diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 7ecbd57d9..e7b582077 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -65,11 +65,6 @@ func (config *Config) Validate(path string) ([]string, error) {
 		deps = append(deps, movementSensorName)
 	}
 
-	mode, ok := config.ConfigParams["mode"]
-	if !ok || mode == "" {
-		return nil, utils.NewConfigValidationFieldRequiredError(path, "config_params[mode]")
-	}
-
 	return deps, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 0b149f9ca..d3f704e78 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
 		cfgService := makeCfgService()
 		delete(cfgService.Attributes["config_params"].(map[string]string), "mode")
 		_, err := newConfig(cfgService)
-		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeError, newError(utils.NewConfigValidationFieldRequiredError(testCfgPath, "config_params[mode]").Error()))
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Config with invalid parameter type", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/viam_cartographer.go b/viam_cartographer.go
index d6a03f028..c4ca3dca2 100644
--- a/viam_cartographer.go
+++ b/viam_cartographer.go
@@ -193,7 +193,11 @@ func New(
 	}
 
 	subAlgo := SubAlgo(svcConfig.ConfigParams["mode"])
-	if subAlgo != Dim2d {
+	switch subAlgo {
+	case "":
+		subAlgo = Dim2d
+	case Dim2d:
+	default:
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("%v does not have a 'mode: %v'",
 			c.Model.Name, svcConfig.ConfigParams["mode"])
 	}
diff --git a/viam_cartographer_test.go b/viam_cartographer_test.go
index 269802626..05790a1bd 100644
--- a/viam_cartographer_test.go
+++ b/viam_cartographer_test.go
@@ -93,6 +93,20 @@ func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 
 		test.That(t, svc.Close(context.Background()), test.ShouldBeNil)
 	})
+	t.Run("Successful creation of cartographer slam service without mode configured", func(t *testing.T) {
+		termFunc := testhelper.InitTestCL(t, logger)
+		defer termFunc()
+
+		attrCfg := &vcConfig.Config{
+			Camera:        map[string]string{"name": string(s.GoodLidar), "data_frequency_hz": testLidarDataFreqHz},
+			EnableMapping: &_true,
+		}
+
+		svc, err := testhelper.CreateSLAMService(t, attrCfg, logger)
+		test.That(t, err, test.ShouldBeNil)
+
+		test.That(t, svc.Close(context.Background()), test.ShouldBeNil)
+	})
 
 	t.Run("Successful creation of cartographer slam service with good lidar without IMU name specified", func(t *testing.T) {
 		termFunc := testhelper.InitTestCL(t, logger)