diff --git a/open_deep_researcher.ipynb b/open_deep_researcher.ipynb
index 841e4c4..258ea7e 100644
--- a/open_deep_researcher.ipynb
+++ b/open_deep_researcher.ipynb
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@
         "import asyncio\n",
         "import aiohttp\n",
         "import json\n",
+        "import re",
+        "import ast",
         "\n",
         "# =======================\n",
         "# Configuration Constants\n",
@@ -131,16 +133,26 @@
         "    ]\n",
         "    response = await call_openrouter_async(session, messages)\n",
         "    if response:\n",
+        "        cleaned = response.strip()\n",
+        "        # Remove triple backticks and language specifier if present\n",
+        "        cleaned = re.sub(r\"```(?:\\w+)?\\n(.*?)\\n```\", r\"\\1\", cleaned, flags=re.DOTALL).strip()\n",
         "        try:\n",
-        "            # Expect exactly a Python list (e.g., \"['query1', 'query2']\")\n",
-        "            search_queries = eval(response)\n",
-        "            if isinstance(search_queries, list):\n",
-        "                return search_queries\n",
-        "            else:\n",
-        "                print(\"LLM did not return a list. Response:\", response)\n",
-        "                return []\n",
+        "            new_queries = eval(cleaned)\n",
+        "            if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                return new_queries\n",
         "        except Exception as e:\n",
-        "            print(\"Error parsing search queries:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
+        "            # Direct evaluation failed; try to extract the list part from the string\n",
+        "            match = re.search(r\"(\\[.*\\])\", cleaned, re.DOTALL)\n",
+        "            if match:\n",
+        "                list_str = match.group(1)\n",
+        "                try:\n",
+        "                    new_queries = eval(list_str)\n",
+        "                    if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                        return new_queries\n",
+        "                except Exception as e_inner:\n",
+        "                    print(\"Error parsing extracted list:\", e_inner, \"\\nExtracted text:\", list_str)\n",
+        "                    return []\n",
+        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries or no search queries at all:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
         "            return []\n",
         "    return []\n",
         "\n",
@@ -267,15 +279,25 @@
         "        cleaned = response.strip()\n",
         "        if cleaned == \"<done>\":\n",
         "            return \"<done>\"\n",
+        "        # Remove triple backticks and language specifier if present\n",
+        "        cleaned = re.sub(r\"```(?:\\w+)?\\n(.*?)\\n```\", r\"\\1\", cleaned, flags=re.DOTALL).strip()\n",
         "        try:\n",
         "            new_queries = eval(cleaned)\n",
         "            if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
         "                return new_queries\n",
-        "            else:\n",
-        "                print(\"LLM did not return a list for new search queries. Response:\", response)\n",
-        "                return []\n",
         "        except Exception as e:\n",
-        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
+        "            # Direct evaluation failed; try to extract the list part from the string\n",
+        "            match = re.search(r\"(\\[.*\\])\", cleaned, re.DOTALL)\n",
+        "            if match:\n",
+        "                list_str = match.group(1)\n",
+        "                try:\n",
+        "                    new_queries = eval(list_str)\n",
+        "                    if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                        return new_queries\n",
+        "                except Exception as e_inner:\n",
+        "                    print(\"Error parsing extracted list:\", e_inner, \"\\nExtracted text:\", list_str)\n",
+        "                    return []\n",
+        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries or no search queries at all:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
         "            return []\n",
         "    return []\n",
         "\n",
diff --git a/open_deep_researcher_gradio.ipynb b/open_deep_researcher_gradio.ipynb
index 9d287bb..9c8be57 100644
--- a/open_deep_researcher_gradio.ipynb
+++ b/open_deep_researcher_gradio.ipynb
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
         "import aiohttp\n",
         "import gradio as gr\n",
         "import json\n",
+        "import re",
+        "import ast",
         "\n",
         "# ---------------------------\n",
         "# Configuration Constants\n",
@@ -100,15 +102,26 @@
         "    ]\n",
         "    response = await call_openrouter_async(session, messages)\n",
         "    if response:\n",
+        "        cleaned = response.strip()\n",
+        "        # Remove triple backticks and language specifier if present\n",
+        "        cleaned = re.sub(r\"```(?:\\w+)?\\n(.*?)\\n```\", r\"\\1\", cleaned, flags=re.DOTALL).strip()\n",
         "        try:\n",
-        "            search_queries = eval(response)\n",
-        "            if isinstance(search_queries, list):\n",
-        "                return search_queries\n",
-        "            else:\n",
-        "                print(\"LLM did not return a list. Response:\", response)\n",
-        "                return []\n",
+        "            new_queries = eval(cleaned)\n",
+        "            if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                return new_queries\n",
         "        except Exception as e:\n",
-        "            print(\"Error parsing search queries:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
+        "            # Direct evaluation failed; try to extract the list part from the string\n",
+        "            match = re.search(r\"(\\[.*\\])\", cleaned, re.DOTALL)\n",
+        "            if match:\n",
+        "                list_str = match.group(1)\n",
+        "                try:\n",
+        "                    new_queries = eval(list_str)\n",
+        "                    if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                        return new_queries\n",
+        "                except Exception as e_inner:\n",
+        "                    print(\"Error parsing extracted list:\", e_inner, \"\\nExtracted text:\", list_str)\n",
+        "                    return []\n",
+        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries or no search queries at all:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
         "            return []\n",
         "    return []\n",
         "\n",
@@ -208,15 +221,25 @@
         "        cleaned = response.strip()\n",
         "        if cleaned == \"<done>\":\n",
         "            return \"<done>\"\n",
+        "        # Remove triple backticks and language specifier if present\n",
+        "        cleaned = re.sub(r\"```(?:\\w+)?\\n(.*?)\\n```\", r\"\\1\", cleaned, flags=re.DOTALL).strip()\n",
         "        try:\n",
         "            new_queries = eval(cleaned)\n",
         "            if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
         "                return new_queries\n",
-        "            else:\n",
-        "                print(\"LLM did not return a list for new search queries. Response:\", response)\n",
-        "                return []\n",
         "        except Exception as e:\n",
-        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
+        "            # Direct evaluation failed; try to extract the list part from the string\n",
+        "            match = re.search(r\"(\\[.*\\])\", cleaned, re.DOTALL)\n",
+        "            if match:\n",
+        "                list_str = match.group(1)\n",
+        "                try:\n",
+        "                    new_queries = eval(list_str)\n",
+        "                    if isinstance(new_queries, list):\n",
+        "                        return new_queries\n",
+        "                except Exception as e_inner:\n",
+        "                    print(\"Error parsing extracted list:\", e_inner, \"\\nExtracted text:\", list_str)\n",
+        "                    return []\n",
+        "            print(\"Error parsing new search queries or no search queries at all:\", e, \"\\nResponse:\", response)\n",
         "            return []\n",
         "    return []\n",
         "\n",