` forwarding-probe bled into a
  param-less character-rp request (vLLM 400, ONE-OFF, self-cleared by a later valid probe). NOT
  caching (none configured), NOT a config change. **Never fire invalid/distinctive sampler values at
  a SHARED gateway alias with live consumers** — use a throwaway alias, or a `docker restart litellm`
  flushes residual carryover. `feedback_litellm_shared_param_mutation`.