diff --git a/app/http/tool_bridge.py b/app/http/tool_bridge.py
index 6ab982d..10ab7ae 100644
--- a/app/http/tool_bridge.py
+++ b/app/http/tool_bridge.py
@@ -161,6 +161,27 @@ def _json_object_from_text(text: str) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
     return parsed if isinstance(parsed, dict) else None
 
 
+def _json_tool_candidate_from_text(text: str) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+    raw = text.strip()
+    if not raw:
+        return None
+    if raw.startswith("```") and raw.endswith("```"):
+        raw = raw[3:-3].strip()
+        if raw.lower().startswith("json"):
+            raw = raw[4:].strip()
+    try:
+        parsed = json.loads(raw)
+    except Exception:
+        return None
+    if isinstance(parsed, dict):
+        return parsed
+    if isinstance(parsed, list) and parsed:
+        first = parsed[0]
+        if isinstance(first, dict):
+            return first
+    return None
+
+
 def _tool_code_single_arg_name(
     tools: list[dict[str, Any]] | None, forced_tool_name: str
 ) -> str | None:
@@ -199,11 +220,15 @@ def _tool_code_object_from_text(
     single_arg_name: str | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
     raw = text.strip()
-    if not raw.startswith("```tool_code") or not raw.endswith("```"):
+    if not raw.startswith("```") or not raw.endswith("```"):
         return None
     lines = raw.splitlines()
     if len(lines) < 2:
         return None
+    fence = lines[0].strip().lower()
+    language = fence[3:].strip()
+    if language and language not in {"tool_code", "python", "py"}:
+        return None
     body = "\n".join(lines[1:-1]).strip()
     try:
         parsed = ast.parse(body, mode="eval")
@@ -239,7 +264,7 @@ def _forced_tool_event_from_text(
     *,
     single_arg_name: str | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
-    parsed = _json_object_from_text(text)
+    parsed = _json_tool_candidate_from_text(text)
     if parsed is None:
         parsed = _tool_code_object_from_text(
             text, forced_tool_name, single_arg_name=single_arg_name
diff --git a/tests/test_tool_call_bridge.py b/tests/test_tool_call_bridge.py
index 02e47d1..84c6421 100644
--- a/tests/test_tool_call_bridge.py
+++ b/tests/test_tool_call_bridge.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ class ToolCallBridgeTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
             {"query": "gateway"},
         )
 
-    async def test_openai_non_stream_does_not_synthesize_tool_call_from_plain_json(
+    async def test_openai_non_stream_synthesizes_tool_call_from_plain_json(
         self,
     ) -> None:
         fake_client = _FakeClient(
@@ -280,11 +280,15 @@ class ToolCallBridgeTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
 
         payload = json.loads(response.body)
         message = payload["choices"][0]["message"]
-        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "stop")
-        self.assertIn("arguments", message["content"])
-        self.assertIsNone(message["tool_calls"])
+        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "tool_calls")
+        self.assertEqual(message["content"], "")
+        self.assertEqual(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["name"], "lookup")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            json.loads(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["arguments"]),
+            {"query": "gateway"},
+        )
 
-    async def test_openai_non_stream_does_not_synthesize_tool_call_from_tool_code(
+    async def test_openai_non_stream_synthesizes_tool_call_from_tool_code(
         self,
     ) -> None:
         fake_client = _FakeClient(
@@ -321,11 +325,15 @@ class ToolCallBridgeTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
 
         payload = json.loads(response.body)
         message = payload["choices"][0]["message"]
-        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "stop")
-        self.assertIn('lookup(query="gateway")', message["content"])
-        self.assertIsNone(message["tool_calls"])
+        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "tool_calls")
+        self.assertEqual(message["content"], "")
+        self.assertEqual(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["name"], "lookup")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            json.loads(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["arguments"]),
+            {"query": "gateway"},
+        )
 
-    async def test_openai_non_stream_does_not_synthesize_tool_call_from_tool_code_positional_arg(
+    async def test_openai_non_stream_synthesizes_tool_call_from_tool_code_positional_arg(
         self,
     ) -> None:
         fake_client = _FakeClient(
@@ -372,11 +380,15 @@ class ToolCallBridgeTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
 
         payload = json.loads(response.body)
         message = payload["choices"][0]["message"]
-        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "stop")
-        self.assertIn('lookup("gateway")', message["content"])
-        self.assertIsNone(message["tool_calls"])
+        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "tool_calls")
+        self.assertEqual(message["content"], "")
+        self.assertEqual(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["name"], "lookup")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            json.loads(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["arguments"]),
+            {"query": "gateway"},
+        )
 
-    async def test_openai_stream_does_not_synthesize_tool_call_from_tool_code(
+    async def test_openai_stream_synthesizes_tool_call_from_tool_code(
         self,
     ) -> None:
         fake_client = _FakeClient(
@@ -417,16 +429,59 @@ class ToolCallBridgeTests(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
             for line in body.splitlines()
             if line.startswith("data: {")
         ]
-        self.assertFalse(
+        self.assertTrue(
             any(
                 chunk.get("choices") and chunk["choices"][0]["delta"].get("tool_calls")
                 for chunk in chunks
             )
         )
-        self.assertNotIn('"tool_calls"', body)
-        self.assertIn('"finish_reason": "stop"', body)
+        self.assertIn('"tool_calls"', body)
+        self.assertIn('"finish_reason": "tool_calls"', body)
         self.assertIn("data: [DONE]", body)
 
+    async def test_openai_non_stream_synthesizes_tool_call_from_json_array(self) -> None:
+        fake_client = _FakeClient(
+            stream_events=[],
+            complete_result={
+                "text": '```json\n[{"name": "lookup", "arguments": {"query": "gateway"}}]\n```',
+                "toolEvents": [],
+                "sessionId": "sess-fallback-openai-json-array",
+            },
+        )
+        req = ChatCompletionsRequest(
+            model="org_auto",
+            messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}],
+            stream=False,
+            tools=[
+                {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "lookup", "parameters": {}}}
+            ],
+            tool_choice={"type": "function", "function": {"name": "lookup"}},
+        )
+
+        with (
+            patch.object(main, "pool", _FakePool(_FakeInstance(fake_client))),
+            patch.object(main, "chat_guard", _FakeGuard()),
+            patch.object(
+                main, "_ensure_instance_logged_in", AsyncMock(return_value={"id": "u"})
+            ),
+            patch.object(
+                main.stats_collector, "record_chat", AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+            ),
+        ):
+            response = await main.v1_chat_completions(
+                req, _make_request("/v1/chat/completions")
+            )
+
+        payload = json.loads(response.body)
+        message = payload["choices"][0]["message"]
+        self.assertEqual(payload["choices"][0]["finish_reason"], "tool_calls")
+        self.assertEqual(message["content"], "")
+        self.assertEqual(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["name"], "lookup")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            json.loads(message["tool_calls"][0]["function"]["arguments"]),
+            {"query": "gateway"},
+        )
+
     async def test_openai_stream_bridges_tool_and_text_events(self) -> None:
         fake_client = _FakeClient(
             stream_events=[