diff --git a/api/types.go b/api/types.go
index c7e9dce3..65a99c76 100644
--- a/api/types.go
+++ b/api/types.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func (t Tools) String() string {
 // of images.
 type Message struct {
 	Role      string      `json:"role"`
-	Content   string      `json:"content,omitempty"`
+	Content   string      `json:"content"`
 	Images    []ImageData `json:"images,omitempty"`
 	ToolCalls []ToolCall  `json:"tool_calls,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/server/model.go b/server/model.go
index 65231ab1..a084dd8c 100644
--- a/server/model.go
+++ b/server/model.go
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ func (m *Model) parseToolCalls(s string) ([]api.ToolCall, bool) {
 	for offset := 0; offset < len(s); {
 		var obj map[string]any
 		decoder := json.NewDecoder(strings.NewReader(s[offset:]))
-		if err := decoder.Decode(&obj); errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+		if err := decoder.Decode(&obj); errors.Is(err, io.EOF) || errors.Is(err, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF) {
 			break
 		} else if syntax := &(json.SyntaxError{}); errors.As(err, &syntax) {
 			// skip over any syntax errors
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ func (m *Model) parseToolCalls(s string) ([]api.ToolCall, bool) {
 			// skip over any unmarshalable types
 			offset += int(unmarshalType.Offset)
 		} else if err != nil {
+			slog.Error("parseToolCalls", "error", err)
 			return nil, false
 		} else {
 			offset += int(decoder.InputOffset())
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index b4a8b4ac..c33b7195 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ func (s *Server) ChatHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 
 	caps := []Capability{CapabilityCompletion}
-	if req.Tools != nil {
+	if len(req.Tools) > 0 {
 		caps = append(caps, CapabilityTools)
 	}
 
@@ -1385,9 +1385,12 @@ func (s *Server) ChatHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 
 		resp.Message.Content = sb.String()
-		if toolCalls, ok := m.parseToolCalls(sb.String()); ok {
-			resp.Message.ToolCalls = toolCalls
-			resp.Message.Content = ""
+
+		if len(req.Tools) > 0 {
+			if toolCalls, ok := m.parseToolCalls(sb.String()); ok {
+				resp.Message.ToolCalls = toolCalls
+				resp.Message.Content = ""
+			}
 		}
 
 		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, resp)