diff --git a/src/engine.py b/src/engine.py
index 00cf401..83254bd 100644
--- a/src/engine.py
+++ b/src/engine.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ async def generate(self, job_input: JobInput):
             yield {"error": create_error_response(str(e)).model_dump()}
 
     async def _generate_vllm(self, llm_input, validated_sampling_params, batch_size, stream, apply_chat_template, request_id, batch_size_growth_factor, min_batch_size: str) -> AsyncGenerator[dict, None]:
-        if apply_chat_template or isinstance(llm_input, list):
+        if apply_chat_template:
             tokenizer_wrapper = self._get_tokenizer_for_chat_template()
             llm_input = tokenizer_wrapper.apply_chat_template(llm_input)
         results_generator = self.llm.generate(llm_input, validated_sampling_params, request_id)
@@ -299,4 +299,4 @@ async def _handle_chat_or_completion_request(self, openai_request: JobInput):
                 if self.raw_openai_output:
                     batch = "".join(batch)
                 yield batch
-            
\ No newline at end of file
+            
diff --git a/src/utils.py b/src/utils.py
index ee1b927..5718c5a 100644
--- a/src/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils.py
@@ -42,12 +42,39 @@ def count_physical_cores():
     return len(cores)
 
 
+# These are to support sending multiple prompts or token arrays in a single request
+def prompt_to_vllm_prompt(prompt):
+    if len(prompt) == 0:
+        return vllm.TextPrompt(prompt=prompt)
+    elif prompt is list:
+        return [vllm.TextPrompt(prompt=p) for p in prompt]
+    else:
+        return vllm.TextPrompt(prompt=prompt)
+
+def tokens_to_vllm_prompt(tokens):
+    if len(tokens) == 0:
+        return vllm.TokensPrompt(prompt_token_ids=tokens)
+    elif tokens[0] is list: # Multiple prompts in one entry
+        return [vllm.TokensPrompt(prompt_token_ids=toks) for toks in tokens]
+    else:
+        return vllm.TokensPrompt(prompt_token_ids=tokens)
+
+def get_llm_input(job):
+    for k, fn in [
+        ("messages", lambda messages: messages),
+        ("prompt", prompt_to_vllm_prompt),
+        ("tokens", tokens_to_vllm_prompt)]:
+        value = job.get(k)
+        if value:
+            return fn(value)
+    return None
+
 class JobInput:
     def __init__(self, job):
-        self.llm_input = job.get("messages", job.get("prompt"))
+        self.llm_input = get_llm_input(job)
         self.stream = job.get("stream", False)
         self.max_batch_size = job.get("max_batch_size")
-        self.apply_chat_template = job.get("apply_chat_template", False)
+        self.apply_chat_template = job.get("apply_chat_template", job.get("messages") is not None)
         self.use_openai_format = job.get("use_openai_format", False)
         samp_param = job.get("sampling_params", {})
         if "max_tokens" not in samp_param:
@@ -103,4 +130,4 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
         end = time()
         logging.info(f"{func.__name__} completed in {end - start:.2f} seconds")
         return result
-    return wrapper
\ No newline at end of file
+    return wrapper