diff --git a/src/anthropic/lib/_parse/_response.py b/src/anthropic/lib/_parse/_response.py
index ee8326e5f..06f2af1d9 100644
--- a/src/anthropic/lib/_parse/_response.py
+++ b/src/anthropic/lib/_parse/_response.py
@@ -20,6 +20,19 @@ def parse_text(text: str, output_format: ResponseFormatT | NotGiven) -> Response
     return None
 
 
+def _parse_text_for_stop_reason(
+    text: str,
+    output_format: ResponseFormatT | NotGiven,
+    stop_reason: str | None,
+) -> ResponseFormatT | None:
+    # Structured output is not guaranteed to match the requested schema when
+    # generation is refused or truncated. Preserve the response and its stop
+    # reason instead of masking it with a JSON/schema validation exception.
+    if stop_reason == "refusal" or stop_reason == "max_tokens":
+        return None
+    return parse_text(text, output_format)
+
+
 def parse_beta_response(
     *,
     output_format: ResponseFormatT | NotGiven,
@@ -31,7 +44,14 @@ def parse_beta_response(
             content_list.append(
                 construct_type_unchecked(
                     type_=ParsedBetaTextBlock[ResponseFormatT],
-                    value={**content.to_dict(), "parsed_output": parse_text(content.text, output_format)},
+                    value={
+                        **content.to_dict(),
+                        "parsed_output": _parse_text_for_stop_reason(
+                            content.text,
+                            output_format,
+                            response.stop_reason,
+                        ),
+                    },
                 )
             )
         else:
@@ -57,7 +77,14 @@ def parse_response(
             content_list.append(
                 construct_type_unchecked(
                     type_=ParsedTextBlock[ResponseFormatT],
-                    value={**content.to_dict(), "parsed_output": parse_text(content.text, output_format)},
+                    value={
+                        **content.to_dict(),
+                        "parsed_output": _parse_text_for_stop_reason(
+                            content.text,
+                            output_format,
+                            response.stop_reason,
+                        ),
+                    },
                 )
             )
         else:
diff --git a/tests/lib/_parse/test_stop_reason_parsing.py b/tests/lib/_parse/test_stop_reason_parsing.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..858c8fbdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/_parse/test_stop_reason_parsing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Literal
+
+import pytest
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
+
+from anthropic import _compat
+from anthropic.lib._parse._response import parse_beta_response, parse_response
+from anthropic.types import Message, TextBlock, Usage
+from anthropic.types.beta import BetaMessage, BetaTextBlock, BetaUsage
+
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.skipif(_compat.PYDANTIC_V1, reason="structured outputs not supported with pydantic v1")
+
+
+class ParsedValue(BaseModel):
+    value: int
+
+
+def _message(stop_reason: Literal["refusal", "max_tokens", "end_turn"], text: str) -> Message:
+    return Message.construct(
+        id="msg_test",
+        type="message",
+        role="assistant",
+        content=[TextBlock.construct(type="text", text=text, citations=None)],
+        model="claude-test",
+        stop_reason=stop_reason,
+        stop_sequence=None,
+        usage=Usage.construct(input_tokens=1, output_tokens=1),
+    )
+
+
+def _beta_message(stop_reason: Literal["refusal", "max_tokens", "end_turn"], text: str) -> BetaMessage:
+    return BetaMessage.construct(
+        id="msg_test",
+        type="message",
+        role="assistant",
+        content=[BetaTextBlock.construct(type="text", text=text, citations=None)],
+        model="claude-test",
+        stop_reason=stop_reason,
+        stop_sequence=None,
+        usage=BetaUsage.construct(input_tokens=1, output_tokens=1),
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("stop_reason", "text"),
+    [
+        ("refusal", "I cannot provide that."),
+        ("max_tokens", '{"value":'),
+    ],
+)
+def test_parse_response_preserves_non_schema_terminal_output(
+    stop_reason: Literal["refusal", "max_tokens"],
+    text: str,
+) -> None:
+    response = parse_response(output_format=ParsedValue, response=_message(stop_reason, text))
+
+    assert response.stop_reason == stop_reason
+    assert response.parsed_output is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("stop_reason", "text"),
+    [
+        ("refusal", "I cannot provide that."),
+        ("max_tokens", '{"value":'),
+    ],
+)
+def test_parse_beta_response_preserves_non_schema_terminal_output(
+    stop_reason: Literal["refusal", "max_tokens"],
+    text: str,
+) -> None:
+    response = parse_beta_response(output_format=ParsedValue, response=_beta_message(stop_reason, text))
+
+    assert response.stop_reason == stop_reason
+    assert response.parsed_output is None
+
+
+def test_completed_response_still_validates_structured_output() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
+        parse_response(output_format=ParsedValue, response=_message("end_turn", "not json"))
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
+        parse_beta_response(output_format=ParsedValue, response=_beta_message("end_turn", "not json"))