diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/build.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/build.py
index 3801637c0..e13cd10fb 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/build.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/build.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class StackBuild(Subcommand):
 
     def _add_arguments(self):
         self.parser.add_argument(
-            "--config",
+            "config",
             type=str,
             help="Path to a config file to use for the build",
         )
@@ -77,17 +77,20 @@ class StackBuild(Subcommand):
         from llama_toolchain.common.prompt_for_config import prompt_for_config
         from llama_toolchain.core.dynamic import instantiate_class_type
 
-        if args.config:
-            with open(args.config, "r") as f:
-                try:
-                    build_config = BuildConfig(**yaml.safe_load(f))
-                except Exception as e:
-                    self.parser.error(f"Could not parse config file {args.config}: {e}")
-                    return
-                if args.name:
-                    build_config.name = args.name
-                self._run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(build_config)
+        if not args.config:
+            self.parser.error(
+                "No config file specified. Please use `llama stack build /path/to/*-build.yaml`. Example config files can be found in llama_toolchain/configs/distributions"
+            )
             return
 
-        build_config = prompt_for_config(BuildConfig, None)
-        self._run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(build_config)
+        with open(args.config, "r") as f:
+            try:
+                build_config = BuildConfig(**yaml.safe_load(f))
+            except Exception as e:
+                self.parser.error(f"Could not parse config file {args.config}: {e}")
+                return
+            if args.name:
+                build_config.name = args.name
+            self._run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(build_config)
+
+        return
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/configure.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/configure.py
index 485200397..5fa105048 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/configure.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/configure.py
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ class StackConfigure(Subcommand):
             )
 
         config.providers = configure_api_providers(config.providers)
-        config.distribution_type = build_config.distribution_spec.distribution_type
         config.docker_image = (
             package_name if build_config.image_type == "docker" else None
         )
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/list_distributions.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/list_distributions.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a4283f74..000000000
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/list_distributions.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright (c) Meta Platforms, Inc. and affiliates.
-# All rights reserved.
-#
-# This source code is licensed under the terms described in the LICENSE file in
-# the root directory of this source tree.
-
-import argparse
-import json
-
-from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-
-
-class StackListDistributions(Subcommand):
-    def __init__(self, subparsers: argparse._SubParsersAction):
-        super().__init__()
-        self.parser = subparsers.add_parser(
-            "list-distributions",
-            prog="llama stack list-distributions",
-            description="Show available Llama Stack Distributions",
-            formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter,
-        )
-        self._add_arguments()
-        self.parser.set_defaults(func=self._run_distribution_list_cmd)
-
-    def _add_arguments(self):
-        pass
-
-    def _run_distribution_list_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
-        from llama_toolchain.cli.table import print_table
-        from llama_toolchain.core.distribution_registry import (
-            available_distribution_specs,
-        )
-
-        # eventually, this should query a registry at llama.meta.com/llamastack/distributions
-        headers = [
-            "Distribution Type",
-            "Providers",
-            "Description",
-        ]
-
-        rows = []
-        for spec in available_distribution_specs():
-            providers = {k: v for k, v in spec.providers.items()}
-            rows.append(
-                [
-                    spec.distribution_type,
-                    json.dumps(providers, indent=2),
-                    spec.description,
-                ]
-            )
-        print_table(
-            rows,
-            headers,
-            separate_rows=True,
-        )
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/run.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/run.py
index d040cb1f7..091cc50a9 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/run.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/run.py
@@ -69,9 +69,6 @@ class StackRun(Subcommand):
         with open(config_file, "r") as f:
             config = PackageConfig(**yaml.safe_load(f))
 
-        if not config.distribution_type:
-            raise ValueError("Build config appears to be corrupt.")
-
         if config.docker_image:
             script = pkg_resources.resource_filename(
                 "llama_toolchain",
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/stack.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/stack.py
index e41f10633..0e4abb5a2 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/stack.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/stack/stack.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
 from .build import StackBuild
 from .configure import StackConfigure
 from .list_apis import StackListApis
-from .list_distributions import StackListDistributions
 from .list_providers import StackListProviders
 from .run import StackRun
 
@@ -31,6 +30,5 @@ class StackParser(Subcommand):
         StackBuild.create(subparsers)
         StackConfigure.create(subparsers)
         StackListApis.create(subparsers)
-        StackListDistributions.create(subparsers)
         StackListProviders.create(subparsers)
         StackRun.create(subparsers)
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-conda-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-conda-example-build.yaml
index ce8ebe1be..cdb5243ca 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-conda-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-conda-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-conda-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local
   description: Use code from `llama_toolchain` itself to serve all llama stack APIs
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-fireworks-conda-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-fireworks-conda-example-build.yaml
index 4531fcebb..4843c5c55 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-fireworks-conda-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-fireworks-conda-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-fireworks-conda-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local-plus-fireworks-inference
   description: Use Fireworks.ai for running LLM inference
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-ollama-conda-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-ollama-conda-example-build.yaml
index dbc2c7936..b464a7151 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-ollama-conda-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-ollama-conda-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-ollama-conda-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local-plus-ollama-inference
   description: Like local, but use ollama for running LLM inference
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-tgi-conda-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-tgi-conda-example-build.yaml
index c366adda7..0f5490192 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-tgi-conda-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-tgi-conda-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-tgi-conda-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local-plus-tgi-inference
   description: Use TGI (local or with Hugging Face Inference Endpoints for running LLM inference. When using HF Inference Endpoints, you must provide the name of the endpoint).
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-together-conda-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-together-conda-example-build.yaml
index 0d69369ef..2cefb55dc 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-together-conda-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/conda/local-together-conda-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-tgi-conda-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local-plus-together-inference
   description: Use Together.ai for running LLM inference
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-ollama.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-ollama.yaml
index 315fe5291..134dc538c 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-ollama.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-ollama.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-distribution_type: local-ollama
 description: Like local, but use ollama for running LLM inference
 docker_image: null
 providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-fireworks-inference.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-fireworks-inference.yaml
index d68c0015c..0dc8ae19b 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-fireworks-inference.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-fireworks-inference.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-distribution_type: local-plus-fireworks-inference
 description: Use Fireworks.ai for running LLM inference
 docker_image: null
 providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-tgi-inference.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-tgi-inference.yaml
index 27caa84e2..37eff0cc9 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-tgi-inference.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-tgi-inference.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-distribution_type: local-plus-tgi-inference
 description: Use TGI (local or with Hugging Face Inference Endpoints for running LLM inference. When using HF Inference Endpoints, you must provide the name of the endpoint).
 docker_image: null
 providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-together-inference.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-together-inference.yaml
index 507119e1e..198d7e2fd 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-together-inference.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local-plus-together-inference.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-distribution_type: local-plus-together-inference
 description: Use Together.ai for running LLM inference
 docker_image: null
 providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local.yaml
index ca8aa1fe3..3c5f57d69 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/distribution_registry/local.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-distribution_type: local
 description: Use code from `llama_toolchain` itself to serve all llama stack APIs
 docker_image: null
 providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/docker/local-docker-example-build.yaml b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/docker/local-docker-example-build.yaml
index 8aacdd76b..200fab607 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/docker/local-docker-example-build.yaml
+++ b/llama_toolchain/configs/distributions/docker/local-docker-example-build.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 name: local-docker-example
 distribution_spec:
-  distribution_type: local
   description: Use code from `llama_toolchain` itself to serve all llama stack APIs
   docker_image: null
   providers:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/core/datatypes.py b/llama_toolchain/core/datatypes.py
index 359ffe2ce..4549e1819 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/core/datatypes.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/core/datatypes.py
@@ -151,23 +151,13 @@ def remote_provider_spec(
 
 @json_schema_type
 class DistributionSpec(BaseModel):
-    distribution_type: str = Field(
-        default="local",
-        description="Name of the distribution type. This can used to identify the distribution",
-    )
     description: Optional[str] = Field(
         default="",
         description="Description of the distribution",
     )
     docker_image: Optional[str] = None
     providers: Dict[str, str] = Field(
-        default={
-            "inference": "meta-reference",
-            "memory": "meta-reference-faiss",
-            "safety": "meta-reference",
-            "agentic_system": "meta-reference",
-            "telemetry": "console",
-        },
+        default_factory=dict,
         description="Provider Types for each of the APIs provided by this distribution",
     )
 
@@ -183,8 +173,6 @@ Reference to the distribution this package refers to. For unregistered (adhoc) p
 this could be just a hash
 """,
     )
-    distribution_type: Optional[str] = None
-
     docker_image: Optional[str] = Field(
         default=None,
         description="Reference to the docker image if this package refers to a container",