diff --git a/tests/unit/distribution/test_distribution.py b/tests/unit/distribution/test_distribution.py
index ae24602d7..781a7b6a9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/distribution/test_distribution.py
+++ b/tests/unit/distribution/test_distribution.py
@@ -221,3 +221,182 @@ pip_packages:
         with pytest.raises(KeyError) as exc_info:
             get_provider_registry(base_config)
         assert "config_class" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+    def test_external_provider_from_module_success(self, mock_providers):
+        """Test loading an external provider from a module (success path)."""
+        from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+        from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import Provider, StackRunConfig
+        from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api, ProviderSpec
+
+        # Simulate a provider module with get_provider_spec
+        fake_spec = ProviderSpec(
+            api=Api.inference,
+            provider_type="external_test",
+            config_class="external_test.config.ExternalTestConfig",
+            module="external_test",
+        )
+        fake_module = SimpleNamespace(get_provider_spec=lambda: fake_spec)
+
+        def import_module_side_effect(name):
+            if name == "llama_stack.providers.registry.inference":
+                # Return a mock with available_providers for built-in providers
+                mock_builtin = SimpleNamespace(
+                    available_providers=lambda: [
+                        ProviderSpec(
+                            api=Api.inference,
+                            provider_type="test_provider",
+                            config_class="test_provider.config.TestProviderConfig",
+                            module="test_provider",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                )
+                return mock_builtin
+            elif name == "external_test.provider":
+                return fake_module
+            else:
+                raise ModuleNotFoundError(name)
+
+        with patch("importlib.import_module", side_effect=import_module_side_effect) as mock_import:
+            config = StackRunConfig(
+                image_name="test_image",
+                providers={
+                    "inference": [
+                        Provider(
+                            provider_id="external_test",
+                            provider_type="external_test",
+                            config={},
+                            module="external_test",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                },
+            )
+            registry = get_provider_registry(config)
+            assert Api.inference in registry
+            assert "external_test" in registry[Api.inference]
+            provider = registry[Api.inference]["external_test"]
+            assert provider.module == "external_test"
+            assert provider.config_class == "external_test.config.ExternalTestConfig"
+            mock_import.assert_any_call("llama_stack.providers.registry.inference")
+            mock_import.assert_any_call("external_test.provider")
+
+    def test_external_provider_from_module_not_found(self, mock_providers):
+        """Test handling ModuleNotFoundError for missing provider module."""
+        from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+        from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import Provider, StackRunConfig
+        from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api
+
+        def import_module_side_effect(name):
+            if name == "llama_stack.providers.registry.inference":
+                mock_builtin = SimpleNamespace(
+                    available_providers=lambda: [
+                        ProviderSpec(
+                            api=Api.inference,
+                            provider_type="test_provider",
+                            config_class="test_provider.config.TestProviderConfig",
+                            module="test_provider",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                )
+                return mock_builtin
+            elif name == "external_test.provider":
+                raise ModuleNotFoundError(name)
+            else:
+                raise ModuleNotFoundError(name)
+
+        with patch("importlib.import_module", side_effect=import_module_side_effect):
+            config = StackRunConfig(
+                image_name="test_image",
+                providers={
+                    "inference": [
+                        Provider(
+                            provider_id="external_test",
+                            provider_type="external_test",
+                            config={},
+                            module="external_test",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                },
+            )
+            with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc_info:
+                get_provider_registry(config)
+            assert "get_provider_spec not found" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+    def test_external_provider_from_module_missing_get_provider_spec(self, mock_providers):
+        """Test handling missing get_provider_spec in provider module (should raise ValueError)."""
+        from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+        from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import Provider, StackRunConfig
+        from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api
+
+        # Simulate a provider module without get_provider_spec
+        fake_module = SimpleNamespace()
+
+        def import_module_side_effect(name):
+            if name == "llama_stack.providers.registry.inference":
+                mock_builtin = SimpleNamespace(
+                    available_providers=lambda: [
+                        ProviderSpec(
+                            api=Api.inference,
+                            provider_type="test_provider",
+                            config_class="test_provider.config.TestProviderConfig",
+                            module="test_provider",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                )
+                return mock_builtin
+            elif name == "external_test.provider":
+                return fake_module
+            else:
+                raise ModuleNotFoundError(name)
+
+        with patch("importlib.import_module", side_effect=import_module_side_effect):
+            config = StackRunConfig(
+                image_name="test_image",
+                providers={
+                    "inference": [
+                        Provider(
+                            provider_id="external_test",
+                            provider_type="external_test",
+                            config={},
+                            module="external_test",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                },
+            )
+            with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+                get_provider_registry(config)
+
+    def test_external_provider_from_module_building(self, mock_providers):
+        """Test loading an external provider from a module during build (building=True, partial spec)."""
+        from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import BuildConfig, DistributionSpec, Provider
+        from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api
+
+        # No importlib patch needed, should not import module when building=True
+        build_config = BuildConfig(
+            version=2,
+            image_type="container",
+            image_name="test_image",
+            distribution_spec=DistributionSpec(
+                description="test",
+                providers={
+                    "inference": [
+                        Provider(
+                            provider_id="external_test",
+                            provider_type="external_test",
+                            config={},
+                            module="external_test",
+                        )
+                    ]
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+        registry = get_provider_registry(build_config)
+        assert Api.inference in registry
+        assert "external_test" in registry[Api.inference]
+        provider = registry[Api.inference]["external_test"]
+        assert provider.module == "external_test"
+        assert provider.is_external is True
+        # config_class is empty string in partial spec
+        assert provider.config_class == ""