diff --git a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/llm_shield/llm_shield.py b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/llm_shield/llm_shield.py
index 8989fabc321..e495f2e99d4 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/llm_shield/llm_shield.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/llm_shield/llm_shield.py
@@ -128,6 +128,17 @@ def _collect_tool_arguments(message: MutableRequest, slots: _SlotSink) -> None:
         _collect(legacy, "arguments", slots)
 
 
+def _collect_system(data: MutableRequest, slots: _SlotSink) -> None:
+    """Anthropic's /v1/messages carries its system prompt at the top level."""
+    system: Final = data.get("system")
+    if isinstance(system, str):
+        _collect(data, "system", slots)
+        return
+    for part in system if isinstance(system, list) else ():
+        if isinstance(part, dict):
+            _collect(part, "text", slots)
+
+
 def _collect_responses_fields(data: MutableRequest, slots: _SlotSink) -> None:
     """The Responses API sends text outside `messages`, in `instructions` and `input`."""
     _collect(data, "instructions", slots)
@@ -135,7 +146,11 @@ def _collect_responses_fields(data: MutableRequest, slots: _SlotSink) -> None:
     if isinstance(request_input, str):
         _collect(data, "input", slots)
         return
-    for item in request_input if isinstance(request_input, list) else ():
+    for index, item in enumerate(request_input if isinstance(request_input, list) else ()):
+        if isinstance(item, str):
+            # The embeddings and moderations shape: `input` as an array of strings.
+            _collect_entry(request_input, index, slots)
+            continue
         if not isinstance(item, dict):
             continue
         _collect_content(item, slots)
@@ -285,6 +300,7 @@ class LLMShieldGuardrail(CustomGuardrail):
                 _collect_tool_arguments(message, slots)
         _collect_responses_fields(data, slots)
         _collect_prompt(data, slots)
+        _collect_system(data, slots)
         return tuple(slots)
 
     # --- hooks --------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_llm_shield.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_llm_shield.py
index ffd6ede28b6..f16584fbd1d 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_llm_shield.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/guardrails/guardrail_hooks/test_llm_shield.py
@@ -292,6 +292,44 @@ class TestRequestCoverage:
         assert data["input"][0]["arguments"] == '{"email": "[EMAIL_1]"}'
         assert data["input"][1]["output"] == "sent to [EMAIL_1]"
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_anthropic_system_prompt_is_redacted(self):
+        """/v1/messages carries its system prompt at the top level, not in messages."""
+        guardrail = _guardrail()
+        mock = _mock_post(guardrail, {"texts": ["the user is [EMAIL_1]"]})
+
+        data = {"system": "the user is jane.doe@example.com", "messages": []}
+        await guardrail.async_pre_call_hook(
+            user_api_key_dict=None, cache=None, data=data, call_type="anthropic_messages"
+        )
+
+        assert mock.call_args_list[0].kwargs["json"]["texts"] == ["the user is jane.doe@example.com"]
+        assert data["system"] == "the user is [EMAIL_1]"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_anthropic_system_blocks_are_redacted(self):
+        """`system` also accepts a list of text blocks."""
+        guardrail = _guardrail()
+        _mock_post(guardrail, {"texts": ["[EMAIL_1]"]})
+
+        data = {"system": [{"type": "text", "text": "jane.doe@example.com"}], "messages": []}
+        await guardrail.async_pre_call_hook(
+            user_api_key_dict=None, cache=None, data=data, call_type="anthropic_messages"
+        )
+
+        assert data["system"][0]["text"] == "[EMAIL_1]"
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_string_array_input_is_redacted(self):
+        """Embeddings and moderations send `input` as an array of bare strings."""
+        guardrail = _guardrail()
+        _mock_post(guardrail, {"texts": ["[EMAIL_1]", "[PHONE_1]"]})
+
+        data = {"input": ["jane.doe@example.com", "555-0100"]}
+        await guardrail.async_pre_call_hook(user_api_key_dict=None, cache=None, data=data, call_type="aembedding")
+
+        assert data["input"] == ["[EMAIL_1]", "[PHONE_1]"]
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_every_shape_in_one_request_is_redacted(self):
         guardrail = _guardrail()