diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d28e8b98f..71bcc51dd 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "truss"
-version = "0.9.54rc2"
+version = "0.9.54rc3"
 description = "A seamless bridge from model development to model delivery"
 license = "MIT"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/truss/templates/trtllm-briton/src/extension.py b/truss/templates/trtllm-briton/src/extension.py
index bcbe29915..90ff49689 100644
--- a/truss/templates/trtllm-briton/src/extension.py
+++ b/truss/templates/trtllm-briton/src/extension.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from briton.spec_dec_truss_model import Model as SpecDecModel
 from briton.truss_model import Model
-from truss.base.trt_llm_config import TRTLLMSpeculativeDecodingConfiguration
-from truss.base.truss_config import TrussConfig
+
+TRTLLM_SPEC_DEC_TARGET_MODEL_NAME = "target"
 
 # TODO(pankaj) Define an ABC base class for this. That baseclass should live in
 # a new, smaller truss sub-library, perhaps called `truss-runtime`` for inclusion
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ class Extension:
     """
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        self._config = TrussConfig(**kwargs["config"])
-        if isinstance(self._config.trt_llm, TRTLLMSpeculativeDecodingConfiguration):
+        self._config = kwargs["config"]
+        if TRTLLM_SPEC_DEC_TARGET_MODEL_NAME not in self._config.get("trt_llm"):
             self._model = SpecDecModel(*args, **kwargs)
         else:
             self._model = Model(*args, **kwargs)