diff --git a/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClient.java b/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClient.java
index 418f532f6ef..38ba56f323c 100644
--- a/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClient.java
+++ b/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClient.java
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ static Builder builder(ChatModel chatModel, ObservationRegistry observationRegis
 
 	ChatClientRequestSpec prompt();
 
+	ChatClientPromptRequestSpec prompt(String content);
+
 	ChatClientPromptRequestSpec prompt(Prompt prompt);
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/DefaultChatClient.java b/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/DefaultChatClient.java
index c1cd2074464..db8d2760102 100644
--- a/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/DefaultChatClient.java
+++ b/spring-ai-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/DefaultChatClient.java
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ public ChatClientRequestSpec prompt() {
 		return new DefaultChatClientRequestSpec(this.defaultChatClientRequest);
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public ChatClientPromptRequestSpec prompt(String content) {
+		return new DefaultChatClientPromptRequestSpec(this.chatModel, new Prompt(content));
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public ChatClientPromptRequestSpec prompt(Prompt prompt) {
 		return new DefaultChatClientPromptRequestSpec(this.chatModel, prompt);
diff --git a/spring-ai-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClientTest.java b/spring-ai-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClientTest.java
index 86bd33fa057..382f5723cfd 100644
--- a/spring-ai-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClientTest.java
+++ b/spring-ai-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ai/chat/client/ChatClientTest.java
@@ -435,6 +435,19 @@ public void defaultUserText() {
 		assertThat(userMessage.getMessageType()).isEqualTo(MessageType.USER);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void simpleUserPromptAsString() {
+		when(chatModel.call(promptCaptor.capture()))
+				.thenReturn(new ChatResponse(List.of(new Generation(new AssistantMessage("response")))));
+
+		assertThat(ChatClient.builder(chatModel).build().prompt("User prompt").call().content())
+				.isEqualTo("response");
+
+		Message userMessage = promptCaptor.getValue().getInstructions().get(0);
+		assertThat(userMessage.getContent()).isEqualTo("User prompt");
+		assertThat(userMessage.getMessageType()).isEqualTo(MessageType.USER);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void simpleUserPrompt() {
 		when(chatModel.call(promptCaptor.capture()))