diff --git a/agentplatform/_genai/types/evals.py b/agentplatform/_genai/types/evals.py
index d264a58c5e..59c59b8948 100644
--- a/agentplatform/_genai/types/evals.py
+++ b/agentplatform/_genai/types/evals.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def _get_tool_declarations_from_agent(agent: Any) -> genai_types.ToolListUnion:
           The tool declarations of the agent.
         """
         tool_declarations: genai_types.ToolListUnion = []
-        for tool in agent.tools:
+        for tool in getattr(agent, "tools", None) or []:
             # ADK tools (e.g. AgentTool, VertexAiSearchTool) own their declaration
             # via _get_declaration(). A None result means the tool has no function
             # declaration (e.g. built-in retrieval tools). In both cases, skip the
diff --git a/tests/unit/agentplatform/genai/test_evals.py b/tests/unit/agentplatform/genai/test_evals.py
index aa27b91dc0..1b05cb4b0b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/agentplatform/genai/test_evals.py
+++ b/tests/unit/agentplatform/genai/test_evals.py
@@ -5979,6 +5979,39 @@ def run(self, query: "Optional[str]" = None):  # noqa: F821
 
         assert agent_info.agents["mock_agent"].tools == []
 
+    @mock.patch.object(genai_types.FunctionDeclaration, "from_callable_with_api_option")
+    def test_load_from_agent_workflow_root_without_tools(self, mock_from_callable):
+        def my_search_tool(query: str) -> str:
+            """Searches for information."""
+            return f"search result for {query}"
+
+        mock_function_declaration = mock.Mock(spec=genai_types.FunctionDeclaration)
+        mock_from_callable.return_value = mock_function_declaration
+
+        leaf_agent = mock.Mock()
+        leaf_agent.name = "leaf"
+        leaf_agent.instruction = "do a step"
+        leaf_agent.description = "leaf description"
+        leaf_agent.tools = [my_search_tool]
+        leaf_agent.sub_agents = []
+
+        root_agent = mock.Mock(spec=["name", "sub_agents"])
+        root_agent.name = "pipeline"
+        root_agent.sub_agents = [leaf_agent]
+        assert not hasattr(root_agent, "tools")
+
+        agent_info = agentplatform_genai_types.evals.AgentInfo.load_from_agent(
+            agent=root_agent,
+        )
+
+        assert agent_info.name == "pipeline"
+        assert agent_info.root_agent_id == "pipeline"
+        assert agent_info.agents["pipeline"].tools == []
+        assert len(agent_info.agents["leaf"].tools) == 1
+        assert agent_info.agents["leaf"].tools[0].function_declarations == [
+            mock_function_declaration
+        ]
+
 
 class TestValidateDatasetAgentData:
     """Unit tests for the _validate_dataset_agent_data function."""
diff --git a/vertexai/_genai/types/evals.py b/vertexai/_genai/types/evals.py
index fefd7d3c0e..a7abbc9266 100644
--- a/vertexai/_genai/types/evals.py
+++ b/vertexai/_genai/types/evals.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def _get_tool_declarations_from_agent(agent: Any) -> genai_types.ToolListUnion:
           The tool declarations of the agent.
         """
         tool_declarations: genai_types.ToolListUnion = []
-        for tool in agent.tools:
+        for tool in getattr(agent, "tools", None) or []:
             # ADK tools (e.g. AgentTool, VertexAiSearchTool) own their declaration
             # via _get_declaration(). A None result means the tool has no function
             # declaration (e.g. built-in retrieval tools). In both cases, skip the