diff --git a/libs/core/langchain_core/output_parsers/xml.py b/libs/core/langchain_core/output_parsers/xml.py
index 704c67b8e7..890a4d7c71 100644
--- a/libs/core/langchain_core/output_parsers/xml.py
+++ b/libs/core/langchain_core/output_parsers/xml.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class XMLOutputParser(BaseTransformOutputParser):
     def get_format_instructions(self) -> str:
         return XML_FORMAT_INSTRUCTIONS.format(tags=self.tags)
 
-    def parse(self, text: str) -> Dict[str, List[Any]]:
+    def parse(self, text: str) -> Dict[str, Union[str, List[Any]]]:
         # Try to find XML string within triple backticks
         # Imports are temporarily placed here to avoid issue with caching on CI
         # likely if you're reading this you can move them to the top of the file
@@ -207,9 +207,13 @@ class XMLOutputParser(BaseTransformOutputParser):
                 yield output
         streaming_parser.close()
 
-    def _root_to_dict(self, root: ET.Element) -> Dict[str, List[Any]]:
+    def _root_to_dict(self, root: ET.Element) -> Dict[str, Union[str, List[Any]]]:
         """Converts xml tree to python dictionary."""
-        result: Dict[str, List[Any]] = {root.tag: []}
+        if root.text and bool(re.search(r"\S", root.text)):
+            # If root text contains any non-whitespace character it
+            # returns {root.tag: root.text}
+            return {root.tag: root.text}
+        result: Dict = {root.tag: []}
         for child in root:
             if len(child) == 0:
                 result[root.tag].append({child.tag: child.text})
diff --git a/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/output_parsers/test_xml_parser.py b/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/output_parsers/test_xml_parser.py
index c30d09ea1b..c71ed7f992 100644
--- a/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/output_parsers/test_xml_parser.py
+++ b/libs/core/tests/unit_tests/output_parsers/test_xml_parser.py
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ DEF_RESULT_EXPECTED = {
 
 async def _test_parser(parser: XMLOutputParser, content: str) -> None:
     """Test parser."""
-    xml_content = parser.parse(content)
-    assert DEF_RESULT_EXPECTED == xml_content
+    assert parser.parse(content) == DEF_RESULT_EXPECTED
+    assert await parser.aparse(content) == DEF_RESULT_EXPECTED
 
     assert list(parser.transform(iter(content))) == [
         {"foo": [{"bar": [{"baz": None}]}]},
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ async def _test_parser(parser: XMLOutputParser, content: str) -> None:
         {"foo": [{"baz": "tag"}]},
     ]
 
-    async def _as_iter(iterable: Iterable[str]) -> AsyncIterator[str]:
-        for item in iterable:
-            yield item
-
     chunks = [chunk async for chunk in parser.atransform(_as_iter(content))]
 
     assert list(chunks) == [
@@ -67,6 +63,30 @@ async def _test_parser(parser: XMLOutputParser, content: str) -> None:
     ]
 
 
+ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<body>Text of the body.</body>
+"""
+
+ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY_EXPECTED = {"body": "Text of the body."}
+
+
+async def _as_iter(iterable: Iterable[str]) -> AsyncIterator[str]:
+    for item in iterable:
+        yield item
+
+
+async def test_root_only_xml_output_parser() -> None:
+    """Test XMLOutputParser when xml only contains the root level tag"""
+    xml_parser = XMLOutputParser(parser="xml")
+    assert xml_parser.parse(ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY) == {"body": "Text of the body."}
+    assert await xml_parser.aparse(ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY) == {"body": "Text of the body."}
+    assert list(xml_parser.transform(iter(ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY))) == [
+        {"body": "Text of the body."}
+    ]
+    chunks = [chunk async for chunk in xml_parser.atransform(_as_iter(ROOT_LEVEL_ONLY))]
+    assert chunks == [{"body": "Text of the body."}]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "content",
     [