diff --git a/megatron/core/transformer/pipeline_parallel_layer_layout.py b/megatron/core/transformer/pipeline_parallel_layer_layout.py
index 835d8b5c33a..56467bf0e9d 100644
--- a/megatron/core/transformer/pipeline_parallel_layer_layout.py
+++ b/megatron/core/transformer/pipeline_parallel_layer_layout.py
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
 class PipelineParallelLayerLayout:
     """Configuration of custom pipeline parallel layer partitioning."""
 
-    def __repr__(self):
-        return self.input_data
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        if isinstance(self.input_data, str):
+            return self.input_data
+        else:
+            return str(self.input_data)
 
     def __init__(self, layout: str | list, pipeline_model_parallel_size: int):
         """Initialize PipelineParallelLayerLayout from a list or a str.
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/transformer/test_transformer_block.py b/tests/unit_tests/transformer/test_transformer_block.py
index 6a37ceac3c2..83b29613157 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/transformer/test_transformer_block.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/transformer/test_transformer_block.py
@@ -613,3 +613,38 @@ def test_parsing_layout_from_str(self, pp_size, input_layout_str, input_layout_l
             parsed_layout_from_str.virtual_pipeline_model_parallel_size
             == parsed_layout_baseline.virtual_pipeline_model_parallel_size
         )
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "pp_size, input_layout",
+        [
+            (2, "Et|t*4|t|tL"),
+            (2, [["embedding", "decoder"], ["decoder"] * 4, ["decoder"], ["decoder", "loss"]]),
+            (8, [["embedding"] + ["decoder"] * 3] + [["decoder"] * 2] * 29 + [["mtp"], ["loss"]]),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_repr_returns_string(self, pp_size, input_layout):
+        """Test that __repr__ always returns a string for both str and list inputs."""
+        layout = PipelineParallelLayerLayout(input_layout, pp_size)
+        repr_result = repr(layout)
+
+        # Assert that repr returns a string
+        assert isinstance(
+            repr_result, str
+        ), f"__repr__ must return a string, but got {type(repr_result).__name__}"
+
+        # Assert that the returned string matches the expected value
+        if isinstance(input_layout, str):
+            # For string input, repr should return the exact same string
+            assert repr_result == input_layout, (
+                f"For string input, repr should return the original string.\n"
+                f"Expected: {input_layout!r}\n"
+                f"Got: {repr_result!r}"
+            )
+        else:
+            # For list input, repr should return str(input_layout)
+            expected_repr = str(input_layout)
+            assert repr_result == expected_repr, (
+                f"For list input, repr should return str(input_layout).\n"
+                f"Expected: {expected_repr!r}\n"
+                f"Got: {repr_result!r}"
+            )