diff --git a/src/strands/models/litellm.py b/src/strands/models/litellm.py
index 486f67bf8..721dbc93a 100644
--- a/src/strands/models/litellm.py
+++ b/src/strands/models/litellm.py
@@ -238,20 +238,25 @@ async def _structured_output_using_response_schema(
 
         if len(response.choices) > 1:
             raise ValueError("Multiple choices found in the response.")
-        if not response.choices or response.choices[0].finish_reason != "tool_calls":
-            raise ValueError("No tool_calls found in response")
+        if not response.choices:
+            raise ValueError("No choices found in response")
 
         choice = response.choices[0]
-        try:
-            # Parse the message content as JSON
-            tool_call_data = json.loads(choice.message.content)
-            # Instantiate the output model with the parsed data
-            return output_model(**tool_call_data)
-        except ContextWindowExceededError as e:
-            logger.warning("litellm client raised context window overflow in structured_output")
-            raise ContextWindowOverflowException(e) from e
-        except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError, ValueError) as e:
-            raise ValueError(f"Failed to parse or load content into model: {e}") from e
+        if choice.finish_reason == "tool_calls" and getattr(choice.message, "tool_calls", None):
+            try:
+                tool_call = choice.message.tool_calls[0]
+                tool_call_data = json.loads(tool_call.function.arguments)
+                return output_model(**tool_call_data)
+            except ContextWindowExceededError as e:
+                logger.warning("litellm client raised context window overflow in structured_output")
+                raise ContextWindowOverflowException(e) from e
+            except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError, ValueError) as e:
+                raise ValueError(f"Failed to parse or load content into model: {e}") from e
+        else:
+            try:
+                return output_model.parse_raw(choice.message.content)
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise ValueError("No tool_calls found in response and could not parse plain text as model") from e
 
     async def _structured_output_using_tool(
         self, output_model: Type[T], prompt: Messages, system_prompt: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/tests/strands/models/test_litellm.py b/tests/strands/models/test_litellm.py
index 82023cae3..c906fed50 100644
--- a/tests/strands/models/test_litellm.py
+++ b/tests/strands/models/test_litellm.py
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ async def test_structured_output(litellm_acompletion, model, test_output_model_c
     mock_choice = unittest.mock.Mock()
     mock_choice.finish_reason = "tool_calls"
     mock_choice.message.content = '{"name": "John", "age": 30}'
+    # PATCH START: mock tool_calls as list with .function.arguments
+    tool_call_mock = unittest.mock.Mock()
+    tool_call_function_mock = unittest.mock.Mock()
+    tool_call_function_mock.arguments = '{"name": "John", "age": 30}'
+    tool_call_mock.function = tool_call_function_mock
+    mock_choice.message.tool_calls = [tool_call_mock]
+    # PATCH END
     mock_response = unittest.mock.Mock()
     mock_response.choices = [mock_choice]