diff --git a/src/rai_core/pyproject.toml b/src/rai_core/pyproject.toml
index 4cfb7ac77..638241bf2 100644
--- a/src/rai_core/pyproject.toml
+++ b/src/rai_core/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "rai_core"
-version = "2.10.1"
+version = "2.11.0"
 description = "Core functionality for RAI framework"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10,<3.13"
diff --git a/src/rai_core/rai/initialization/model_initialization.py b/src/rai_core/rai/initialization/model_initialization.py
index e16eede95..3be3901e0 100644
--- a/src/rai_core/rai/initialization/model_initialization.py
+++ b/src/rai_core/rai/initialization/model_initialization.py
@@ -96,6 +96,24 @@ class RAIConfig:
     tracing: TracingConfig
 
 
+# Default placeholder configs for vendors not present in the TOML file.
+_DEFAULT_AWS = AWSConfig(
+    simple_model="", complex_model="", embeddings_model="", region_name=""
+)
+_DEFAULT_OPENAI = OpenAIConfig(
+    simple_model="", complex_model="", embeddings_model="", base_url=""
+)
+_DEFAULT_OLLAMA = OllamaConfig(
+    simple_model="", complex_model="", embeddings_model="", base_url=""
+)
+_DEFAULT_GOOGLE = GoogleConfig(simple_model="", complex_model="", embeddings_model="")
+_DEFAULT_TRACING = TracingConfig(
+    project="",
+    langfuse=LangfuseConfig(use_langfuse=False, host=""),
+    langsmith=LangsmithConfig(use_langsmith=False, host=""),
+)
+
+
 def load_config(config_path: Optional[str] = None) -> RAIConfig:
     if config_path is None:
         with open("config.toml", "rb") as f:
@@ -103,17 +121,42 @@ def load_config(config_path: Optional[str] = None) -> RAIConfig:
     else:
         with open(config_path, "rb") as f:
             config_dict = tomli.load(f)
-    return RAIConfig(
-        vendor=VendorConfig(**config_dict["vendor"]),
-        aws=AWSConfig(**config_dict["aws"]),
-        openai=OpenAIConfig(**config_dict["openai"]),
-        ollama=OllamaConfig(**config_dict["ollama"]),
-        google=GoogleConfig(**config_dict["google"]),
-        tracing=TracingConfig(
+
+    # Only require config sections for vendors actually referenced in [vendor].
+    # Missing sections get safe defaults so single-vendor setups work.
+    aws = AWSConfig(**config_dict["aws"]) if "aws" in config_dict else _DEFAULT_AWS
+    openai = (
+        OpenAIConfig(**config_dict["openai"])
+        if "openai" in config_dict
+        else _DEFAULT_OPENAI
+    )
+    ollama = (
+        OllamaConfig(**config_dict["ollama"])
+        if "ollama" in config_dict
+        else _DEFAULT_OLLAMA
+    )
+    google = (
+        GoogleConfig(**config_dict["google"])
+        if "google" in config_dict
+        else _DEFAULT_GOOGLE
+    )
+
+    if "tracing" in config_dict:
+        tracing = TracingConfig(
             project=config_dict["tracing"]["project"],
             langfuse=LangfuseConfig(**config_dict["tracing"]["langfuse"]),
             langsmith=LangsmithConfig(**config_dict["tracing"]["langsmith"]),
-        ),
+        )
+    else:
+        tracing = _DEFAULT_TRACING
+
+    return RAIConfig(
+        vendor=VendorConfig(**config_dict["vendor"]),
+        aws=aws,
+        openai=openai,
+        ollama=ollama,
+        google=google,
+        tracing=tracing,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/initialization/test_model_initialization.py b/tests/initialization/test_model_initialization.py
index 920050213..eafdad88e 100644
--- a/tests/initialization/test_model_initialization.py
+++ b/tests/initialization/test_model_initialization.py
@@ -195,3 +195,54 @@ def test_get_embeddings_model_return_kwargs_openai(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     assert kwargs["base_url"] == "https://openai.example/v1/"
     assert kwargs["vendor"] == "openai"
     assert "class" in kwargs
+
+
+def test_load_config_allows_missing_unused_vendor_sections(tmp_path):
+    sparse_config = """
+[vendor]
+simple_model = "openai"
+complex_model = "openai"
+embeddings_model = "openai"
+
+[openai]
+simple_model = "gpt-4o-mini"
+complex_model = "gpt-4o"
+embeddings_model = "text-embedding-3-small"
+base_url = "https://openai.example/v1/"
+"""
+    config_path = write_config(tmp_path / "config.toml", sparse_config)
+
+    config = model_initialization.load_config(str(config_path))
+
+    assert config.openai.simple_model == "gpt-4o-mini"
+    assert config.openai.complex_model == "gpt-4o"
+    assert config.openai.embeddings_model == "text-embedding-3-small"
+    assert config.openai.base_url == "https://openai.example/v1/"
+    assert config.aws.simple_model == ""
+    assert config.aws.region_name == ""
+    assert config.ollama.base_url == ""
+    assert config.google.embeddings_model == ""
+
+
+def test_load_config_uses_default_tracing_when_section_missing(tmp_path):
+    sparse_config = """
+[vendor]
+simple_model = "openai"
+complex_model = "openai"
+embeddings_model = "openai"
+
+[openai]
+simple_model = "gpt-4o-mini"
+complex_model = "gpt-4o"
+embeddings_model = "text-embedding-3-small"
+base_url = "https://openai.example/v1/"
+"""
+    config_path = write_config(tmp_path / "config.toml", sparse_config)
+
+    config = model_initialization.load_config(str(config_path))
+
+    assert config.tracing.project == ""
+    assert config.tracing.langfuse.use_langfuse is False
+    assert config.tracing.langfuse.host == ""
+    assert config.tracing.langsmith.use_langsmith is False
+    assert config.tracing.langsmith.host == ""