diff --git a/apisix/healthcheck_manager.lua b/apisix/healthcheck_manager.lua
index 1ee49f64d072..f2750ff49b78 100644
--- a/apisix/healthcheck_manager.lua
+++ b/apisix/healthcheck_manager.lua
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ local function timer_create_checker()
             if not res_conf then
                 goto continue
             end
-            local upstream
+            local ok, upstream, err
             local plugin_name = get_plugin_name(resource_path)
             if plugin_name and plugin_name ~= "" then
                 local _, sub_path = config_util.parse_path(resource_path)
@@ -189,7 +189,14 @@ local function timer_create_checker()
                 --- callback construct_upstream to create an upstream dynamically
                 local upstream_constructor_config = jp.value(res_conf.value, json_path)
                 local plugin = require("apisix.plugins." .. plugin_name)
-                upstream = plugin.construct_upstream(upstream_constructor_config)
+                ok, upstream, err = pcall(plugin.construct_upstream, upstream_constructor_config)
+                if not ok or not upstream then
+                    err = err or upstream
+                    core.log.error("[creating checker] unable to construct upstream",
+                                " for plugin: ", plugin_name, ", resource path: ", resource_path,
+                                ", json path: ", json_path, ", error: ", err)
+                    goto continue
+                end
                 upstream.resource_key = resource_path
             else
                 upstream = res_conf.value.upstream or res_conf.value
@@ -237,7 +244,7 @@ local function timer_working_pool_check()
         local res_conf = resource.fetch_latest_conf(resource_path)
         local need_destroy = true
         if res_conf and res_conf.value then
-            local upstream
+            local ok, upstream, err
             local plugin_name = get_plugin_name(resource_path)
             if plugin_name and plugin_name ~= "" then
                 local _, sub_path = config_util.parse_path(resource_path)
@@ -247,17 +254,37 @@ local function timer_working_pool_check()
                 --- callback construct_upstream to create an upstream dynamically
                 local upstream_constructor_config = jp.value(res_conf.value, json_path)
                 local plugin = require("apisix.plugins." .. plugin_name)
-                upstream = plugin.construct_upstream(upstream_constructor_config)
-                upstream.resource_key = resource_path
+                ok, upstream, err = pcall(plugin.construct_upstream, upstream_constructor_config)
+                if not ok or not upstream then
+                    -- a nil constructor config means the instance was removed, so let
+                    -- the checker be destroyed; otherwise keep it through a transient failure
+                    if upstream_constructor_config ~= nil then
+                        need_destroy = false
+                    end
+                    err = err or upstream or "unknown error"
+                    upstream = nil
+                    local err_msg = "[checking checker] unable to construct upstream for plugin: "
+                                .. plugin_name .. ", resource path: " .. resource_path
+                                .. ", json path: " .. json_path .. ", error: " .. err
+                    if not ok then
+                        core.log.error(err_msg)
+                    else
+                        core.log.warn(err_msg)
+                    end
+                else
+                    upstream.resource_key = resource_path
+                end
             else
                 upstream = res_conf.value.upstream or res_conf.value
             end
-            local current_ver = upstream_utils.version(res_conf.modifiedIndex,
-                                                    upstream._nodes_ver)
-            core.log.info("checking working pool for resource: ", resource_path,
-                        " current version: ", current_ver, " item version: ", item.version)
-            if item.version == current_ver then
-                need_destroy = false
+            if upstream then
+                local current_ver = upstream_utils.version(res_conf.modifiedIndex,
+                                                        upstream._nodes_ver)
+                core.log.info("checking working pool for resource: ", resource_path,
+                            " current version: ", current_ver, " item version: ", item.version)
+                if item.version == current_ver then
+                    need_destroy = false
+                end
             end
         end
 
diff --git a/t/plugin/ai-proxy-multi-construct-upstream-panic.t b/t/plugin/ai-proxy-multi-construct-upstream-panic.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6a8db2787379
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/plugin/ai-proxy-multi-construct-upstream-panic.t
@@ -0,0 +1,628 @@
+#
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+# contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+# this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+# The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+# (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+# the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+use t::APISIX 'no_plan';
+
+log_level("info");
+repeat_each(1);
+no_long_string();
+no_shuffle();
+no_root_location();
+
+
+add_block_preprocessor(sub {
+    my ($block) = @_;
+
+    if (!defined $block->request) {
+        $block->set_value("request", "GET /t");
+    }
+
+    my $user_yaml_config = <<_EOC_;
+plugins:
+  - ai-proxy-multi
+_EOC_
+    $block->set_value("extra_yaml_config", $user_yaml_config);
+
+    my $http_config = $block->http_config // <<_EOC_;
+        server {
+            server_name openai;
+            listen 127.0.0.1:16724;
+
+            default_type 'application/json';
+
+            location /v1/chat/completions {
+                content_by_lua_block {
+                    ngx.say([[{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"ok","role":"assistant"}}]}]])
+                }
+            }
+
+            location /status {
+                content_by_lua_block {
+                    ngx.say("ok")
+                }
+            }
+        }
+_EOC_
+
+    $block->set_value("http_config", $http_config);
+});
+
+run_tests();
+
+__DATA__
+
+=== TEST 1: panic in construct_upstream during checker creation must not crash the timer
+# construct_upstream is overridden to raise a Lua error on every call. The
+# healthcheck manager creation timer wraps it in pcall, logs the failure and
+# skips the bad resource instead of aborting checker creation for the whole
+# worker. Proxying is unaffected.
+--- extra_init_worker_by_lua
+    local plugin = require "apisix.plugins.ai-proxy-multi"
+    plugin.construct_upstream = function(instance)
+        local panic_check
+        panic_check.cnt = 1
+    end
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local json = require("cjson.safe")
+
+            local checks = {
+                active = {
+                    type = "http",
+                    http_path = "/status",
+                    healthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        successes = 1,
+                    },
+                    unhealthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        http_failures = 2,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local route = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                plugins = {
+                    ["ai-proxy-multi"] = {
+                        fallback_strategy = "instance_health_and_rate_limiting",
+                        instances = {
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-4",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                                checks = checks,
+                            },
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance-2",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-3",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                        ssl_verify = false,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 json.encode(route)
+            )
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+
+            local function send_ai()
+                local code = t("/ai",
+                    ngx.HTTP_POST,
+                    json.encode({messages = {{role = "user", content = "hi"}}}),
+                    nil,
+                    {
+                        ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    }
+                )
+                return code
+            end
+
+            -- queues the checker creation, which the timer picks up next second
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "first request should succeed")
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "second request should succeed")
+            ngx.say("passed")
+        }
+    }
+--- timeout: 10
+--- response_body
+passed
+--- error_log
+[creating checker] unable to construct upstream for plugin: ai-proxy-multi, resource path: /apisix/routes/1#plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], json path: $.plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0]
+'panic_check' (a nil value)
+
+
+
+=== TEST 2: panic in construct_upstream during working pool check must not crash the timer
+# The first call (creation timer) succeeds so a checker lands in the working
+# pool; later calls (the working pool check timer) raise a Lua error. The
+# check timer wraps construct_upstream in pcall, logs and keeps the entry
+# instead of crashing the worker.
+--- extra_init_worker_by_lua
+    local plugin = require "apisix.plugins.ai-proxy-multi"
+    local old_func = plugin.construct_upstream
+    local cnt = 0
+    plugin.construct_upstream = function(instance)
+        cnt = cnt + 1
+        if cnt <= 1 then
+            return old_func(instance)
+        end
+        local panic_check
+        panic_check.cnt = cnt
+    end
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local json = require("cjson.safe")
+
+            local checks = {
+                active = {
+                    type = "http",
+                    http_path = "/status",
+                    healthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        successes = 1,
+                    },
+                    unhealthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        http_failures = 2,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local route = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                plugins = {
+                    ["ai-proxy-multi"] = {
+                        fallback_strategy = "instance_health_and_rate_limiting",
+                        instances = {
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-4",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                                checks = checks,
+                            },
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance-2",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-3",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                        ssl_verify = false,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 json.encode(route)
+            )
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+
+            local function send_ai()
+                local code = t("/ai",
+                    ngx.HTTP_POST,
+                    json.encode({messages = {{role = "user", content = "hi"}}}),
+                    nil,
+                    {
+                        ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    }
+                )
+                return code
+            end
+
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "first request should succeed")
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "second request should succeed")
+            ngx.say("passed")
+        }
+    }
+--- timeout: 10
+--- response_body
+passed
+--- error_log
+[checking checker] unable to construct upstream for plugin: ai-proxy-multi, resource path: /apisix/routes/1#plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], json path: $.plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0]
+'panic_check' (a nil value)
+
+
+
+=== TEST 3: construct_upstream returning nil, err during checker creation must not crash the timer
+# construct_upstream returns its normal failure tuple (nil, err) instead of
+# throwing. The creation timer logs the error and skips the bad resource.
+--- extra_init_worker_by_lua
+    local plugin = require "apisix.plugins.ai-proxy-multi"
+    plugin.construct_upstream = function(instance)
+        return nil, "boom"
+    end
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local json = require("cjson.safe")
+
+            local checks = {
+                active = {
+                    type = "http",
+                    http_path = "/status",
+                    healthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        successes = 1,
+                    },
+                    unhealthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        http_failures = 2,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local route = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                plugins = {
+                    ["ai-proxy-multi"] = {
+                        fallback_strategy = "instance_health_and_rate_limiting",
+                        instances = {
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-4",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                                checks = checks,
+                            },
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance-2",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-3",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                        ssl_verify = false,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 json.encode(route)
+            )
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+
+            local function send_ai()
+                local code = t("/ai",
+                    ngx.HTTP_POST,
+                    json.encode({messages = {{role = "user", content = "hi"}}}),
+                    nil,
+                    {
+                        ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    }
+                )
+                return code
+            end
+
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "first request should succeed")
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "second request should succeed")
+            ngx.say("passed")
+        }
+    }
+--- timeout: 10
+--- response_body
+passed
+--- error_log
+[creating checker] unable to construct upstream for plugin: ai-proxy-multi, resource path: /apisix/routes/1#plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], json path: $.plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], error: boom
+
+
+
+=== TEST 4: construct_upstream returning a bare nil during working pool check must not crash the timer
+# The first call (creation timer) succeeds; later calls return a bare nil with
+# no error string. The check timer must not crash on the nil error and must
+# keep the existing checker instead of destroying it.
+--- extra_init_worker_by_lua
+    local plugin = require "apisix.plugins.ai-proxy-multi"
+    local old_func = plugin.construct_upstream
+    local cnt = 0
+    plugin.construct_upstream = function(instance)
+        cnt = cnt + 1
+        if cnt <= 1 then
+            return old_func(instance)
+        end
+        return nil
+    end
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local json = require("cjson.safe")
+
+            local checks = {
+                active = {
+                    type = "http",
+                    http_path = "/status",
+                    healthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        successes = 1,
+                    },
+                    unhealthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        http_failures = 2,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local route = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                plugins = {
+                    ["ai-proxy-multi"] = {
+                        fallback_strategy = "instance_health_and_rate_limiting",
+                        instances = {
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-4",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                                checks = checks,
+                            },
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance-2",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-3",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                        ssl_verify = false,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 json.encode(route)
+            )
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+
+            local function send_ai()
+                local code = t("/ai",
+                    ngx.HTTP_POST,
+                    json.encode({messages = {{role = "user", content = "hi"}}}),
+                    nil,
+                    {
+                        ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    }
+                )
+                return code
+            end
+
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "first request should succeed")
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "second request should succeed")
+            ngx.say("passed")
+        }
+    }
+--- timeout: 10
+--- response_body
+passed
+--- error_log
+[checking checker] unable to construct upstream for plugin: ai-proxy-multi, resource path: /apisix/routes/1#plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], json path: $.plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0], error: unknown error
+
+
+
+=== TEST 5: removed instance must destroy its checker instead of leaking it
+# A checker is created for instances[0], then the ai-proxy-multi plugin is
+# removed from the route. The json path no longer resolves, so
+# construct_upstream gets a nil config; the working pool check must treat that
+# as a real removal and release the stale checker.
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local json = require("cjson.safe")
+
+            local checks = {
+                active = {
+                    type = "http",
+                    http_path = "/status",
+                    healthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        successes = 1,
+                    },
+                    unhealthy = {
+                        interval = 1,
+                        http_failures = 2,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local route = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                plugins = {
+                    ["ai-proxy-multi"] = {
+                        fallback_strategy = "instance_health_and_rate_limiting",
+                        instances = {
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-4",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                                checks = checks,
+                            },
+                            {
+                                name = "ai-instance-2",
+                                provider = "openai",
+                                weight = 1,
+                                auth = {
+                                    header = {
+                                        Authorization = "Bearer token",
+                                    },
+                                },
+                                options = {
+                                    model = "gpt-3",
+                                },
+                                override = {
+                                    endpoint = "http://127.0.0.1:16724",
+                                },
+                            },
+                        },
+                        ssl_verify = false,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 json.encode(route)
+            )
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+
+            local function send_ai()
+                local code = t("/ai",
+                    ngx.HTTP_POST,
+                    json.encode({messages = {{role = "user", content = "hi"}}}),
+                    nil,
+                    {
+                        ["Content-Type"] = "application/json",
+                    }
+                )
+                return code
+            end
+
+            -- create the checker for instances[0]
+            assert(send_ai() == 200, "request should succeed")
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+
+            -- drop ai-proxy-multi so the instance's json path resolves to nil
+            local plain = {
+                uri = "/ai",
+                upstream = {
+                    type = "roundrobin",
+                    nodes = {
+                        ["127.0.0.1:16724"] = 1,
+                    },
+                },
+            }
+            code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1', ngx.HTTP_PUT, json.encode(plain))
+            assert(code < 300, body)
+            ngx.sleep(2)
+            ngx.say("passed")
+        }
+    }
+--- timeout: 10
+--- response_body
+passed
+--- error_log
+try to release checker:
+for resource: /apisix/routes/1#plugins['ai-proxy-multi'].instances[0] and version