diff --git a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
index ba57c8d225..d4c74f4910 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
@@ -587,14 +587,15 @@ class VertexGeminiConfig(VertexAIBaseConfig, BaseConfig):
                 _content_str += "data:{};base64,{}".format(
                     part["inlineData"]["mimeType"], part["inlineData"]["data"]
                 )
-            if part.get("thought") is True:
-                if reasoning_content_str is None:
-                    reasoning_content_str = ""
-                reasoning_content_str += _content_str
-            else:
-                if content_str is None:
-                    content_str = ""
-                content_str += _content_str
+            if len(_content_str) > 0:
+                if part.get("thought") is True:
+                    if reasoning_content_str is None:
+                        reasoning_content_str = ""
+                    reasoning_content_str += _content_str
+                else:
+                    if content_str is None:
+                        content_str = ""
+                    content_str += _content_str
 
         return content_str, reasoning_content_str
 
diff --git a/tests/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/test_vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py b/tests/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/test_vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
index bb00ff3ba0..0c6a95a97b 100644
--- a/tests/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/test_vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
+++ b/tests/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/test_vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
@@ -239,3 +239,23 @@ def test_vertex_ai_thinking_output_part():
     content, reasoning_content = v.get_assistant_content_message(parts=parts)
     assert content == "Hello world"
     assert reasoning_content == "I'm thinking..."
+
+
+def test_vertex_ai_empty_content():
+    from litellm.llms.vertex_ai.gemini.vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini import (
+        VertexGeminiConfig,
+    )
+    from litellm.types.llms.vertex_ai import HttpxPartType
+
+    v = VertexGeminiConfig()
+    parts = [
+        HttpxPartType(
+            functionCall={
+                "name": "get_current_weather",
+                "arguments": "{}",
+            },
+        ),
+    ]
+    content, reasoning_content = v.get_assistant_content_message(parts=parts)
+    assert content is None
+    assert reasoning_content is None