diff --git a/src/runtime2/component/component.rs b/src/runtime2/component/component.rs
index 73ee7e4cc4ce5f8a272539990fa31a4ae357d8b0..0937682ed8884505429fe1e2ac2ef4671afe234f 100644
--- a/src/runtime2/component/component.rs
+++ b/src/runtime2/component/component.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-use crate::protocol::eval::EvalError;
+use crate::protocol::eval::*;
+use crate::protocol::*;
 use crate::runtime2::*;
-use super::CompCtx;
+use super::{CompCtx, CompPDL};
 
 pub enum CompScheduling {
     Immediate,
@@ -22,4 +23,30 @@ pub(crate) trait Component {
     /// Called if the component's routine should be executed. The return value
     /// can be used to indicate when the routine should be run again.
     fn run(&mut self, sched_ctx: &mut SchedulerCtx, comp_ctx: &mut CompCtx) -> Result<CompScheduling, EvalError>;
+}
+
+/// Creates a new component based on its definition. Meaning that if it is a
+/// user-defined component then we set up the PDL code state. Otherwise we
+/// construct a custom component. This does NOT take care of port and message
+/// management.
+pub(crate) fn create_component(
+    protocol: &ProtocolDescription,
+    definition_id: ProcedureDefinitionId, type_id: TypeId,
+    arguments: ValueGroup, num_ports: usize
+) -> Box<dyn Component> {
+    let definition = &protocol.heap[definition_id];
+    debug_assert!(definition.kind == ProcedureKind::Primitive || definition.kind == ProcedureKind::Composite);
+
+    if definition.source.is_builtin() {
+        // Builtin component
+        todo!("implement")
+    } else {
+        // User-defined component
+        let prompt = Prompt::new(
+            &protocol.types, &protocol.heap,
+            definition_id, type_id, arguments
+        );
+        let component = CompPDL::new(prompt, num_ports);
+        return Box::new(component);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file