diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.cpp
index 8f19dadef..bbec60d6d 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,27 @@
 namespace viam {
 namespace sdk {
 
+ResourceConfig::ResourceConfig(std::string type,
+                               std::string name,
+                               std::string namespace_,
+                               ProtoStruct attributes,
+                               std::string api,
+                               Model model,
+                               log_level lvl)
+    : api_({kRDK, type, ""}),
+      frame_(boost::none),
+      model_(std::move(model)),
+      name_(std::move(name)),
+      namespace__(std::move(namespace_)),
+      type_(std::move(type)),
+      attributes_(std::move(attributes)),
+      log_level_(lvl) {
+    if (api.find(':') != std::string::npos) {
+        api_ = API::from_string(std::move(api));
+    }
+    fix_api();
+}
+
 ResourceConfig::ResourceConfig(std::string type,
                                std::string name,
                                std::string namespace_,
@@ -63,7 +84,7 @@ const API& ResourceConfig::api() const {
     return api_;
 }
 
-const LinkConfig& ResourceConfig::frame() const {
+const boost::optional<LinkConfig>& ResourceConfig::frame() const {
     return frame_;
 }
 
@@ -150,7 +171,9 @@ void to_proto_impl<ResourceConfig>::operator()(const ResourceConfig& self,
     *proto->mutable_depends_on() = ::google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<std::string>(
         self.depends_on().begin(), self.depends_on().end());
 
-    *proto->mutable_frame() = to_proto(self.frame());
+    if (self.frame()) {
+        *proto->mutable_frame() = to_proto(self.frame().get());
+    }
 }
 
 ResourceConfig from_proto_impl<app::v1::ComponentConfig>::operator()(
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.hpp
index d2531b5ff..4f352beb2 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.hpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/config/resource.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
 
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+
 #include <viam/sdk/common/proto_convert.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/common/proto_value.hpp>
 #include <viam/sdk/log/logging.hpp>
@@ -40,6 +42,14 @@ struct ResourceLevelServiceConfig {
 
 class ResourceConfig {
    public:
+    ResourceConfig(std::string type,
+                   std::string name,
+                   std::string namespace_,
+                   ProtoStruct attributes,
+                   std::string api,
+                   Model model,
+                   log_level lvl = sdk::log_level::info);
+
     ResourceConfig(std::string type,
                    std::string name,
                    std::string namespace_,
@@ -55,7 +65,7 @@ class ResourceConfig {
 
     const API& api() const;
 
-    const LinkConfig& frame() const;
+    const boost::optional<LinkConfig>& frame() const;
 
     const Model& model() const;
 
@@ -76,7 +86,7 @@ class ResourceConfig {
 
     API api_;
 
-    LinkConfig frame_;
+    boost::optional<LinkConfig> frame_;
 
     Model model_;
 
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_resource.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_resource.cpp
index 68e6b47b5..0fef864e4 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_resource.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_resource.cpp
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_linkconfig) {
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_resource) {
     ResourceConfig resource1("type");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource1.api().to_string(), "rdk:type:");
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource1.frame().get_parent(), "");
+    BOOST_CHECK(!resource1.frame());
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource1.model().to_string(), "rdk:builtin:builtin");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource1.name(), "");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource1.namespace_(), "");
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_resource) {
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource2.type(), "type");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource2.model().to_string(), "ns:mf:model1");
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource2.api().to_string(), "ns:component:type");
-    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource2.frame().get_parent(), "parent");
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(resource2.frame()->get_parent(), "parent");
     std::string key;
     Value value;
     for (const auto& key_and_value : resource2.attributes()) {