diff --git a/litellm/llms/ollama/common_utils.py b/litellm/llms/ollama/common_utils.py
index 5cf213950c16..2450eeccf946 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/ollama/common_utils.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/ollama/common_utils.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-from typing import Union
+from typing import Optional, Union
 
 import httpx
 
+from litellm._logging import verbose_logger
 from litellm.llms.base_llm.chat.transformation import BaseLLMException
 
 
@@ -43,3 +44,26 @@ def _convert_image(image):
     image_data.convert("RGB").save(jpeg_image, "JPEG")
     jpeg_image.seek(0)
     return base64.b64encode(jpeg_image.getvalue()).decode("utf-8")
+
+
+def process_response_format(response_format: dict) -> Optional[str]:
+    """
+    Process OpenAI-style response format specification into Ollama API format
+    string
+
+    Args:
+        response_format (dict): OpenAI-style response format specification
+
+    Returns:
+        str: Format string for Ollama API
+    """
+    format_type = response_format.get("type")
+    if format_type == "json_object":
+        return "json"
+    elif format_type == "json_schema":
+        schema = response_format.get("json_schema", {}).get("schema")
+        if not schema:
+            raise ValueError("Invalid JSON schema format")
+        return schema
+    else:
+        verbose_logger.warning(f"Unsupported response format type: {format_type}")
diff --git a/litellm/llms/ollama/completion/transformation.py b/litellm/llms/ollama/completion/transformation.py
index 52198893219f..33b009bf30d1 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/ollama/completion/transformation.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/ollama/completion/transformation.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     ProviderField,
 )
 
-from ..common_utils import OllamaError, _convert_image
+from ..common_utils import OllamaError, _convert_image, process_response_format
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from litellm.litellm_core_utils.litellm_logging import Logging as _LiteLLMLoggingObj
@@ -172,8 +172,9 @@ def map_openai_params(
             if param == "stop":
                 optional_params["stop"] = value
             if param == "response_format" and isinstance(value, dict):
-                if value["type"] == "json_object":
-                    optional_params["format"] = "json"
+                format = process_response_format(value)
+                if format is not None:
+                    optional_params["format"] = format
 
         return optional_params
 
diff --git a/litellm/llms/ollama_chat.py b/litellm/llms/ollama_chat.py
index 5aa26ced46dd..3ce69aa805b6 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/ollama_chat.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/ollama_chat.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import litellm
 from litellm import verbose_logger
 from litellm.llms.custom_httpx.http_handler import get_async_httpx_client
+from litellm.llms.ollama.common_utils import process_response_format
 from litellm.llms.openai.chat.gpt_transformation import OpenAIGPTConfig
 from litellm.types.llms.ollama import OllamaToolCall, OllamaToolCallFunction
 from litellm.types.llms.openai import ChatCompletionAssistantToolCall
@@ -152,8 +153,10 @@ def map_openai_params(
                 optional_params["repeat_penalty"] = value
             if param == "stop":
                 optional_params["stop"] = value
-            if param == "response_format" and value["type"] == "json_object":
-                optional_params["format"] = "json"
+            if param == "response_format" and isinstance(value, dict):
+                format = process_response_format(value)
+                if format is not None:
+                    optional_params["format"] = format
             ### FUNCTION CALLING LOGIC ###
             if param == "tools":
                 # ollama actually supports json output
diff --git a/tests/local_testing/test_ollama.py b/tests/local_testing/test_ollama.py
index 2066859091e8..06124061ddbf 100644
--- a/tests/local_testing/test_ollama.py
+++ b/tests/local_testing/test_ollama.py
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import asyncio
+import json
 import os
 import sys
-import traceback
 
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
+from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 load_dotenv()
-import io
-import os
 
 sys.path.insert(
     0, os.path.abspath("../..")
@@ -19,7 +18,12 @@
 import litellm
 
 ## for ollama we can't test making the completion call
-from litellm.utils import EmbeddingResponse, get_llm_provider, get_optional_params
+from litellm.utils import (
+    EmbeddingResponse,
+    get_llm_provider,
+    get_optional_params,
+    type_to_response_format_param,
+)
 
 
 def test_get_ollama_params():
@@ -76,6 +80,31 @@ def test_ollama_json_mode():
 # test_ollama_json_mode()
 
 
+def test_ollama_structured_format():
+    # assert that format receives a structred json schema
+    class Country(BaseModel):
+        name: str
+        code: str
+        languages: list[str]
+
+    model_schema = type_to_response_format_param(Country) or {}
+    model_schema = model_schema.get("json_schema", {}).get("schema", {})
+    try:
+        converted_params = get_optional_params(
+            custom_llm_provider="ollama",
+            model="llama2",
+            temperature=0.5,
+            response_format=Country,
+        )
+        assert converted_params == {
+            "temperature": 0.5,
+            "format": model_schema,
+            "stream": False,
+        }, f"{converted_params} != {{'temperature': 0.5, 'format': {model_schema}, 'stream': False}}"
+    except Exception as e:
+        pytest.fail(f"Error occurred: {e}")
+
+
 mock_ollama_embedding_response = EmbeddingResponse(model="ollama/nomic-embed-text")
 
 
@@ -135,7 +164,6 @@ def test_ollama_aembeddings(mock_aembeddings):
 
 @pytest.mark.skip(reason="local only test")
 def test_ollama_chat_function_calling():
-    import json
 
     tools = [
         {