diff --git a/.changelog/34.fixed b/.changelog/34.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ff95164db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/34.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+`opentelemetry-configuration`: treat a present-but-null component value (e.g.
+`console:` with no value) as "create the component with defaults" instead of
+raising a `ConfigurationError`, per the declarative configuration spec's
+requirement to distinguish a missing key from a present-null one
diff --git a/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_conversion.py b/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_conversion.py
index e12df18168..e7f58f1663 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_conversion.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_conversion.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 from opentelemetry.configuration._common import _additional_properties
 from opentelemetry.configuration._conversion import _dict_to_dataclass
-from opentelemetry.configuration.models import ExemplarFilter
+from opentelemetry.configuration.models import ExemplarFilter, SpanExporter
 from opentelemetry.configuration.models import Sampler as SamplerConfig
 
 
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ def test_present_null_dataclass_coerced_to_empty_instance(self):
         result = _dict_to_dataclass({"middle": None, "name": "test"}, _Outer)
         self.assertIsInstance(result.middle, _Middle)
         self.assertIsNone(result.middle.inner)
+        self.assertIsNone(result.middle.items)
         self.assertEqual(result.name, "test")
 
     def test_present_null_dataclass_with_required_field_stays_none(self):
@@ -94,10 +95,33 @@ def test_present_null_dataclass_with_required_field_stays_none(self):
         self.assertIsNone(result.jaeger_remote_development)
 
     def test_missing_optional_fields_default_to_none(self):
+        # Absent keys stay None; this is what "not configured" looks like and
+        # must remain distinguishable from present-null.
         result = _dict_to_dataclass({}, _Outer)
         self.assertIsNone(result.middle)
         self.assertIsNone(result.name)
 
+    def test_present_null_mapping_alias_becomes_empty_dict(self):
+        # The console exporter field is typed as ``dict[str, Any] | None``.
+        # A present-null value must become an empty mapping so a component
+        # factory selecting on ``value is not None`` still fires and builds
+        # the console exporter with defaults.
+        result = _dict_to_dataclass({"console": None}, SpanExporter)
+        self.assertEqual(result.console, {})
+
+    def test_absent_component_stays_none(self):
+        # Absent component keys must remain None ("not configured").
+        result = _dict_to_dataclass({}, SpanExporter)
+        self.assertIsNone(result.console)
+        self.assertIsNone(result.otlp_http)
+
+    def test_populated_component_mapping_still_converts(self):
+        # A populated component mapping must still convert into a typed
+        # dataclass instance with its values carried through.
+        result = _dict_to_dataclass({"otlp_http": {"endpoint": "http://localhost:4318"}}, SpanExporter)
+        self.assertIsNone(result.console)
+        self.assertEqual(result.otlp_http.endpoint, "http://localhost:4318")
+
     def test_unknown_keys_routed_to_additional_properties(self):
         result = _dict_to_dataclass({"known": "yes", "my_plugin": {"opt": True}}, _WithExtras)
         self.assertEqual(result.known, "yes")
diff --git a/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_tracer_provider.py b/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_tracer_provider.py
index 9c950a0e04..79a68fc548 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_tracer_provider.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-configuration/tests/test_tracer_provider.py
@@ -538,6 +538,25 @@ def test_console_exporter_simple(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(procs[0], SimpleSpanProcessor)
         self.assertIsInstance(procs[0].span_exporter, ConsoleSpanExporter)
 
+    def test_present_null_console_exporter_builds_with_defaults(self):
+        # A present-but-null console exporter (``console:`` with no value in
+        # YAML) is carried through conversion as an empty mapping and must
+        # build a ConsoleSpanExporter with defaults instead of raising.
+        exporter_config = _dict_to_dataclass({"console": None}, SpanExporterConfig)
+        config = self._make_batch_config(exporter_config)
+        provider = create_tracer_provider(config)
+        procs = provider._active_span_processor._span_processors
+        self.assertEqual(len(procs), 1)
+        self.assertIsInstance(procs[0].span_exporter, ConsoleSpanExporter)
+
+    def test_absent_exporter_type_raises(self):
+        # An absent exporter (empty mapping, no key present) must still raise
+        # "no exporter type specified".
+        exporter_config = _dict_to_dataclass({}, SpanExporterConfig)
+        config = self._make_batch_config(exporter_config)
+        with self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError):
+            create_tracer_provider(config)
+
     def test_otlp_http_missing_package_raises(self):
         config = self._make_batch_config(SpanExporterConfig(otlp_http=OtlpHttpExporterConfig()))
         with patch.dict(