diff --git a/llama_stack/distribution/configure.py b/llama_stack/distribution/configure.py
index ab1f31de6..672b9fc78 100644
--- a/llama_stack/distribution/configure.py
+++ b/llama_stack/distribution/configure.py
@@ -9,12 +9,11 @@ from typing import Any
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import *  # noqa: F403
-from termcolor import cprint
-
 from llama_stack.distribution.distribution import api_providers, stack_apis
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.dynamic import instantiate_class_type
 
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.prompt_for_config import prompt_for_config
+from termcolor import cprint
 
 
 def make_routing_entry_type(config_class: Any):
@@ -25,6 +24,69 @@ def make_routing_entry_type(config_class: Any):
     return BaseModelWithConfig
 
 
+def configure_models_api(
+    config: StackRunConfig, spec: DistributionSpec
+) -> StackRunConfig:
+    from llama_stack.providers.impls.builtin.models.config import (
+        ModelConfigProviderEntry,
+    )
+    from prompt_toolkit import prompt
+
+    cprint(f"Configuring API `models`...\n", "white", attrs=["bold"])
+    # models do not need prompting, we can use the pre-existing configs to populate the models_config
+    provider = spec.providers["models"]
+    models_config_list = []
+
+    # TODO (xiyan): we need to clean up configure with models & routers
+    # check inference api
+    if "inference" in config.apis_to_serve and "inference" in config.provider_map:
+        inference_provider_id = config.provider_map["inference"].provider_id
+        inference_provider_config = config.provider_map["inference"].config
+
+        if inference_provider_id == "meta-reference":
+            core_model_id = inference_provider_config["model"]
+        else:
+            core_model_id = prompt(
+                "Enter model_id your inference is serving",
+                default="Meta-Llama3.1-8B-Instruct",
+            )
+        models_config_list.append(
+            ModelConfigProviderEntry(
+                api="inference",
+                core_model_id=core_model_id,
+                provider_id=inference_provider_id,
+                config=inference_provider_config,
+            )
+        )
+
+    # check safety api for models
+    if "safety" in config.apis_to_serve and "safety" in config.provider_map:
+        safety_provider_id = config.provider_map["safety"].provider_id
+        safety_provider_config = config.provider_map["safety"].config
+
+        if safety_provider_id == "meta-reference":
+            for model_type in ["llama_guard_shield", "prompt_guard_shield"]:
+                if model_type not in safety_provider_config:
+                    continue
+
+                core_model_id = safety_provider_config[model_type]["model"]
+                models_config_list.append(
+                    ModelConfigProviderEntry(
+                        api="safety",
+                        core_model_id=core_model_id,
+                        provider_id=safety_provider_id,
+                        config=safety_provider_config,
+                    )
+                )
+
+    config.provider_map["models"] = GenericProviderConfig(
+        provider_id=spec.providers["models"],
+        config={"models_config": models_config_list},
+    )
+
+    return config
+
+
 # TODO: make sure we can deal with existing configuration values correctly
 # instead of just overwriting them
 def configure_api_providers(
@@ -40,6 +102,10 @@ def configure_api_providers(
         if api_str not in apis:
             raise ValueError(f"Unknown API `{api_str}`")
 
+        # configure models builtin api last based on existing configs
+        if api_str == "models":
+            continue
+
         cprint(f"Configuring API `{api_str}`...\n", "white", attrs=["bold"])
         api = Api(api_str)
 
@@ -92,4 +158,7 @@ def configure_api_providers(
                 config=cfg.dict(),
             )
 
+    if "models" in config.apis_to_serve:
+        config = configure_models_api(config, spec)
+
     return config
diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/impls/builtin/models/config.py b/llama_stack/providers/impls/builtin/models/config.py
index d153d6075..a2db5efbd 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/impls/builtin/models/config.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/impls/builtin/models/config.py
@@ -21,4 +21,7 @@ class ModelConfigProviderEntry(GenericProviderConfig):
 
 @json_schema_type
 class BuiltinImplConfig(BaseModel):
-    models_config: List[ModelConfigProviderEntry]
+    models_config: List[ModelConfigProviderEntry] = Field(
+        default_factory=list,
+        description="list of model config entries for each model",
+    )