diff --git a/cmd/launcher/web/api/api.go b/cmd/launcher/web/api/api.go
index 75d828f95..8245d1ab1 100644
--- a/cmd/launcher/web/api/api.go
+++ b/cmd/launcher/web/api/api.go
@@ -70,8 +70,19 @@ func (a *apiLauncher) UserMessage(webURL string, printer func(v ...any)) {
 
 // SetupSubrouters adds the API router to the parent router.
 func (a *apiLauncher) SetupSubrouters(router *mux.Router, config *launcher.Config) error {
+	// Create the ADK REST API config
+	adkrestConfig := &adkrest.Config{
+		AgentLoader:     config.AgentLoader,
+		SessionService:  config.SessionService,
+		ArtifactService: config.ArtifactService,
+		MemoryService:   config.MemoryService,
+		SSEWriteTimeout: a.config.sseWriteTimeout,
+	}
 	// Create the ADK REST API handler
-	apiHandler := adkrest.NewHandler(config, a.config.sseWriteTimeout)
+	apiHandler, err := adkrest.NewHandler(adkrestConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create ADK REST API handler: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	// Wrap it with CORS middleware
 	corsHandler := corsWithArgs(a.config.frontendAddress)(apiHandler)
diff --git a/examples/rest/main.go b/examples/rest/main.go
index 1e9a6bfbe..756966a1e 100644
--- a/examples/rest/main.go
+++ b/examples/rest/main.go
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ import (
 
 	"google.golang.org/adk/agent"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/agent/llmagent"
-	"google.golang.org/adk/cmd/launcher"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/artifact"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/memory"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/model/gemini"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/server/adkrest"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/session"
@@ -60,13 +61,19 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	// Configure the ADK REST API
-	config := &launcher.Config{
-		AgentLoader:    agent.NewSingleLoader(a),
-		SessionService: session.InMemoryService(),
+	config := &adkrest.Config{
+		SessionService:  session.InMemoryService(),
+		ArtifactService: artifact.InMemoryService(),
+		AgentLoader:     agent.NewSingleLoader(a),
+		MemoryService:   memory.InMemoryService(),
+		SSEWriteTimeout: 120 * time.Second,
 	}
 
 	// Create the REST API handler - this returns a standard http.Handler
-	apiHandler := adkrest.NewHandler(config, 120*time.Second)
+	apiHandler, err := adkrest.NewHandler(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to create ADK REST API handler: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	// Create a standard net/http ServeMux
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
diff --git a/server/adkrest/config.go b/server/adkrest/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83b24e093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/adkrest/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+// Copyright 2025 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package adkrest
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"time"
+
+	"google.golang.org/adk/agent"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/artifact"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/memory"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/runner"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/session"
+	"google.golang.org/adk/telemetry"
+)
+
+// Config defines the services and loaders required by the adkrest package.
+type Config struct {
+	SessionService   session.Service
+	ArtifactService  artifact.Service
+	AgentLoader      agent.Loader
+	MemoryService    memory.Service
+	SSEWriteTimeout  time.Duration
+	PluginConfig     runner.PluginConfig
+	TelemetryOptions []telemetry.Option
+}
+
+// validate validates the config
+func (c *Config) validate() error {
+	if c.SessionService == nil {
+		return errors.New("session service is required")
+	}
+	if c.ArtifactService == nil {
+		return errors.New("artifact service is required")
+	}
+	if c.AgentLoader == nil {
+		return errors.New("agent loader is required")
+	}
+	if c.MemoryService == nil {
+		return errors.New("memory service is required")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/server/adkrest/handler.go b/server/adkrest/handler.go
index ba2b88f90..c5e5a7475 100644
--- a/server/adkrest/handler.go
+++ b/server/adkrest/handler.go
@@ -16,11 +16,9 @@ package adkrest
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 
-	"google.golang.org/adk/cmd/launcher"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/server/adkrest/controllers"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/server/adkrest/internal/routers"
 	"google.golang.org/adk/server/adkrest/internal/services"
@@ -28,7 +26,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // NewHandler creates and returns an http.Handler for the ADK REST API.
-func NewHandler(config *launcher.Config, sseWriteTimeout time.Duration) http.Handler {
+func NewHandler(config *Config) (http.Handler, error) {
+	if err := config.validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	debugTelemetry := services.NewDebugTelemetry()
 	config.TelemetryOptions = append(config.TelemetryOptions, telemetry.WithSpanProcessors(debugTelemetry.SpanProcessor()))
 	config.TelemetryOptions = append(config.TelemetryOptions, telemetry.WithLogRecordProcessors(debugTelemetry.LogProcessor()))
@@ -38,13 +40,13 @@ func NewHandler(config *launcher.Config, sseWriteTimeout time.Duration) http.Han
 	// where the ADK REST API will be served.
 	setupRouter(router,
 		routers.NewSessionsAPIRouter(controllers.NewSessionsAPIController(config.SessionService)),
-		routers.NewRuntimeAPIRouter(controllers.NewRuntimeAPIController(config.SessionService, config.MemoryService, config.AgentLoader, config.ArtifactService, sseWriteTimeout, config.PluginConfig)),
+		routers.NewRuntimeAPIRouter(controllers.NewRuntimeAPIController(config.SessionService, config.MemoryService, config.AgentLoader, config.ArtifactService, config.SSEWriteTimeout, config.PluginConfig)),
 		routers.NewAppsAPIRouter(controllers.NewAppsAPIController(config.AgentLoader)),
 		routers.NewDebugAPIRouter(controllers.NewDebugAPIController(config.SessionService, config.AgentLoader, debugTelemetry)),
 		routers.NewArtifactsAPIRouter(controllers.NewArtifactsAPIController(config.ArtifactService)),
 		&routers.EvalAPIRouter{},
 	)
-	return router
+	return router, nil
 }
 
 func setupRouter(router *mux.Router, subrouters ...routers.Router) *mux.Router {