diff --git a/src/requestmodel/adapters/requests.py b/src/requestmodel/adapters/requests.py
index 6c0e427..f77ddcd 100644
--- a/src/requestmodel/adapters/requests.py
+++ b/src/requestmodel/adapters/requests.py
@@ -50,4 +50,4 @@ def send(self, client: Session) -> ResponseType:
         r = self.as_request()
         self.response = client.send(r.prepare())
         self.handle_error(self.response)
-        return self.response_model.model_validate(self.response.json())
+        return self.adapt_type(self.response)
diff --git a/src/requestmodel/model.py b/src/requestmodel/model.py
index b3c7e9e..0ba86dc 100644
--- a/src/requestmodel/model.py
+++ b/src/requestmodel/model.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+from typing import Any
 from typing import ClassVar
 from typing import Generic
 from typing import Iterator
 from typing import Optional
+from typing import Protocol
 from typing import Set
 from typing import Type
 
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from pydantic import ConfigDict
 from pydantic import TypeAdapter
+from pydantic._internal._model_construction import ModelMetaclass
 from typing_extensions import get_type_hints
 from typing_extensions import override
 
@@ -26,6 +29,10 @@
 from .utils import unify_body
 
 
+class JSONResponse(Protocol):  # pragma: no cover
+    def json(self) -> Any: ...  # noqa: E704
+
+
 class BaseRequestModel(BaseModel, Generic[ResponseType]):
     """Declarative way to define a model"""
 
@@ -86,6 +93,15 @@ def request_args_for_values(self) -> RequestArgs:
 
         return request_args
 
+    def adapt_type(self, response: JSONResponse) -> ResponseType:
+        if isinstance(self.response_model, TypeAdapter):
+            return self.response_model.validate_python(response.json())
+
+        if isinstance(self.response_model, (BaseModel, ModelMetaclass)):
+            return self.response_model.model_validate(response.json())
+
+        raise ValueError("response_model must be a TypeAdapter or a BaseModel")
+
 
 class RequestModel(BaseRequestModel[ResponseType]):
     raw_response: Optional[Response] = None
@@ -98,18 +114,15 @@ def send(self, client: Client) -> ResponseType:
         r = self.as_request(client)
         self.raw_response = client.send(r)
         self.handle_error(self.raw_response)
-        if isinstance(self.response_model, TypeAdapter):
-            return self.response_model.validate_python(self.raw_response.json())
-        return self.response_model.model_validate(self.raw_response.json())
+
+        return self.adapt_type(self.raw_response)
 
     async def asend(self, client: AsyncClient) -> ResponseType:
         """Send the request asynchronously"""
         r = self.as_request(client)
         self.raw_response = await client.send(r)
         self.handle_error(self.raw_response)
-        if isinstance(self.response_model, TypeAdapter):
-            return self.response_model.validate_python(self.raw_response.json())
-        return self.response_model.model_validate(self.raw_response.json())
+        return self.adapt_type(self.raw_response)
 
     def as_request(self, client: BaseClient) -> Request:
         """Transform the properties of the object into a request"""
diff --git a/src/requestmodel/typing.py b/src/requestmodel/typing.py
index 561526b..76453a2 100644
--- a/src/requestmodel/typing.py
+++ b/src/requestmodel/typing.py
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 from typing import Any
 from typing import Dict
+from typing import List
 from typing import Type
 from typing import TypeVar
+from typing import Union
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel
+from pydantic import TypeAdapter
 from pydantic.fields import FieldInfo
 
 
-ResponseType = TypeVar("ResponseType", bound=BaseModel)
+ResponseType = TypeVar(
+    "ResponseType",
+    bound=Union[BaseModel, TypeAdapter[List[BaseModel]], List[BaseModel]],
+)
 RequestArgs = Dict[Type[FieldInfo], Dict[str, Any]]
diff --git a/tests/test_request_model.py b/tests/test_request_model.py
index 1f6fc6c..fe67532 100644
--- a/tests/test_request_model.py
+++ b/tests/test_request_model.py
@@ -211,3 +211,12 @@ def test_type_adapter() -> None:
     response = request.send(client)
 
     assert response == [NameModel(name="test")]
+
+
+def test_type_adapter_exception() -> None:
+    request = TypeAdapterRequest()
+    TypeAdapterRequest.response_model = int  # type: ignore
+    with pytest.raises(
+        ValueError, match="response_model must be a TypeAdapter or a BaseModel"
+    ):
+        request.adapt_type(SimpleResponse(data="test"))