diff --git a/llama_stack/cli/stack/_build.py b/llama_stack/cli/stack/_build.py
index 666c2e6dd..97d8900df 100644
--- a/llama_stack/cli/stack/_build.py
+++ b/llama_stack/cli/stack/_build.py
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ from termcolor import cprint
 from llama_stack.cli.table import print_table
 from llama_stack.distribution.build import (
     SERVER_DEPENDENCIES,
-    ImageType,
     build_image,
     get_provider_dependencies,
 )
+from llama_stack.distribution.configure import parse_and_maybe_upgrade_config
 from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import (
     BuildConfig,
     DistributionSpec,
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ from llama_stack.distribution.distribution import get_provider_registry
 from llama_stack.distribution.resolver import InvalidProviderError
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.config_dirs import DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.dynamic import instantiate_class_type
-from llama_stack.distribution.utils.exec import in_notebook
+from llama_stack.distribution.utils.exec import formulate_run_args, in_notebook, run_with_pty
+from llama_stack.distribution.utils.image_types import ImageType
 from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api
 
 TEMPLATES_PATH = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "templates"
@@ -186,19 +187,41 @@ def run_stack_build_command(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
             print(f"uv pip install {special_dep}")
         return
 
-    _run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(
-        build_config,
-        image_name=image_name,
-        config_path=args.config,
-        template_name=args.template,
-    )
+    try:
+        run_config = _run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(
+            build_config,
+            image_name=image_name,
+            config_path=args.config,
+            template_name=args.template,
+        )
+
+    except Exception as exc:
+        cprint(
+            f"Error building stack: {exc}",
+            color="red",
+        )
+        return
+    if run_config is None:
+        cprint(
+            "Run config path is empty",
+            color="red",
+        )
+        return
+
+    if args.run:
+        run_config = Path(run_config)
+        config_dict = yaml.safe_load(run_config.read_text())
+        config = parse_and_maybe_upgrade_config(config_dict)
+        run_args = formulate_run_args(args.image_type, args.image_name, config, args.template)
+        run_args.extend([run_config, str(os.getenv("LLAMA_STACK_PORT", 8321))])
+        run_with_pty(run_args)
 
 
 def _generate_run_config(
     build_config: BuildConfig,
     build_dir: Path,
     image_name: str,
-) -> None:
+) -> str:
     """
     Generate a run.yaml template file for user to edit from a build.yaml file
     """
@@ -248,6 +271,7 @@ def _generate_run_config(
         f"You can now run your stack with `llama stack run {run_config_file}`",
         color="green",
     )
+    return run_config_file
 
 
 def _run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(
@@ -255,7 +279,7 @@ def _run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(
     image_name: Optional[str] = None,
     template_name: Optional[str] = None,
     config_path: Optional[str] = None,
-) -> None:
+) -> str:
     if build_config.image_type == ImageType.container.value:
         if template_name:
             image_name = f"distribution-{template_name}"
@@ -298,8 +322,9 @@ def _run_stack_build_command_from_build_config(
             shutil.copy(path, run_config_file)
 
         cprint("Build Successful!", color="green")
+        return template_path
     else:
-        _generate_run_config(build_config, build_dir, image_name)
+        return _generate_run_config(build_config, build_dir, image_name)
 
 
 def _run_template_list_cmd() -> None:
diff --git a/llama_stack/cli/stack/build.py b/llama_stack/cli/stack/build.py
index 7b17a960a..ceee725e6 100644
--- a/llama_stack/cli/stack/build.py
+++ b/llama_stack/cli/stack/build.py
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ the build. If not specified, currently active Conda environment will be used if
             help="Print the dependencies for the stack only, without building the stack",
         )
 
+        self.parser.add_argument(
+            "--run",
+            action="store_true",
+            default=False,
+            help="Run the stack after building using the same image type, name, and other applicable arguments",
+        )
+
     def _run_stack_build_command(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         # always keep implementation completely silo-ed away from CLI so CLI
         # can be fast to load and reduces dependencies
diff --git a/llama_stack/cli/stack/run.py b/llama_stack/cli/stack/run.py
index 0c9c74518..627ee829a 100644
--- a/llama_stack/cli/stack/run.py
+++ b/llama_stack/cli/stack/run.py
@@ -74,10 +74,6 @@ class StackRun(Subcommand):
         )
 
     def _run_stack_run_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
-        import importlib.resources
-        import json
-        import subprocess
-
         import yaml
         from termcolor import cprint
 
@@ -87,7 +83,7 @@ class StackRun(Subcommand):
             BUILDS_BASE_DIR,
             DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR,
         )
-        from llama_stack.distribution.utils.exec import run_with_pty
+        from llama_stack.distribution.utils.exec import formulate_run_args, run_with_pty
 
         if not args.config:
             self.parser.error("Must specify a config file to run")
@@ -125,70 +121,7 @@ class StackRun(Subcommand):
         config_dict = yaml.safe_load(config_file.read_text())
         config = parse_and_maybe_upgrade_config(config_dict)
 
-        if args.image_type == ImageType.container.value or config.container_image:
-            script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_container.sh"
-            image_name = f"distribution-{template_name}" if template_name else config.container_image
-            run_args = [script, image_name]
-        elif args.image_type == ImageType.conda.value:
-            current_conda_env = os.environ.get("CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV")
-            image_name = args.image_name or current_conda_env
-            if not image_name:
-                cprint(
-                    "No current conda environment detected, please specify a conda environment name with --image-name",
-                    color="red",
-                )
-                return
-
-            def get_conda_prefix(env_name):
-                # Conda "base" environment does not end with "base" in the
-                # prefix, so should be handled separately.
-                if env_name == "base":
-                    return os.environ.get("CONDA_PREFIX")
-                # Get conda environments info
-                conda_env_info = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(["conda", "info", "--envs", "--json"]).decode())
-                envs = conda_env_info["envs"]
-                for envpath in envs:
-                    if envpath.endswith(env_name):
-                        return envpath
-                return None
-
-            print(f"Using conda environment: {image_name}")
-            conda_prefix = get_conda_prefix(image_name)
-            if not conda_prefix:
-                cprint(
-                    f"Conda environment {image_name} does not exist.",
-                    color="red",
-                )
-                return
-
-            build_file = Path(conda_prefix) / "llamastack-build.yaml"
-            if not build_file.exists():
-                cprint(
-                    f"Build file {build_file} does not exist.\n\nPlease run `llama stack build` or specify the correct conda environment name with --image-name",
-                    color="red",
-                )
-                return
-
-            script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_conda_env.sh"
-            run_args = [
-                script,
-                image_name,
-            ]
-        else:
-            # else must be venv since that is the only valid option left.
-            current_venv = os.environ.get("VIRTUAL_ENV")
-            venv = args.image_name or current_venv
-            if not venv:
-                cprint(
-                    "No current virtual environment detected, please specify a virtual environment name with --image-name",
-                    color="red",
-                )
-                return
-            script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_venv.sh"
-            run_args = [
-                script,
-                venv,
-            ]
+        run_args = formulate_run_args(args.image_type, args.image_name, config, template_name)
 
         run_args.extend([str(config_file), str(args.port)])
         if args.disable_ipv6:
diff --git a/llama_stack/distribution/build.py b/llama_stack/distribution/build.py
index 511817de8..2b43b8128 100644
--- a/llama_stack/distribution/build.py
+++ b/llama_stack/distribution/build.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import importlib.resources
 import logging
 import sys
-from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List
 
@@ -18,6 +17,7 @@ from llama_stack.distribution.datatypes import BuildConfig, Provider
 from llama_stack.distribution.distribution import get_provider_registry
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.config_dirs import BUILDS_BASE_DIR
 from llama_stack.distribution.utils.exec import run_command, run_with_pty
+from llama_stack.distribution.utils.image_types import ImageType
 from llama_stack.providers.datatypes import Api
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ SERVER_DEPENDENCIES = [
 ]
 
 
-class ImageType(Enum):
-    container = "container"
-    conda = "conda"
-    venv = "venv"
-
-
 class ApiInput(BaseModel):
     api: Api
     provider: str
diff --git a/llama_stack/distribution/utils/exec.py b/llama_stack/distribution/utils/exec.py
index e13e59aad..00afdadbe 100644
--- a/llama_stack/distribution/utils/exec.py
+++ b/llama_stack/distribution/utils/exec.py
@@ -12,8 +12,78 @@ import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
+from termcolor import cprint
+
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+import importlib
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from llama_stack.distribution.utils.image_types import ImageType
+
+
+def formulate_run_args(image_type, image_name, config, template_name) -> list:
+    if image_type == ImageType.container.value or config.container_image:
+        script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_container.sh"
+        image_name = f"distribution-{template_name}" if template_name else config.container_image
+        run_args = [script, image_name]
+    elif image_type == ImageType.conda.value:
+        current_conda_env = os.environ.get("CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV")
+        image_name = image_name or current_conda_env
+        if not image_name:
+            cprint(
+                "No current conda environment detected, please specify a conda environment name with --image-name",
+                color="red",
+            )
+            return
+
+        def get_conda_prefix(env_name):
+            # Conda "base" environment does not end with "base" in the
+            # prefix, so should be handled separately.
+            if env_name == "base":
+                return os.environ.get("CONDA_PREFIX")
+            # Get conda environments info
+            conda_env_info = json.loads(subprocess.check_output(["conda", "info", "--envs", "--json"]).decode())
+            envs = conda_env_info["envs"]
+            for envpath in envs:
+                if envpath.endswith(env_name):
+                    return envpath
+            return None
+
+        print(f"Using conda environment: {image_name}")
+        conda_prefix = get_conda_prefix(image_name)
+        if not conda_prefix:
+            cprint(
+                f"Conda environment {image_name} does not exist.",
+                color="red",
+            )
+            return
+
+        build_file = Path(conda_prefix) / "llamastack-build.yaml"
+        if not build_file.exists():
+            cprint(
+                f"Build file {build_file} does not exist.\n\nPlease run `llama stack build` or specify the correct conda environment name with --image-name",
+                color="red",
+            )
+            return
+
+        script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_conda_env.sh"
+        run_args = [
+            script,
+            image_name,
+        ]
+    else:
+        # else must be venv since that is the only valid option left.
+        current_venv = os.environ.get("VIRTUAL_ENV")
+        venv = image_name or current_venv
+        script = importlib.resources.files("llama_stack") / "distribution/start_venv.sh"
+        run_args = [
+            script,
+            venv,
+        ]
+    return run_args
+
 
 def run_with_pty(command):
     if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
diff --git a/llama_stack/distribution/utils/image_types.py b/llama_stack/distribution/utils/image_types.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a43b092f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/llama_stack/distribution/utils/image_types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# 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.
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+
+class ImageType(Enum):
+    container = "container"
+    conda = "conda"
+    venv = "venv"