diff --git a/samples/client/lit/shell/client.ts b/samples/client/lit/shell/client.ts
index 165da4df4..93314f62c 100644
--- a/samples/client/lit/shell/client.ts
+++ b/samples/client/lit/shell/client.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,99 @@ import { A2AClient } from "@a2a-js/sdk/client";
 import { v0_8 } from "@a2ui/lit";
 
 const A2UI_MIME_TYPE = "application/json+a2ui";
+const TEXT_FALLBACK_SURFACE_ID = "@default";
+const TEXT_FALLBACK_ROOT_ID = "__a2ui_text_fallback_root";
+
+function textFallbackComponentId(index: number) {
+  return `__a2ui_text_fallback_${index}`;
+}
+
+export function convertA2APartsToMessages(
+  parts: Part[]
+): v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage[] {
+  const dataMessages: v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage[] = [];
+  const textMessages: string[] = [];
+
+  for (const part of parts) {
+    if (part.kind === "data") {
+      dataMessages.push(part.data as v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (part.kind === "text" && part.text.trim().length > 0) {
+      textMessages.push(part.text);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (dataMessages.length > 0 || textMessages.length === 0) {
+    return dataMessages;
+  }
+
+  if (textMessages.length === 1) {
+    const rootId = textFallbackComponentId(0);
+    return [
+      {
+        beginRendering: {
+          root: rootId,
+          surfaceId: TEXT_FALLBACK_SURFACE_ID,
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        surfaceUpdate: {
+          surfaceId: TEXT_FALLBACK_SURFACE_ID,
+          components: [
+            {
+              id: rootId,
+              component: {
+                Text: {
+                  usageHint: "body" as const,
+                  text: { literalString: textMessages[0] },
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      },
+    ];
+  }
+
+  const childIds = textMessages.map((_, index) => textFallbackComponentId(index));
+
+  return [
+    {
+      beginRendering: {
+        root: TEXT_FALLBACK_ROOT_ID,
+        surfaceId: TEXT_FALLBACK_SURFACE_ID,
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      surfaceUpdate: {
+        surfaceId: TEXT_FALLBACK_SURFACE_ID,
+        components: [
+          {
+            id: TEXT_FALLBACK_ROOT_ID,
+            component: {
+              Column: {
+                children: {
+                  explicitList: childIds,
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          ...textMessages.map((text, index) => ({
+            id: childIds[index],
+            component: {
+              Text: {
+                usageHint: "body" as const,
+                text: { literalString: text },
+              },
+            },
+          })),
+        ],
+      },
+    },
+  ];
+}
 
 export class A2UIClient {
   #serverUrl: string;
@@ -98,13 +191,7 @@ export class A2UIClient {
 
     const result = (response as SendMessageSuccessResponse).result as Task;
     if (result.kind === "task" && result.status.message?.parts) {
-      const messages: v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage[] = [];
-      for (const part of result.status.message.parts) {
-        if (part.kind === 'data') {
-          messages.push(part.data as v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage);
-        }
-      }
-      return messages;
+      return convertA2APartsToMessages(result.status.message.parts);
     }
 
     return [];
diff --git a/samples/client/lit/shell/tests/client.test.ts b/samples/client/lit/shell/tests/client.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99baa5875
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/client/lit/shell/tests/client.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { v0_8 } from "@a2ui/lit";
+import { convertA2APartsToMessages } from "../client.js";
+import type { Part } from "@a2a-js/sdk";
+
+test("convertA2APartsToMessages preserves A2UI data parts", () => {
+  const beginRendering: v0_8.Types.ServerToClientMessage = {
+    beginRendering: {
+      root: "root",
+      surfaceId: "@default",
+    },
+  };
+
+  const messages = convertA2APartsToMessages([
+    {
+      kind: "data",
+      data: beginRendering as unknown as Record<string, unknown>,
+      mimeType: "application/json+a2ui",
+    } as Part,
+    {
+      kind: "text",
+      text: "This should not replace a valid A2UI response.",
+    } as Part,
+  ]);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(messages, [beginRendering]);
+});
+
+test("convertA2APartsToMessages converts a text-only fallback into renderable messages", () => {
+  const messages = convertA2APartsToMessages([
+    {
+      kind: "text",
+      text: "Oops, I couldn't find anything you requested.",
+    } as Part,
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(messages.length, 2);
+  assert.deepEqual(messages[0], {
+    beginRendering: {
+      root: "__a2ui_text_fallback_0",
+      surfaceId: "@default",
+    },
+  });
+
+  const processor = new v0_8.Data.A2uiMessageProcessor();
+  processor.processMessages(messages);
+
+  const surface = processor.getSurfaces().get("@default");
+  assert.ok(surface);
+  assert.equal(surface.rootComponentId, "__a2ui_text_fallback_0");
+  assert.ok(surface.components.has("__a2ui_text_fallback_0"));
+});
+
+test("convertA2APartsToMessages stacks multiple text fallbacks into a column", () => {
+  const messages = convertA2APartsToMessages([
+    { kind: "text", text: "First fallback" } as Part,
+    { kind: "text", text: "Second fallback" } as Part,
+  ]);
+
+  const processor = new v0_8.Data.A2uiMessageProcessor();
+  processor.processMessages(messages);
+
+  const surface = processor.getSurfaces().get("@default");
+  assert.ok(surface);
+  assert.equal(surface.rootComponentId, "__a2ui_text_fallback_root");
+  assert.ok(surface.components.has("__a2ui_text_fallback_0"));
+  assert.ok(surface.components.has("__a2ui_text_fallback_1"));
+});