diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py b/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
index 1f1306f0d..8f9bcccda 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
@@ -518,15 +518,12 @@ async def convert_message_to_openai_dict_new(message: Message | Dict) -> OpenAIC
     #  {"type": "image", "image": {"url": {"uri": ...}}} -> {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": ...}}
     #  {"type": "image", "image": {"data": ...}} -> {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": "data:image/?;base64,..."}}
     #  List[...] -> List[...]
-    async def _convert_user_message_content(
+    async def _convert_message_content(
         content: InterleavedContent,
     ) -> Union[str, Iterable[OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartParam]]:
         # Llama Stack and OpenAI spec match for str and text input
         if isinstance(content, str):
-            return OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam(
-                type="text",
-                text=content,
-            )
+            return content
         elif isinstance(content, TextContentItem):
             return OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam(
                 type="text",
@@ -538,7 +535,7 @@ async def convert_message_to_openai_dict_new(message: Message | Dict) -> OpenAIC
                 image_url=OpenAIImageURL(url=await convert_image_content_to_url(content)),
             )
         elif isinstance(content, List):
-            return [await _convert_user_message_content(item) for item in content]
+            return [await _convert_message_content(item) for item in content]
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"Unsupported content type: {type(content)}")
 
@@ -546,12 +543,12 @@ async def convert_message_to_openai_dict_new(message: Message | Dict) -> OpenAIC
     if isinstance(message, UserMessage):
         out = OpenAIChatCompletionUserMessage(
             role="user",
-            content=await _convert_user_message_content(message.content),
+            content=await _convert_message_content(message.content),
         )
     elif isinstance(message, CompletionMessage):
         out = OpenAIChatCompletionAssistantMessage(
             role="assistant",
-            content=message.content,
+            content=await _convert_message_content(message.content),
             tool_calls=[
                 OpenAIChatCompletionMessageToolCall(
                     id=tool.call_id,
@@ -568,12 +565,12 @@ async def convert_message_to_openai_dict_new(message: Message | Dict) -> OpenAIC
         out = OpenAIChatCompletionToolMessage(
             role="tool",
             tool_call_id=message.call_id,
-            content=message.content,
+            content=await _convert_message_content(message.content),
         )
     elif isinstance(message, SystemMessage):
         out = OpenAIChatCompletionSystemMessage(
             role="system",
-            content=message.content,
+            content=await _convert_message_content(message.content),
         )
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"Unsupported message type: {type(message)}")