diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index a10acc63fe8..3de4a70d5c4 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -3067,7 +3067,9 @@ class Router:
             return False
         # Any structured-output request (response_format, or a forced tool call)
         # produces a partial that cannot be resumed from an arbitrary cut point.
-        if request_kwargs.get("response_format") is not None:
+        # `{"type": "text"}` is the unconstrained default and stays eligible.
+        response_format: Final = request_kwargs.get("response_format")
+        if response_format is not None and response_format != {"type": "text"}:
             return False
         tool_choice: Final = request_kwargs.get("tool_choice")
         if tool_choice == "required" or isinstance(tool_choice, Mapping):
@@ -3087,7 +3089,16 @@ class Router:
         regenerating text already delivered to the caller. The deployment filter
         guarantees the target supports ``prefix: True`` (parity with
         ``_build_responses_continuation_input`` for the Responses-API path).
+
+        A nested mid-stream break can re-enter here with a prefill already
+        appended; the new partial is folded into that trailing assistant turn so
+        the request keeps a single prefill rather than two consecutive assistant
+        messages a non-merging provider would reject.
         """
+        if messages and messages[-1].get("role") == "assistant" and messages[-1].get("prefix"):
+            last: Final = messages[-1]
+            merged: dict[str, object] = {**last, "content": str(last.get("content") or "") + generated_content}
+            return [*messages[:-1], merged]
         prefill: dict[str, object] = {"role": "assistant", "content": generated_content, "prefix": True}
         return [*messages, prefill]
 
diff --git a/litellm/router_utils/pre_call_checks/continuation_prefill_check.py b/litellm/router_utils/pre_call_checks/continuation_prefill_check.py
index 75d1ecb225c..14e637280d8 100644
--- a/litellm/router_utils/pre_call_checks/continuation_prefill_check.py
+++ b/litellm/router_utils/pre_call_checks/continuation_prefill_check.py
@@ -28,12 +28,11 @@ _STR_KEYED_DICT_ADAPTER: Final = TypeAdapter(dict[str, object])
 
 def _deployment_supports_prefill(deployment: object) -> bool:
     try:
-        params: Final = _STR_KEYED_DICT_ADAPTER.validate_python(
-            _STR_KEYED_DICT_ADAPTER.validate_python(deployment).get("litellm_params")
-        )
+        deployment_map: Final = _STR_KEYED_DICT_ADAPTER.validate_python(deployment)
+        litellm_params: Final = _STR_KEYED_DICT_ADAPTER.validate_python(deployment_map.get("litellm_params"))
     except ValidationError:
         return False
-    model: Final = params.get("model")
+    model: Final = litellm_params.get("model")
     return isinstance(model, str) and bool(model) and supports_assistant_prefill(model=model)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
index 1a1ca08b9b2..0c3bf43182d 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_router.py
@@ -2276,8 +2276,9 @@ async def test_acompletion_streaming_iterator_continues_after_content_when_eligi
         ({"emitted_disqualifying_content": True}, {}),
         ({"emitted_disqualifying_content": False}, {"response_format": {"type": "json_object"}}),
         ({"emitted_disqualifying_content": False}, {"tool_choice": "required"}),
+        ({"emitted_disqualifying_content": False}, {"merge_reasoning_content_in_choices": True}),
     ],
-    ids=["tool_or_thinking_emitted", "json_mode", "forced_tool_choice"],
+    ids=["tool_or_thinking_emitted", "json_mode", "forced_tool_choice", "merged_reasoning"],
 )
 async def test_acompletion_streaming_iterator_declines_ineligible_after_content(error_kwargs, request_kwargs):
     """Flag on but the break is not continuation-safe: the router re-raises and
@@ -2352,6 +2353,32 @@ def test_build_completion_continuation_input_appends_assistant_prefill():
     assert built[-1] == {"role": "assistant", "content": "partial answer", "prefix": True}
 
 
+def test_build_completion_continuation_input_folds_into_existing_prefill():
+    """A nested break must not leave two trailing assistant turns: the new partial
+    folds into the prior prefill so a non-merging provider still gets one."""
+    once = litellm.Router._build_completion_continuation_input([{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}], "part one ")
+    twice = litellm.Router._build_completion_continuation_input(list(once), "part two")
+    assert [m["role"] for m in twice] == ["user", "assistant"]
+    assert twice[-1] == {"role": "assistant", "content": "part one part two", "prefix": True}
+
+
+def test_mid_stream_continuation_eligible_allows_text_response_format():
+    """response_format={"type": "text"} is the unconstrained default and must stay
+    eligible, unlike json_object / json_schema."""
+    from litellm.exceptions import MidStreamFallbackError
+
+    router = litellm.Router(
+        model_list=[{"model_name": "gpt-4", "litellm_params": {"model": "gpt-4", "api_key": "k"}}],
+        enable_mid_stream_fallback_continuation=True,
+    )
+    e = MidStreamFallbackError(
+        message="boom", model="gpt-4", llm_provider="openai", generated_content="Hello",
+        is_pre_first_chunk=False, emitted_disqualifying_content=False,
+    )
+    assert router._mid_stream_continuation_eligible(e=e, request_kwargs={"response_format": {"type": "text"}}) is True
+    assert router._mid_stream_continuation_eligible(e=e, request_kwargs={"response_format": {"type": "json_object"}}) is False
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_acompletion_streaming_iterator_reraises_original_exception_when_available():
     """Async: when the mid-stream MidStreamFallbackError wraps a real provider