diff --git a/lib/components/base-components/NormalComponent/NormalComponent.ts b/lib/components/base-components/NormalComponent/NormalComponent.ts
index e824cb5c3..467a50377 100644
--- a/lib/components/base-components/NormalComponent/NormalComponent.ts
+++ b/lib/components/base-components/NormalComponent/NormalComponent.ts
@@ -1760,7 +1760,7 @@ export class NormalComponent<
     const { db } = this.root!
     const { boardThickness = 0 } = this._getBoard() ?? {}
     const cadModelProp = this._parsedProps.cadModel
-    const cadModel =
+    let cadModel =
       cadModelProp === undefined ? this._asyncFootprintCadModel : cadModelProp
     const footprintString = this.getFootprinterString() ?? undefined
 
@@ -1778,8 +1778,19 @@ export class NormalComponent<
     // Use post-layout bounds
     const bounds = this._getPcbCircuitJsonBounds()
 
+    let cadModelFootprinterString: string | undefined
     if (typeof cadModel === "string") {
-      throw new Error("String cadModel not yet implemented")
+      if (
+        parseLibraryFootprintRef(cadModel) ||
+        isHttpUrl(cadModel) ||
+        isStaticAssetPath(cadModel)
+      ) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `${this.getString()} cadModel string must be a Footprinter string, received "${cadModel}"`,
+        )
+      }
+      cadModelFootprinterString = cadModel
+      cadModel = undefined
     }
 
     const sourceRotationOffset =
@@ -1824,7 +1835,11 @@ export class NormalComponent<
         : preLayoutRotation
     const isBottomLayer = computedLayer === "bottom"
 
-    if (!cadModel && !footprintIsFootprinterString) {
+    if (
+      !cadModel &&
+      !cadModelFootprinterString &&
+      !footprintIsFootprinterString
+    ) {
       const cad_component = db.cad_component.insert({
         position: {
           x: bounds.center.x,
@@ -1852,10 +1867,9 @@ export class NormalComponent<
 
     const rotationWithOffset = totalRotation + (rotationOffset.z ?? 0)
     const cadRotationZ = normalizeDegrees(rotationWithOffset)
-    let footprinterStringForCadComponent: string | undefined
-    if (!cadModel && footprintIsFootprinterString) {
-      footprinterStringForCadComponent = footprintString
-    }
+    const footprinterStringForCadComponent =
+      cadModelFootprinterString ??
+      (!cadModel && footprintIsFootprinterString ? footprintString : undefined)
 
     const cad_model = db.cad_component.insert({
       // TODO z maybe depends on layer
diff --git a/tests/components/normal-components/__snapshots__/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string-simple-3d.snap.png b/tests/components/normal-components/__snapshots__/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string-simple-3d.snap.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3ddd79b7b
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/components/normal-components/__snapshots__/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string-simple-3d.snap.png differ
diff --git a/tests/components/normal-components/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string.test.tsx b/tests/components/normal-components/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..344ee3d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/normal-components/chip-cad-model-footprinter-string.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { Chip } from "lib/components/normal-components/Chip"
+import { getTestFixture } from "tests/fixtures/get-test-fixture"
+
+test('cadModel="soic8" generates CAD independently of the PCB footprint', async () => {
+  const { circuit } = getTestFixture()
+
+  circuit.add(
+    <board width="10mm" height="10mm">
+      <chip name="U1" cadModel="soic8">
+        <footprint>
+          <smtpad
+            portHints={["1"]}
+            pcbX={0}
+            pcbY={0}
+            width="1mm"
+            height="1mm"
+            shape="rect"
+          />
+        </footprint>
+      </chip>
+    </board>,
+  )
+
+  const chip = circuit.selectOne("chip") as Chip
+  chip._asyncFootprintCadModel = {
+    glbUrl: "https://example.com/library-model.glb",
+  }
+
+  circuit.render()
+
+  const cadComponents = circuit.db.cad_component.list()
+  expect(cadComponents).toHaveLength(1)
+  expect(cadComponents[0]).toMatchObject({
+    footprinter_string: "soic8",
+  })
+  expect(cadComponents[0]?.show_as_bounding_box).toBeUndefined()
+  expect(cadComponents[0]?.model_glb_url).toBeUndefined()
+
+  await expect(circuit).toMatchSimple3dSnapshot(import.meta.path)
+})