diff --git a/src/strands/models/bedrock.py b/src/strands/models/bedrock.py
index 7f7113e83..94df5a84d 100644
--- a/src/strands/models/bedrock.py
+++ b/src/strands/models/bedrock.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 from ..types.exceptions import (
     ContextWindowOverflowException,
     ModelThrottledException,
+    ProviderTokenCountError,
 )
 from ..types.streaming import CitationsDelta, StreamEvent
 from ..types.tools import ToolChoice, ToolSpec
@@ -789,7 +790,10 @@ async def count_tokens(
                 modelId=self.config["model_id"],
                 input={"converse": converse_input},
             )
-            total_tokens: int = response["inputTokens"]
+            input_tokens = response.get("inputTokens")
+            if input_tokens is None:
+                raise ProviderTokenCountError("Bedrock count_tokens returned None for inputTokens")
+            total_tokens: int = input_tokens
 
             logger.debug("model_id=<%s>, total_tokens=<%d> | native token count", self.config["model_id"], total_tokens)
             return total_tokens
diff --git a/src/strands/models/gemini.py b/src/strands/models/gemini.py
index 04e98f359..2ce1c0b42 100644
--- a/src/strands/models/gemini.py
+++ b/src/strands/models/gemini.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from typing_extensions import Required, Unpack, override
 
 from ..types.content import ContentBlock, ContentBlockStartToolUse, Messages, SystemContentBlock
-from ..types.exceptions import ContextWindowOverflowException, ModelThrottledException
+from ..types.exceptions import ContextWindowOverflowException, ModelThrottledException, ProviderTokenCountError
 from ..types.streaming import StreamEvent
 from ..types.tools import ToolChoice, ToolSpec
 from ._validation import _has_location_source, validate_config_keys
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ async def count_tokens(
                 contents=contents,
             )
             if response.total_tokens is None:
-                raise ValueError("Gemini count_tokens returned None for total_tokens")
+                raise ProviderTokenCountError("Gemini count_tokens returned None for total_tokens")
             total_tokens: int = response.total_tokens
 
             # The google-genai SDK explicitly raises ValueError for system_instruction, tools, and
diff --git a/src/strands/types/exceptions.py b/src/strands/types/exceptions.py
index 5db80a26e..7ad49eb24 100644
--- a/src/strands/types/exceptions.py
+++ b/src/strands/types/exceptions.py
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ class SnapshotException(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class ProviderTokenCountError(Exception):
+    """Thrown when a model provider's native token counting API fails.
+
+    This error is used as internal control flow within provider ``count_tokens()`` overrides.
+    When caught, the provider falls back to the base class heuristic estimation.
+    """
+
+    pass
+
+
 class ToolProviderException(Exception):
     """Exception raised when a tool provider fails to load or cleanup tools."""
 
diff --git a/tests/strands/models/test_bedrock.py b/tests/strands/models/test_bedrock.py
index b8e41d20a..d63838182 100644
--- a/tests/strands/models/test_bedrock.py
+++ b/tests/strands/models/test_bedrock.py
@@ -3210,6 +3210,15 @@ async def test_fallback_on_generic_exception(self, model_with_client, bedrock_cl
         assert isinstance(result, int)
         assert result >= 0
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_fallback_on_none_input_tokens(self, model_with_client, bedrock_client, messages):
+        bedrock_client.count_tokens.return_value = {}
+
+        result = await model_with_client.count_tokens(messages=messages)
+
+        assert isinstance(result, int)
+        assert result >= 0
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_fallback_logs_warning(self, model_with_client, bedrock_client, messages, caplog):
         bedrock_client.count_tokens.side_effect = RuntimeError("API down")