diff --git a/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model.py b/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model.py
index e577784cbf..ad8307c156 100644
--- a/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model.py
+++ b/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 from genkit.ai import ActionKind, GenkitRegistry
 from genkit.core.action._action import ActionRunContext
-from genkit.plugins.compat_oai.models.model_info import SUPPORTED_OPENAI_MODELS
+from genkit.plugins.compat_oai.models.model_info import SUPPORTED_OPENAI_COMPAT_MODELS, SUPPORTED_OPENAI_MODELS
 from genkit.plugins.compat_oai.models.utils import DictMessageAdapter, MessageAdapter, MessageConverter
 from genkit.plugins.compat_oai.typing import OpenAIConfig, SupportedOutputFormat
 from genkit.types import (
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ def _get_response_format(self, output: OutputConfig) -> dict | None:
                     },
                 }
 
-            model = SUPPORTED_OPENAI_MODELS[self._model]
-            if SupportedOutputFormat.JSON_MODE in model.supports.output:
+            model = SUPPORTED_OPENAI_MODELS.get(self._model, SUPPORTED_OPENAI_COMPAT_MODELS.get(self._model))
+            if model and SupportedOutputFormat.JSON_MODE in model.supports.output:
                 return {'type': 'json_object'}
 
         return {'type': 'text'}
diff --git a/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model_info.py b/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model_info.py
index 572de622a8..d539c1928a 100644
--- a/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model_info.py
+++ b/py/plugins/compat-oai/src/genkit/plugins/compat_oai/models/model_info.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class PluginSource(StrEnum):
 
 LLAMA_3_1 = 'meta/llama-3.1-405b-instruct-maas'
 LLAMA_3_2 = 'meta/llama-3.2-90b-vision-instruct-maas'
+MISTRAL_LARGE = 'mistralai/mistral-large'
 
 SUPPORTED_OPENAI_MODELS: dict[str, ModelInfo] = {
     GPT_3_5_TURBO: ModelInfo(
@@ -165,6 +166,16 @@ class PluginSource(StrEnum):
             output=[SupportedOutputFormat.JSON_MODE, SupportedOutputFormat.TEXT],
         ),
     ),
+    MISTRAL_LARGE: ModelInfo(
+        label='ModelGarden - Mistral - Large',
+        supports=Supports(
+            multiturn=True,
+            media=False,
+            tools=True,
+            systemRole=True,
+            output=[SupportedOutputFormat.JSON_MODE, SupportedOutputFormat.TEXT],
+        ),
+    ),
 }
 
 
diff --git a/py/plugins/vertex-ai/src/genkit/plugins/vertex_ai/model_garden/modelgarden_plugin.py b/py/plugins/vertex-ai/src/genkit/plugins/vertex_ai/model_garden/modelgarden_plugin.py
index e6204627fd..532151317a 100644
--- a/py/plugins/vertex-ai/src/genkit/plugins/vertex_ai/model_garden/modelgarden_plugin.py
+++ b/py/plugins/vertex-ai/src/genkit/plugins/vertex_ai/model_garden/modelgarden_plugin.py
@@ -70,10 +70,7 @@ def __init__(
         )
 
         self.location = (
-            location
-            or os.getenv('GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION')
-            or os.getenv('GOOGLE_CLOUD_REGION')
-            or const.DEFAULT_REGION
+            location or os.getenv('GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION') or os.getenv('GOOGLE_CLOUD_REGION') or const.DEFAULT_REGION
         )
 
         self.models = models
diff --git a/py/samples/model-garden/src/main.py b/py/samples/model-garden/src/main.py
index f0f013478d..3b6658bdfe 100644
--- a/py/samples/model-garden/src/main.py
+++ b/py/samples/model-garden/src/main.py
@@ -23,50 +23,50 @@
 
 ai = Genkit(
     plugins=[
-        VertexAIModelGarden(),
+        VertexAIModelGarden(location='us-central1'),
     ],
 )
 
 
-# @ai.flow()
-# async def say_hi(name: str) -> str:
-#     """Generate a greeting for the given name.
-#
-#     Args:
-#         name: The name of the person to greet.
-#
-#     Returns:
-#         The generated greeting response.
-#     """
-#     response = await ai.generate(
-#         model=model_garden_name('meta/llama-3.2-90b-vision-instruct-maas'),
-#         config={'temperature': 1},
-#         prompt=f'hi {name}',
-#     )
-#
-#     return response.message.content[0].root.text
+@ai.flow()
+async def say_hi(name: str) -> str:
+    """Generate a greeting for the given name.
 
+    Args:
+        name: The name of the person to greet.
 
-# @ai.flow()
-# async def say_hi_stream(name: str) -> str:
-#     """Say hi to a name and stream the response.
-#
-#     Args:
-#         name: The name to say hi to.
-#
-#     Returns:
-#         The response from the OpenAI API.
-#     """
-#     stream, _ = ai.generate_stream(
-#         model=model_garden_name('meta/llama-3.2-90b-vision-instruct-maas'),
-#         config={'temperature': 1},
-#         prompt=f'hi {name}',
-#     )
-#     result = ''
-#     async for data in stream:
-#         for part in data.content:
-#             result += part.root.text
-#     return result
+    Returns:
+        The generated greeting response.
+    """
+    response = await ai.generate(
+        model=model_garden_name('meta/llama-3.2-90b-vision-instruct-maas'),
+        config={'temperature': 1},
+        prompt=f'hi {name}',
+    )
+
+    return response.message.content[0].root.text
+
+
+@ai.flow()
+async def say_hi_stream(name: str) -> str:
+    """Say hi to a name and stream the response.
+
+    Args:
+        name: The name to say hi to.
+
+    Returns:
+        The response from the Mistral API.
+    """
+    stream, _ = ai.generate_stream(
+        model=model_garden_name('mistralai/mistral-large'),
+        config={'temperature': 1},
+        prompt=f'hi {name}',
+    )
+    result = ''
+    async for data in stream:
+        for part in data.content:
+            result += part.root.text
+    return result
 
 
 @ai.flow()
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ async def jokes_flow(subject: str) -> str:
 
 
 async def main() -> None:
-    # await logger.ainfo(await say_hi('John Doe'))
-    # await logger.ainfo(await say_hi_stream('John Doe'))
+    await logger.ainfo(await say_hi('John Doe'))
+    await logger.ainfo(await say_hi_stream('John Doe'))
     await logger.ainfo(await jokes_flow('banana'))