diff --git a/litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/whisper_transformation.py b/litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/whisper_transformation.py
index fa507e1bc26..2c01156fe05 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/whisper_transformation.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/whisper_transformation.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import json
 from typing import List, Optional, Union
 
 from httpx import Headers, Response
@@ -107,9 +108,7 @@ class OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig(BaseAudioTranscriptionConfig):
         """
         data = {"model": model, "file": audio_file, **optional_params}
 
-        if "response_format" not in data or (
-            data["response_format"] == "text" or data["response_format"] == "json"
-        ):
+        if "response_format" not in data:
             data["response_format"] = (
                 "verbose_json"  # ensures 'duration' is received - used for cost calculation
             )
@@ -133,10 +132,11 @@ class OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig(BaseAudioTranscriptionConfig):
     ) -> TranscriptionResponse:
         try:
             raw_response_json = raw_response.json()
-        except Exception as e:
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"Error transforming response to json: {str(e)}\nResponse: {raw_response.text}"
-            )
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            content_type = raw_response.headers.get("content-type", "").lower()
+            if "application/json" in content_type:
+                raise
+            return TranscriptionResponse(text=raw_response.text)
 
         if any(
             key in raw_response_json
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/test_whisper_transformation.py b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/test_whisper_transformation.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2dc24b1b313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/llms/openai/transcriptions/test_whisper_transformation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+"""
+Tests for OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig.transform_audio_transcription_request
+and transform_audio_transcription_response.
+"""
+
+import io
+import json
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from litellm.llms.openai.transcriptions.whisper_transformation import (
+    OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig,
+)
+
+
+class TestWhisperTransformRequestResponseFormat:
+    def _transform(self, optional_params: dict) -> dict:
+        config = OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig()
+        audio_file = io.BytesIO(b"fake audio")
+        audio_file.name = "test.wav"
+        result = config.transform_audio_transcription_request(
+            model="whisper-1",
+            audio_file=audio_file,
+            optional_params=optional_params,
+            litellm_params={},
+        )
+        return result.data
+
+    def test_defaults_to_verbose_json_when_unset(self):
+        """When response_format is not specified, default to verbose_json for cost calculation."""
+        data = self._transform({})
+        assert data["response_format"] == "verbose_json"
+
+    def test_respects_explicit_json(self):
+        """When response_format='json' is set, do not override to verbose_json."""
+        data = self._transform({"response_format": "json"})
+        assert data["response_format"] == "json"
+
+    def test_respects_explicit_text(self):
+        """When response_format='text' is set, do not override to verbose_json."""
+        data = self._transform({"response_format": "text"})
+        assert data["response_format"] == "text"
+
+    def test_preserves_verbose_json_when_set(self):
+        """verbose_json explicitly set by the caller stays as-is."""
+        data = self._transform({"response_format": "verbose_json"})
+        assert data["response_format"] == "verbose_json"
+
+
+class TestWhisperTransformResponse:
+    def _make_response(self, *, text: str, content_type: str, is_json: bool):
+        mock = MagicMock()
+        mock.headers = {"content-type": content_type}
+        if is_json:
+            mock.json.return_value = {"text": text}
+        else:
+            mock.json.side_effect = json.JSONDecodeError("", "", 0)
+            mock.text = text
+        return mock
+
+    def test_parses_json_response(self):
+        """JSON body (verbose_json or json format) is parsed into TranscriptionResponse."""
+        config = OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig()
+        result = config.transform_audio_transcription_response(
+            self._make_response(
+                text="Hello world", content_type="application/json", is_json=True
+            )
+        )
+        assert result.text == "Hello world"
+
+    def test_parses_plain_text_response(self):
+        """Plain-text body (response_format=text) is returned as TranscriptionResponse without error."""
+        config = OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig()
+        result = config.transform_audio_transcription_response(
+            self._make_response(
+                text="Four score and seven years ago",
+                content_type="text/plain",
+                is_json=False,
+            )
+        )
+        assert result.text == "Four score and seven years ago"
+
+    def test_malformed_json_body_with_json_content_type_raises(self):
+        """A non-JSON body labelled application/json is a genuine upstream error, not a transcription."""
+        config = OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig()
+        with pytest.raises(json.JSONDecodeError):
+            config.transform_audio_transcription_response(
+                self._make_response(
+                    text="<html>502 Bad Gateway</html>",
+                    content_type="application/json",
+                    is_json=False,
+                )
+            )
+
+    def test_json_content_type_match_is_case_insensitive(self):
+        """Media types are case-insensitive (RFC 7231), so a mixed-case application/json still re-raises."""
+        config = OpenAIWhisperAudioTranscriptionConfig()
+        with pytest.raises(json.JSONDecodeError):
+            config.transform_audio_transcription_response(
+                self._make_response(
+                    text="<html>502 Bad Gateway</html>",
+                    content_type="Application/JSON; charset=utf-8",
+                    is_json=False,
+                )
+            )