diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/utils/sqlstore/sqlstore.py b/llama_stack/providers/utils/sqlstore/sqlstore.py
index 29041e96c..fc44f196b 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/utils/sqlstore/sqlstore.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/utils/sqlstore/sqlstore.py
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ class SqlAlchemySqlStoreConfig(BaseModel):
     def engine_str(self) -> str: ...
 
     # TODO: move this when we have a better way to specify dependencies with internal APIs
-    @property
-    def pip_packages(self) -> list[str]:
+    @classmethod
+    def pip_packages(cls) -> list[str]:
         return ["sqlalchemy[asyncio]"]
 
 
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ class SqliteSqlStoreConfig(SqlAlchemySqlStoreConfig):
             "db_path": "${env.SQLITE_STORE_DIR:=" + __distro_dir__ + "}/" + db_name,
         }
 
-    @property
-    def pip_packages(self) -> list[str]:
-        return super().pip_packages + ["aiosqlite"]
+    @classmethod
+    def pip_packages(cls) -> list[str]:
+        return super().pip_packages() + ["aiosqlite"]
 
 
 class PostgresSqlStoreConfig(SqlAlchemySqlStoreConfig):
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ class PostgresSqlStoreConfig(SqlAlchemySqlStoreConfig):
     def engine_str(self) -> str:
         return f"postgresql+asyncpg://{self.user}:{self.password}@{self.host}:{self.port}/{self.db}"
 
-    @property
-    def pip_packages(self) -> list[str]:
-        return super().pip_packages + ["asyncpg"]
+    @classmethod
+    def pip_packages(cls) -> list[str]:
+        return super().pip_packages() + ["asyncpg"]
 
     @classmethod
     def sample_run_config(cls, **kwargs):
diff --git a/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py b/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
index 7914d4298..2a982bb62 100644
--- a/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
+++ b/llama_stack/templates/starter/starter.py
@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ def get_distribution_template() -> DistributionTemplate:
 
     default_models = get_model_registry(available_models)
 
-    postgres_store = PostgresSqlStoreConfig.sample_run_config()
     return DistributionTemplate(
         name=name,
         distro_type="self_hosted",
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ def get_distribution_template() -> DistributionTemplate:
         template_path=None,
         providers=providers,
         available_models_by_provider=available_models,
-        additional_pip_packages=postgres_store.pip_packages,
+        additional_pip_packages=PostgresSqlStoreConfig.pip_packages(),
         run_configs={
             "run.yaml": RunConfigSettings(
                 provider_overrides={
diff --git a/llama_stack/templates/template.py b/llama_stack/templates/template.py
index 7badff140..1a0cbe5bc 100644
--- a/llama_stack/templates/template.py
+++ b/llama_stack/templates/template.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # This source code is licensed under the terms described in the LICENSE file in
 # the root directory of this source tree.
 
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Literal
 
@@ -94,12 +95,14 @@ class RunConfigSettings(BaseModel):
         self,
         name: str,
         providers: dict[str, list[str]],
+        yaml_output_dir: Path | None = None,
         container_image: str | None = None,
     ) -> StackRunConfig:
         provider_registry = get_provider_registry()
 
         provider_configs = {}
         for api_str, provider_types in providers.items():
+            # TODO: is this necessary with provider configs? all this does is allow you to hardcode a provider in the `get_distribution_template`
             if api_providers := self.provider_overrides.get(api_str):
                 provider_configs[api_str] = api_providers
                 continue
@@ -123,11 +126,28 @@ class RunConfigSettings(BaseModel):
                 else:
                     config = {}
 
+                template_path = None
+                if yaml_output_dir and config:
+                    path = os.path.join(yaml_output_dir, "provider_configs", api_str, f"{provider_id}.yaml")
+                    template_path = os.path.join(
+                        "~/.llama/distributions",
+                        yaml_output_dir.name,
+                        "provider_configs",
+                        api_str,
+                        f"{provider_id}.yaml",
+                    )
+                    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path), exist_ok=True)
+                    with open(path, "w") as f:
+                        yaml.safe_dump(
+                            config,
+                            f,
+                            sort_keys=False,
+                        )
                 provider_configs[api_str].append(
                     Provider(
                         provider_id=provider_id,
                         provider_type=provider_type,
-                        config=config,
+                        config=template_path if template_path is not None else config,
                     )
                 )
 
@@ -191,7 +211,7 @@ class DistributionTemplate(BaseModel):
             # We should have a better way to do this by formalizing the concept of "internal" APIs
             # and providers, with a way to specify dependencies for them.
             if run_config_.inference_store:
-                additional_pip_packages.extend(run_config_.inference_store.pip_packages)
+                additional_pip_packages.extend(run_config_.inference_store.pip_packages())
             if run_config_.metadata_store:
                 additional_pip_packages.extend(run_config_.metadata_store.pip_packages)
 
@@ -283,10 +303,21 @@ class DistributionTemplate(BaseModel):
             )
 
         for yaml_pth, settings in self.run_configs.items():
-            run_config = settings.run_config(self.name, self.providers, self.container_image)
+            run_config = settings.run_config(self.name, self.providers, yaml_output_dir, self.container_image)
             with open(yaml_output_dir / yaml_pth, "w") as f:
+
+                def stringify_paths(obj):
+                    if isinstance(obj, dict):
+                        return {k: stringify_paths(v) for k, v in obj.items()}
+                    elif isinstance(obj, list):
+                        return [stringify_paths(v) for v in obj]
+                    elif isinstance(obj, Path):
+                        return str(obj)
+                    else:
+                        return obj
+
                 yaml.safe_dump(
-                    run_config.model_dump(exclude_none=True),
+                    stringify_paths(run_config.model_dump(exclude_none=True)),
                     f,
                     sort_keys=False,
                 )