diff --git a/litellm/main.py b/litellm/main.py
index 9dd6186312..d208966311 100644
--- a/litellm/main.py
+++ b/litellm/main.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import os, openai, sys, json, inspect, uuid, datetime, threading
 from typing import Any, Literal, Union, BinaryIO
+from typing_extensions import overload
 from functools import partial
 import dotenv, traceback, random, asyncio, time, contextvars
 from copy import deepcopy
diff --git a/litellm/tests/test_completion.py b/litellm/tests/test_completion.py
index 70d6824e9e..45a53ca56a 100644
--- a/litellm/tests/test_completion.py
+++ b/litellm/tests/test_completion.py
@@ -68,6 +68,51 @@ def test_completion_custom_provider_model_name():
         pytest.fail(f"Error occurred: {e}")
 
 
+def _openai_mock_response(*args, **kwargs) -> litellm.ModelResponse:
+    _data = {
+        "id": "chatcmpl-123",
+        "object": "chat.completion",
+        "created": 1677652288,
+        "model": "gpt-3.5-turbo-0125",
+        "system_fingerprint": "fp_44709d6fcb",
+        "choices": [
+            {
+                "index": 0,
+                "message": {
+                    "role": None,
+                    "content": "\n\nHello there, how may I assist you today?",
+                },
+                "logprobs": None,
+                "finish_reason": "stop",
+            }
+        ],
+        "usage": {"prompt_tokens": 9, "completion_tokens": 12, "total_tokens": 21},
+    }
+    return litellm.ModelResponse(**_data)
+
+
+def test_null_role_response():
+    """
+    Test if api returns 'null' role, 'assistant' role is still returned
+    """
+    import openai
+
+    openai_client = openai.OpenAI()
+    with patch.object(
+        openai_client.chat.completions, "create", side_effect=_openai_mock_response
+    ) as mock_response:
+        response = litellm.completion(
+            model="gpt-3.5-turbo",
+            messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hey! how's it going?"}],
+            client=openai_client,
+        )
+        print(f"response: {response}")
+
+        assert response.id == "chatcmpl-123"
+
+        assert response.choices[0].message.role == "assistant"
+
+
 def test_completion_azure_command_r():
     try:
         litellm.set_verbose = True
diff --git a/litellm/utils.py b/litellm/utils.py
index e2bc8bec18..5d7cf63456 100644
--- a/litellm/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/utils.py
@@ -7709,7 +7709,7 @@ def convert_to_model_response_object(
             for idx, choice in enumerate(response_object["choices"]):
                 message = Message(
                     content=choice["message"].get("content", None),
-                    role=choice["message"]["role"],
+                    role=choice["message"]["role"] or "assistant",
                     function_call=choice["message"].get("function_call", None),
                     tool_calls=choice["message"].get("tool_calls", None),
                 )