diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py b/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
index f90245c08..e2314d44f 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/utils/inference/openai_compat.py
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ from llama_stack.apis.inference.inference import (
     OpenAIChatCompletion,
     OpenAICompletion,
     OpenAICompletionChoice,
+    OpenAIMessageParam,
     OpenAIResponseFormatParam,
     ToolConfig,
 )
@@ -987,7 +988,7 @@ def _convert_openai_sampling_params(
 
 
 def openai_messages_to_messages(
-    messages: list[OpenAIChatCompletionMessage],
+    messages: list[OpenAIMessageParam],
 ) -> list[Message]:
     """
     Convert a list of OpenAIChatCompletionMessage into a list of Message.
@@ -995,12 +996,12 @@ def openai_messages_to_messages(
     converted_messages = []
     for message in messages:
         if message.role == "system":
-            converted_message = SystemMessage(content=message.content)
+            converted_message = SystemMessage(content=openai_content_to_content(message.content))
         elif message.role == "user":
             converted_message = UserMessage(content=openai_content_to_content(message.content))
         elif message.role == "assistant":
             converted_message = CompletionMessage(
-                content=message.content,
+                content=openai_content_to_content(message.content),
                 tool_calls=_convert_openai_tool_calls(message.tool_calls),
                 stop_reason=StopReason.end_of_turn,
             )
@@ -1331,7 +1332,7 @@ class OpenAIChatCompletionToLlamaStackMixin:
     async def openai_chat_completion(
         self,
         model: str,
-        messages: list[OpenAIChatCompletionMessage],
+        messages: list[OpenAIMessageParam],
         frequency_penalty: float | None = None,
         function_call: str | dict[str, Any] | None = None,
         functions: list[dict[str, Any]] | None = None,
diff --git a/tests/unit/providers/utils/inference/test_openai_compat.py b/tests/unit/providers/utils/inference/test_openai_compat.py
index fda762d7f..4c75b8a2f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/providers/utils/inference/test_openai_compat.py
+++ b/tests/unit/providers/utils/inference/test_openai_compat.py
@@ -7,9 +7,20 @@
 import pytest
 
 from llama_stack.apis.common.content_types import TextContentItem
-from llama_stack.apis.inference.inference import CompletionMessage, UserMessage
+from llama_stack.apis.inference.inference import (
+    CompletionMessage,
+    OpenAIAssistantMessageParam,
+    OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam,
+    OpenAISystemMessageParam,
+    OpenAIUserMessageParam,
+    SystemMessage,
+    UserMessage,
+)
 from llama_stack.models.llama.datatypes import BuiltinTool, StopReason, ToolCall
-from llama_stack.providers.utils.inference.openai_compat import convert_message_to_openai_dict
+from llama_stack.providers.utils.inference.openai_compat import (
+    convert_message_to_openai_dict,
+    openai_messages_to_messages,
+)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
@@ -67,3 +78,39 @@ async def test_convert_message_to_openai_dict_with_builtin_tool_call():
             {"id": "123", "type": "function", "function": {"name": "brave_search", "arguments": '{"foo": "bar"}'}}
         ],
     }
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_openai_messages_to_messages_with_content_str():
+    openai_messages = [
+        OpenAISystemMessageParam(content="system message"),
+        OpenAIUserMessageParam(content="user message"),
+        OpenAIAssistantMessageParam(content="assistant message"),
+    ]
+
+    llama_messages = openai_messages_to_messages(openai_messages)
+    assert len(llama_messages) == 3
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[0], SystemMessage)
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[1], UserMessage)
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[2], CompletionMessage)
+    assert llama_messages[0].content == "system message"
+    assert llama_messages[1].content == "user message"
+    assert llama_messages[2].content == "assistant message"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_openai_messages_to_messages_with_content_list():
+    openai_messages = [
+        OpenAISystemMessageParam(content=[OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam(text="system message")]),
+        OpenAIUserMessageParam(content=[OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam(text="user message")]),
+        OpenAIAssistantMessageParam(content=[OpenAIChatCompletionContentPartTextParam(text="assistant message")]),
+    ]
+
+    llama_messages = openai_messages_to_messages(openai_messages)
+    assert len(llama_messages) == 3
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[0], SystemMessage)
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[1], UserMessage)
+    assert isinstance(llama_messages[2], CompletionMessage)
+    assert llama_messages[0].content[0].text == "system message"
+    assert llama_messages[1].content[0].text == "user message"
+    assert llama_messages[2].content[0].text == "assistant message"