diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index eceb182571..bb612fc3a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
         sudo -E ./ci/setup_cmake.sh
         sudo -E ./ci/setup_ci_environment.sh
         sudo -E ./ci/install_protobuf.sh
-        sudo -E ./ci/install_yaml_cpp.sh
+        sudo -E ./ci/install_ryml.sh
     - name: run cmake clang (maintainer mode, sync)
       env:
         CC: /usr/bin/clang-15
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index fdfe1c2f78..8878b86c1e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ endif()
 option(WITH_ABI_VERSION_1 "ABI version 1" ON)
 option(WITH_ABI_VERSION_2 "EXPERIMENTAL: ABI version 2 preview" OFF)
 
-option(WITH_CONFIGURATION "EXPERIMENTAL: configuration model" OFF)
-option(WITH_CONFIGURATION_YAML "EXPERIMENTAL: YAML configuration file" OFF)
+option(WITH_CONFIGURATION "EXPERIMENTAL: YAML configuration file" OFF)
 
 file(READ "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/api/include/opentelemetry/version.h"
      OPENTELEMETRY_CPP_HEADER_VERSION_H)
@@ -287,10 +286,6 @@ option(WITH_METRICS_EXEMPLAR_PREVIEW
 # Verify options dependencies
 #
 
-if(WITH_CONFIGURATION_YAML AND NOT WITH_CONFIGURATION)
-  message(FATAL_ERROR "CONFIGURATION_YAML=ON requires WITH_CONFIGURATION=ON")
-endif()
-
 if(WITH_EXAMPLES_HTTP AND NOT WITH_EXAMPLES)
   message(FATAL_ERROR "WITH_EXAMPLES_HTTP=ON requires WITH_EXAMPLES=ON")
 endif()
@@ -473,8 +468,18 @@ if((NOT WITH_API_ONLY) AND USE_NLOHMANN_JSON)
   include(cmake/nlohmann-json.cmake)
 endif()
 
-find_package(yaml-cpp REQUIRED)
-find_package(ryml REQUIRED)
+#
+# Do we need RapidYaml ?
+#
+
+if((NOT WITH_API_ONLY) AND WITH_CONFIGURATION)
+  # No specific version required.
+  find_package(ryml REQUIRED)
+  message(STATUS "Found ryml: include ${RYML_INCLUDE_DIR}, lib ${RYML_LIB_DIR}, version ${ryml_VERSION}")
+endif()
+
+# DEAD
+# find_package(yaml-cpp REQUIRED)
 
 if(OTELCPP_MAINTAINER_MODE)
   if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
diff --git a/ci/install_ryml.sh b/ci/install_ryml.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..dfa1ba20a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/install_ryml.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+set -ex
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+[ -z "${RYML_VERSION}" ] && export RYML_VERSION="0.5.0"
+
+BUILD_DIR=/tmp/
+INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/
+pushd $BUILD_DIR
+git clone --recursive -b ${RYML_VERSION} https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml.git
+cd yaml-cpp
+RYML_BUILD_OPTIONS=(
+    "-DBUILD_TESTING=OFF"
+    "-DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON"
+    "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$INSTALL_DIR"
+)
+
+if [ ! -z "${CXX_STANDARD}" ]; then
+    RYML_BUILD_OPTIONS=(${RYML_BUILD_OPTIONS[@]} "-DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=${CXX_STANDARD}")
+fi
+
+mkdir build && pushd build
+cmake ${RYML_BUILD_OPTIONS[@]} ..
+make -j $(nproc)
+make install
+popd
+popd
+export PATH=${INSTALL_DIR}/bin:$PATH  # ensure to use the installed ryml
diff --git a/sdk/include/opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/invalid_schema_exception.h b/sdk/include/opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/invalid_schema_exception.h
index 7fbe31493d..e17cf42341 100644
--- a/sdk/include/opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/invalid_schema_exception.h
+++ b/sdk/include/opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/invalid_schema_exception.h
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
 #include <string>
 
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/document.h"
diff --git a/sdk/src/CMakeLists.txt b/sdk/src/CMakeLists.txt
index d46c5b005f..67fac35208 100644
--- a/sdk/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/sdk/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,5 +7,8 @@ add_subdirectory(metrics)
 add_subdirectory(logs)
 add_subdirectory(version)
 add_subdirectory(resource)
-add_subdirectory(configuration)
-add_subdirectory(init)
+
+if(WITH_CONFIGURATION)
+  add_subdirectory(configuration)
+  add_subdirectory(init)
+endif()
diff --git a/sdk/src/configuration/CMakeLists.txt b/sdk/src/configuration/CMakeLists.txt
index 05aae825de..c9292dee58 100644
--- a/sdk/src/configuration/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/sdk/src/configuration/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 # Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+# DEAD
+# yaml_document.cc yaml_document_node.cc
+
 add_library(
   opentelemetry_configuration
   configuration_factory.cc
-  yaml_configuration_factory.cc yaml_document.cc yaml_document_node.cc
+  yaml_configuration_factory.cc
   ryml_document.cc ryml_document_node.cc)
 
 set_target_properties(opentelemetry_configuration PROPERTIES EXPORT_NAME configuration)
@@ -18,10 +21,9 @@ target_link_libraries(
   opentelemetry_configuration
   PUBLIC opentelemetry_api opentelemetry_common)
 
-target_link_libraries(
-  opentelemetry_configuration
-  PUBLIC yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
-
+# target_link_libraries(
+#   opentelemetry_configuration
+#   PUBLIC yaml-cpp::yaml-cpp)
 
 target_link_libraries(
   opentelemetry_configuration
diff --git a/sdk/src/configuration/configuration_factory.cc b/sdk/src/configuration/configuration_factory.cc
index 7a1f384994..4ec74094b5 100644
--- a/sdk/src/configuration/configuration_factory.cc
+++ b/sdk/src/configuration/configuration_factory.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 // Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
 #include <fstream>
 
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/common/global_log_handler.h"
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/simple_propagator_configuration.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/simple_span_processor_configuration.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/trace_id_ratio_based_sampler_configuration.h"
-#include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/zipkin_span_exporter_configuration.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/version.h"
 
diff --git a/sdk/src/configuration/yaml_configuration_factory.cc b/sdk/src/configuration/yaml_configuration_factory.cc
index 8d0486eb5d..a11dd02ce4 100644
--- a/sdk/src/configuration/yaml_configuration_factory.cc
+++ b/sdk/src/configuration/yaml_configuration_factory.cc
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-#include <yaml-cpp/yaml.h>
 #include <fstream>
 
+// #define WITH_YAML_CPP
+
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/common/global_log_handler.h"
 
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/configuration.h"
@@ -11,10 +12,13 @@
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/ryml_document.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/ryml_document_node.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_configuration_factory.h"
-#include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document.h"
-#include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document_node.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/version.h"
 
+#ifdef WITH_YAML_CPP
+#  include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document.h"
+#  include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document_node.h"
+#endif
+
 OPENTELEMETRY_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 namespace sdk
 {
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<Configuration> YamlConfigurationFactory::ParseFile(std::string f
   return conf;
 }
 
+#ifdef WITH_YAML_CPP
 static std::unique_ptr<Document> YamlCppParse(const std::string &content)
 {
   std::unique_ptr<Document> doc;
@@ -60,6 +65,7 @@ static std::unique_ptr<Document> YamlCppParse(const std::string &content)
 
   return doc;
 }
+#endif
 
 static std::unique_ptr<Document> RymlParse(const std::string &content)
 {
@@ -84,8 +90,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<Configuration> YamlConfigurationFactory::ParseString(std::string
   std::unique_ptr<DocumentNode> root;
   std::unique_ptr<Configuration> config;
 
-  // #define WITH_YAML_CPP
-
 #ifdef WITH_YAML_CPP
   doc = YamlCppParse(content);
 #else
@@ -100,10 +104,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<Configuration> YamlConfigurationFactory::ParseString(std::string
       config = ConfigurationFactory::ParseConfiguration(root);
     }
   }
-  catch (const YAML::Exception &e)
-  {
-    OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR("Failed to interpret yaml, " << e.what());
-  }
   catch (...)
   {
     OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR("Failed to interpret yaml.");
diff --git a/sdk/src/init/sdk_builder.cc b/sdk/src/init/sdk_builder.cc
index c7a7f95a53..7271d2e783 100644
--- a/sdk/src/init/sdk_builder.cc
+++ b/sdk/src/init/sdk_builder.cc
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/span_exporter_configuration_visitor.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/span_processor_configuration_visitor.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/trace_id_ratio_based_sampler_configuration.h"
-#include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/yaml_document.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/configuration/zipkin_span_exporter_configuration.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/init/configured_sdk.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/init/console_span_exporter_builder.h"