diff --git a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
index 91a32d981c..b8370d5fef 100644
--- a/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
+++ b/litellm/llms/vertex_ai/gemini/vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.py
@@ -543,40 +543,33 @@ class VertexGeminiConfig(VertexAIBaseConfig, BaseConfig):
             else:
                 budget = DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_MINIMAL_THINKING_BUDGET
 
-            return VertexGeminiConfig._build_thinking_config(budget)
+            return {
+                "thinkingBudget": budget,
+                "includeThoughts": True,
+            }
         elif reasoning_effort == "low":
-            return VertexGeminiConfig._build_thinking_config(
-                DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_LOW_THINKING_BUDGET
-            )
+            return {
+                "thinkingBudget": DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_LOW_THINKING_BUDGET,
+                "includeThoughts": True,
+            }
         elif reasoning_effort == "medium":
-            return VertexGeminiConfig._build_thinking_config(
-                DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_MEDIUM_THINKING_BUDGET
-            )
+            return {
+                "thinkingBudget": DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_MEDIUM_THINKING_BUDGET,
+                "includeThoughts": True,
+            }
         elif reasoning_effort == "high":
-            return VertexGeminiConfig._build_thinking_config(
-                DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_HIGH_THINKING_BUDGET
-            )
+            return {
+                "thinkingBudget": DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_HIGH_THINKING_BUDGET,
+                "includeThoughts": True,
+            }
         elif reasoning_effort == "disable":
-            return VertexGeminiConfig._build_thinking_config(
-                DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_DISABLE_THINKING_BUDGET,
-                include_thoughts=False,
-            )
+            return {
+                "thinkingBudget": DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_DISABLE_THINKING_BUDGET,
+                "includeThoughts": False,
+            }
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"Invalid reasoning effort: {reasoning_effort}")
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def _build_thinking_config(
-        budget: int, include_thoughts: Optional[bool] = None
-    ) -> GeminiThinkingConfig:
-        safe_budget = max(budget, 0)
-        include_thoughts = (
-            safe_budget > 0 if include_thoughts is None else include_thoughts
-        )
-        return {
-            "thinkingBudget": safe_budget,
-            "includeThoughts": include_thoughts,
-        }
-
     @staticmethod
     def _is_thinking_budget_zero(thinking_budget: Optional[int]) -> bool:
         return thinking_budget is not None and thinking_budget == 0
diff --git a/tests/llm_translation/test_gemini.py b/tests/llm_translation/test_gemini.py
index b6ff80b473..f4100d9e8a 100644
--- a/tests/llm_translation/test_gemini.py
+++ b/tests/llm_translation/test_gemini.py
@@ -948,14 +948,10 @@ def test_gemini_reasoning_effort_minimal():
             actual_budget == expected_min_budget
         ), f"Model {model} should map 'minimal' to {expected_min_budget} tokens, got {actual_budget}"
 
-        # Verify that includeThoughts aligns with whether the budget is greater than zero
-        expected_include_thoughts = expected_min_budget > 0
+        # Verify that includeThoughts is True for minimal reasoning effort
         assert thinking_config.get(
-            "includeThoughts"
-        ) == expected_include_thoughts, (
-            f"Model {model} should set includeThoughts={expected_include_thoughts} "
-            f"when reasoning_effort is 'minimal'"
-        )
+            "includeThoughts", True
+        ), f"Model {model} should have includeThoughts=True for minimal reasoning effort"
 
     # Test with unknown model (should use generic fallback)
     try:
@@ -982,75 +978,6 @@ def test_gemini_reasoning_effort_minimal():
         pass
 
 
-def test_gemini_reasoning_effort_zero_budget_disables_thoughts(monkeypatch):
-    """Ensure zero thinking budget turns off includeThoughts."""
-    from litellm.utils import return_raw_request
-    from litellm.types.utils import CallTypes
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        "litellm.llms.vertex_ai.gemini.vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini.DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_MINIMAL_THINKING_BUDGET_GEMINI_2_5_FLASH",
-        0,
-    )
-
-    raw_request = return_raw_request(
-        endpoint=CallTypes.completion,
-        kwargs={
-            "model": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash",
-            "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
-            "reasoning_effort": "minimal",
-        },
-    )
-
-    request_body = raw_request["raw_request_body"]
-    generation_config = request_body["generationConfig"]
-    thinking_config = generation_config["thinkingConfig"]
-
-    assert (
-        thinking_config.get("thinkingBudget") == 0
-    ), "Zero reasoning budget should be preserved in request"
-    assert (
-        thinking_config.get("includeThoughts") is False
-    ), "includeThoughts should be False when thinking budget is zero"
-
-
-def test_gemini_reasoning_effort_env_override(monkeypatch):
-    """Verify env vars override default minimal thinking budget."""
-    import importlib
-
-    monkeypatch.setenv(
-        "DEFAULT_REASONING_EFFORT_MINIMAL_THINKING_BUDGET_GEMINI_2_5_FLASH", "0"
-    )
-
-    import litellm.constants as constants_module
-    import litellm.llms.vertex_ai.gemini.vertex_and_google_ai_studio_gemini as gemini_module
-
-    importlib.reload(constants_module)
-    importlib.reload(gemini_module)
-
-    from litellm.utils import return_raw_request
-    from litellm.types.utils import CallTypes
-
-    raw_request = return_raw_request(
-        endpoint=CallTypes.completion,
-        kwargs={
-            "model": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash",
-            "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
-            "reasoning_effort": "minimal",
-        },
-    )
-
-    request_body = raw_request["raw_request_body"]
-    generation_config = request_body["generationConfig"]
-    thinking_config = generation_config["thinkingConfig"]
-
-    assert (
-        thinking_config.get("thinkingBudget") == 0
-    ), "Env override should set thinkingBudget to 0"
-    assert (
-        thinking_config.get("includeThoughts") is False
-    ), "Env override should disable includeThoughts"
-
-
 def test_gemini_exception_message_format():
     """
     Test that Gemini provider exceptions show as 'GeminiException' not 'VertexAIException'.