diff --git a/crates/project/src/lsp_command.rs b/crates/project/src/lsp_command.rs
index 96eb327e8c4344a7dcab8b263216961c282317ef..4a80180d7cd88892774ee4bfff7cf9c4e179541f 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/lsp_command.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/lsp_command.rs
@@ -2439,15 +2439,13 @@ impl InlayHints {
             ResolveState::Resolved => (0, None),
             ResolveState::CanResolve(server_id, resolve_data) => (
                 1,
-                resolve_data
-                    .map(|json_data| {
+                Some(proto::resolve_state::LspResolveState {
+                    server_id: server_id.0 as u64,
+                    value: resolve_data.map(|json_data| {
                         serde_json::to_string(&json_data)
                             .expect("failed to serialize resolve json data")
-                    })
-                    .map(|value| proto::resolve_state::LspResolveState {
-                        server_id: server_id.0 as u64,
-                        value,
                     }),
+                }),
             ),
             ResolveState::Resolving => (2, None),
         };
@@ -2515,9 +2513,11 @@ impl InlayHints {
         let resolve_state_data = resolve_state
             .lsp_resolve_state.as_ref()
             .map(|lsp_resolve_state| {
-                serde_json::from_str::<Option<lsp::LSPAny>>(&lsp_resolve_state.value)
-                    .with_context(|| format!("incorrect proto inlay hint message: non-json resolve state {lsp_resolve_state:?}"))
-                    .map(|state| (LanguageServerId(lsp_resolve_state.server_id as usize), state))
+                let value = lsp_resolve_state.value.as_deref().map(|value| {
+                    serde_json::from_str::<Option<lsp::LSPAny>>(value)
+                        .with_context(|| format!("incorrect proto inlay hint message: non-json resolve state {lsp_resolve_state:?}"))
+                }).transpose()?.flatten();
+                anyhow::Ok((LanguageServerId(lsp_resolve_state.server_id as usize), value))
             })
             .transpose()?;
         let resolve_state = match resolve_state.state {
diff --git a/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto b/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
index 750aa924b4fc9bc5f13dc7e32f85ab72a312091d..822ccf6cf7112ba4d50ba149f52113949a6ccc47 100644
--- a/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
+++ b/crates/proto/proto/zed.proto
@@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ message ResolveState {
     }
 
     message LspResolveState {
-        string value = 1;
+        optional string value = 1;
         uint64 server_id = 2;
     }
 }