diff --git a/js/plugins/dotprompt/src/prompt.ts b/js/plugins/dotprompt/src/prompt.ts
index 6fbe62100..baf7a1388 100644
--- a/js/plugins/dotprompt/src/prompt.ts
+++ b/js/plugins/dotprompt/src/prompt.ts
@@ -197,11 +197,20 @@ export class Dotprompt<I = unknown> implements PromptMetadata<z.ZodTypeAny> {
       messages: options.messages,
       docs: options.docs,
     });
+    let renderedPrompt;
+    let renderedMessages;
+    if (messages.length > 0 && messages[messages.length - 1].role === 'user') {
+      renderedPrompt = messages[messages.length - 1].content;
+      renderedMessages = messages.slice(0, messages.length - 1);
+    } else {
+      renderedPrompt = undefined;
+      renderedMessages = messages;
+    }
     return {
       model: options.model || this.model!,
       config: { ...this.config, ...options.config },
-      messages: messages.slice(0, messages.length - 1),
-      prompt: messages[messages.length - 1].content,
+      messages: renderedMessages,
+      prompt: renderedPrompt,
       docs: options.docs,
       output: {
         format: options.output?.format || this.output?.format || undefined,
diff --git a/js/plugins/dotprompt/tests/prompt_test.ts b/js/plugins/dotprompt/tests/prompt_test.ts
index 39857923c..dfdcc21ad 100644
--- a/js/plugins/dotprompt/tests/prompt_test.ts
+++ b/js/plugins/dotprompt/tests/prompt_test.ts
@@ -470,4 +470,25 @@ describe('DotpromptRef', () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  it('should render system prompt', () => {
+    runWithRegistry(registry, () => {
+      const model = defineModel(
+        { name: 'echo', supports: { tools: true } },
+        async (input) => ({
+          message: input.messages[0],
+          finishReason: 'stop',
+        })
+      );
+      const prompt = testPrompt(model, `{{ role "system"}} hi`);
+
+      const rendered = prompt.render({ input: {} });
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(rendered.messages, [
+        {
+          content: [{ text: ' hi' }],
+          role: 'system',
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+  });
 });