diff --git a/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/main/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeClient.java b/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/main/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeClient.java
index e490a9107..256847ec4 100644
--- a/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/main/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeClient.java
+++ b/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/main/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeClient.java
@@ -146,7 +146,12 @@ private Object parseResponseBody(String body, boolean streaming) {
                 Map<String, Object> map =
                         mapper.readValue(body, new TypeReference<Map<String, Object>>() {});
                 if (!streaming) {
-                    map = (Map<String, Object>) map.get("output");
+                    Object output = map.get("output");
+                    if (output == null || output instanceof String) {
+                        return output;
+                    } else if (output instanceof Map) {
+                        map = (Map<String, Object>) output;
+                    }
                 }
                 if (options.contentField.isEmpty()) {
                     return map;
diff --git a/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/test/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeInvokeAgentTest.java b/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/test/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeInvokeAgentTest.java
index 9905484fe..ed0eb4210 100644
--- a/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/test/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeInvokeAgentTest.java
+++ b/langstream-agents/langstream-agent-http-request/src/test/java/ai/langstream/agents/http/LangServeInvokeAgentTest.java
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ void testInvokeJSONMap(WireMockRuntimeInfo wireMockRuntimeInfo) throws Exception
         testInvoke(wireMockRuntimeInfo, response);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testInvokeJSONMapWithoutContent(WireMockRuntimeInfo wireMockRuntimeInfo) throws Exception {
+        String response =
+                """
+                        {"output":"Why don't cats play poker in the wild? Too many cheetahs!"}
+                        """;
+        testInvoke(wireMockRuntimeInfo, response);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testInvokeJSONString(WireMockRuntimeInfo wireMockRuntimeInfo) throws Exception {
         String response =