diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 91b39801d..64f1d21d4 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "4.68.0"
+  ".": "4.68.1"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2fcd3be4d..9a2102f46 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 4.68.1 (2024-10-18)
+
+Full Changelog: [v4.68.0...v4.68.1](https://github.com/openai/openai-node/compare/v4.68.0...v4.68.1)
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **client:** respect x-stainless-retry-count default headers ([#1138](https://github.com/openai/openai-node/issues/1138)) ([266717b](https://github.com/openai/openai-node/commit/266717b3301828c7df735064a380a055576183bc))
+
 ## 4.68.0 (2024-10-17)
 
 Full Changelog: [v4.67.3...v4.68.0](https://github.com/openai/openai-node/compare/v4.67.3...v4.68.0)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bbfc821d2..d4b838897 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ You can import in Deno via:
 <!-- x-release-please-start-version -->
 
 ```ts
-import OpenAI from 'https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.68.0/mod.ts';
+import OpenAI from 'https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.68.1/mod.ts';
 ```
 
 <!-- x-release-please-end -->
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 807c79098..538163b0f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "openai",
-  "version": "4.68.0",
+  "version": "4.68.1",
   "description": "The official TypeScript library for the OpenAI API",
   "author": "OpenAI <support@openai.com>",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
diff --git a/scripts/build-deno b/scripts/build-deno
index 5e813aeb2..b7459b609 100755
--- a/scripts/build-deno
+++ b/scripts/build-deno
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ This is a build produced from https://github.com/openai/openai-node – please g
 Usage:
 
 \`\`\`ts
-import OpenAI from "https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.68.0/mod.ts";
+import OpenAI from "https://deno.land/x/openai@v4.68.1/mod.ts";
 
 const client = new OpenAI();
 \`\`\`
diff --git a/src/core.ts b/src/core.ts
index d78e9e926..9d90178ab 100644
--- a/src/core.ts
+++ b/src/core.ts
@@ -386,9 +386,13 @@ export abstract class APIClient {
       delete reqHeaders['content-type'];
     }
 
-    // Don't set the retry count header if it was already set or removed by the caller. We check `headers`,
-    // which can contain nulls, instead of `reqHeaders` to account for the removal case.
-    if (getHeader(headers, 'x-stainless-retry-count') === undefined) {
+    // Don't set the retry count header if it was already set or removed through default headers or by the
+    // caller. We check `defaultHeaders` and `headers`, which can contain nulls, instead of `reqHeaders` to
+    // account for the removal case.
+    if (
+      getHeader(defaultHeaders, 'x-stainless-retry-count') === undefined &&
+      getHeader(headers, 'x-stainless-retry-count') === undefined
+    ) {
       reqHeaders['x-stainless-retry-count'] = String(retryCount);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/version.ts b/src/version.ts
index 12aaa52bb..dcff7c8bd 100644
--- a/src/version.ts
+++ b/src/version.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export const VERSION = '4.68.0'; // x-release-please-version
+export const VERSION = '4.68.1'; // x-release-please-version
diff --git a/tests/index.test.ts b/tests/index.test.ts
index b55ec5f67..f39571121 100644
--- a/tests/index.test.ts
+++ b/tests/index.test.ts
@@ -295,6 +295,39 @@ describe('retries', () => {
     expect(capturedRequest!.headers as Headers).not.toHaveProperty('x-stainless-retry-count');
   });
 
+  test('omit retry count header by default', async () => {
+    let count = 0;
+    let capturedRequest: RequestInit | undefined;
+    const testFetch = async (url: RequestInfo, init: RequestInit = {}): Promise<Response> => {
+      count++;
+      if (count <= 2) {
+        return new Response(undefined, {
+          status: 429,
+          headers: {
+            'Retry-After': '0.1',
+          },
+        });
+      }
+      capturedRequest = init;
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify({ a: 1 }), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });
+    };
+    const client = new OpenAI({
+      apiKey: 'My API Key',
+      fetch: testFetch,
+      maxRetries: 4,
+      defaultHeaders: { 'X-Stainless-Retry-Count': null },
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      await client.request({
+        path: '/foo',
+        method: 'get',
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ a: 1 });
+
+    expect(capturedRequest!.headers as Headers).not.toHaveProperty('x-stainless-retry-count');
+  });
+
   test('overwrite retry count header', async () => {
     let count = 0;
     let capturedRequest: RequestInit | undefined;