diff --git a/examples/todomvc/index.tsx b/examples/todomvc/index.tsx
index 4f5550a..30c1dc4 100644
--- a/examples/todomvc/index.tsx
+++ b/examples/todomvc/index.tsx
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@ import { routes, history } from "./routes";
 
 const appRoot = document.getElementById("root");
 const root = createRoot(appRoot!);
-const App = buildRootComponent(TodoApp, {
-  basePath: "/",
-  history,
-  routes,
+const App = buildRootComponent({
+  machine: TodoApp,
+  routing: {
+    basePath: "/",
+    history,
+    routes,
+  },
 });
 
 root.render(<App />);
diff --git a/src/builders.spec.tsx b/src/builders.spec.tsx
index 03b03c8..4a1ed14 100644
--- a/src/builders.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/builders.spec.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree builders", () => {
   describe("viewToMachine", () => {
     it("takes a React view and wraps it in an xstate-tree machine that renders that view", async () => {
       const ViewMachine = viewToMachine(() => <div>hello world</div>);
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(ViewMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: ViewMachine });
 
       const { getByText } = render(<Root />);
 
@@ -41,10 +41,13 @@ describe("xstate-tree builders", () => {
         GO_TO_BAR: BarMachine,
       });
 
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(routingMachine, {
-        history: hist,
-        basePath: "/",
-        routes: [fooRoute, barRoute],
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({
+        machine: routingMachine,
+        routing: {
+          history: hist,
+          basePath: "/",
+          routes: [fooRoute, barRoute],
+        },
       });
 
       const { getByText } = render(<Root />);
diff --git a/src/lazy.spec.tsx b/src/lazy.spec.tsx
index e06fabc..15fc41d 100644
--- a/src/lazy.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/lazy.spec.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe("lazy", () => {
   it("renders null by default when loading", () => {
     const promiseFactory = () => new Promise<any>(() => void 0);
     const lazyMachine = lazy(promiseFactory);
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(lazyMachine);
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: lazyMachine });
 
     const { container, rerender } = render(<Root />);
     rerender(<Root />);
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe("lazy", () => {
     const lazyMachine = lazy(promiseFactory, {
       Loader: () => <p>loading</p>,
     });
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(lazyMachine);
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: lazyMachine });
 
     const { container, rerender } = render(<Root />);
     rerender(<Root />);
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ describe("lazy", () => {
     });
     const slots = [lazyMachineSlot];
 
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(
-      createXStateTreeMachine(rootMachine, {
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({
+      machine: createXStateTreeMachine(rootMachine, {
         slots,
         View({ slots }) {
           return <slots.lazy />;
         },
-      })
-    );
+      }),
+    });
 
     const { container } = render(<Root />);
 
@@ -144,14 +144,14 @@ describe("lazy", () => {
     });
     const slots = [lazyMachineSlot];
 
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(
-      createXStateTreeMachine(rootMachine, {
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({
+      machine: createXStateTreeMachine(rootMachine, {
         slots,
         View({ slots }) {
           return <slots.lazy />;
         },
-      })
-    );
+      }),
+    });
 
     const { container } = render(<Root />);
 
diff --git a/src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts b/src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts
index 36a9e11..b071ce0 100644
--- a/src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts
+++ b/src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,12 @@ import { parse, ParsedQuery, stringify } from "query-string";
 import * as Z from "zod";
 
 import { XstateTreeHistory } from "../../types";
-import { type IsEmptyObject } from "../../utils";
+import {
+  type IsEmptyObject,
+  type MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional,
+} from "../../utils";
 import { joinRoutes } from "../joinRoutes";
 
-type EmptyKeys<T> = keyof {
-  [K in keyof T as IsEmptyObject<T[K], true> extends true ? K : never]: T[K];
-};
-type MakeEmptyObjectPropertiesOptional<T> = Omit<T, EmptyKeys<T>> &
-  Partial<Pick<T, EmptyKeys<T>>>;
-
 /**
  * @public
  */
@@ -67,10 +64,10 @@ export type RouteArgumentFunctions<
   ? (args?: TArgs) => TReturn
   : EmptyRouteArguments<TParams, TQuery> extends true
   ? (args?: Partial<TArgs>) => TReturn
-  : (args: MakeEmptyObjectPropertiesOptional<TArgs>) => TReturn;
+  : (args: MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<TArgs>) => TReturn;
 
 type RouteRedirect<TParams, TQuery, TMeta> = (
-  args: MakeEmptyObjectPropertiesOptional<{
+  args: MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<{
     params: TParams;
     query: TQuery;
     meta?: TMeta;
diff --git a/src/test-app/AppMachine.tsx b/src/test-app/AppMachine.tsx
index e63dacb..9259d51 100644
--- a/src/test-app/AppMachine.tsx
+++ b/src/test-app/AppMachine.tsx
@@ -96,10 +96,13 @@ export const BuiltAppMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(AppMachine, {
   },
 });
 
-export const App = buildRootComponent(BuiltAppMachine, {
-  history,
-  basePath: "",
-  routes: [homeRoute, settingsRoute],
-  getPathName: () => "/",
-  getQueryString: () => "",
+export const App = buildRootComponent({
+  machine: BuiltAppMachine,
+  routing: {
+    history,
+    basePath: "",
+    routes: [homeRoute, settingsRoute],
+    getPathName: () => "/",
+    getQueryString: () => "",
+  },
 });
diff --git a/src/test-app/tests/itWorksWithoutRouting.integration.tsx b/src/test-app/tests/itWorksWithoutRouting.integration.tsx
index 460dccc..a7b53e9 100644
--- a/src/test-app/tests/itWorksWithoutRouting.integration.tsx
+++ b/src/test-app/tests/itWorksWithoutRouting.integration.tsx
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ const root = createXStateTreeMachine(rootMachine, {
   },
 });
 
-const RootView = buildRootComponent(root);
+const RootView = buildRootComponent({ machine: root });
 
 describe("Environment without routing", () => {
   it("still works without error", () => {
diff --git a/src/test-app/tests/selectorsStaleCanHandleEvent.integration.tsx b/src/test-app/tests/selectorsStaleCanHandleEvent.integration.tsx
index 9d1f146..68d7191 100644
--- a/src/test-app/tests/selectorsStaleCanHandleEvent.integration.tsx
+++ b/src/test-app/tests/selectorsStaleCanHandleEvent.integration.tsx
@@ -8,12 +8,15 @@ import { OtherMachine } from "../OtherMachine";
 import { settingsRoute } from "../routes";
 
 const history = createMemoryHistory<any>();
-const App = buildRootComponent(OtherMachine, {
-  history,
-  basePath: "",
-  routes: [settingsRoute],
-  getPathName: () => "/settings",
-  getQueryString: () => "",
+const App = buildRootComponent({
+  machine: OtherMachine,
+  routing: {
+    history,
+    basePath: "",
+    routes: [settingsRoute],
+    getPathName: () => "/settings",
+    getQueryString: () => "",
+  },
 });
 
 describe("Selectors & canHandleEvent", () => {
diff --git a/src/tests/actionsGetUpdatedSelectors.spec.tsx b/src/tests/actionsGetUpdatedSelectors.spec.tsx
index 26b0bec..4243aad 100644
--- a/src/tests/actionsGetUpdatedSelectors.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/tests/actionsGetUpdatedSelectors.spec.tsx
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ describe("actions accessing selectors", () => {
     },
   });
 
-  const Root = buildRootComponent(
-    createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+  const Root = buildRootComponent({
+    machine: createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
       actions({ selectors, send }) {
         actionsCallCount++;
         return {
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ describe("actions accessing selectors", () => {
           <button onClick={actions.incrementCount}>{selectors.count}</button>
         );
       },
-    })
-  );
+    }),
+  });
 
   it("gets the most up to date selectors value without re-creating the action functions", async () => {
     const { getByRole, rerender } = render(<Root />);
diff --git a/src/tests/asyncRouteRedirects.spec.tsx b/src/tests/asyncRouteRedirects.spec.tsx
index 9908a53..f1d654c 100644
--- a/src/tests/asyncRouteRedirects.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/tests/asyncRouteRedirects.spec.tsx
@@ -70,16 +70,16 @@ describe("async route redirects", () => {
     },
   });
 
-  const Root = buildRootComponent(
-    createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+  const Root = buildRootComponent({
+    machine: createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
       View: ({ selectors }) => <p>{selectors.bar}</p>,
     }),
-    {
+    routing: {
       basePath: "/",
       history: hist,
       routes: [parentRoute, redirectRoute, childRoute],
-    }
-  );
+    },
+  });
 
   it("handles a top/middle/bottom route hierarchy where top and middle perform a redirect", async () => {
     const { queryByText } = render(<Root />);
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index ea5512a..603c4ab 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@ export type OmitOptional<T> = {
     ? P
     : never]: T[P];
 };
+
+export type EmptyKeys<T> = keyof {
+  [K in keyof T as IsEmptyObject<T[K], true> extends true ? K : never]: T[K];
+};
+
+/**
+ * Marks any required property that can accept undefined as optional
+ */
+export type MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<T> = Omit<T, EmptyKeys<T>> &
+  Partial<Pick<T, EmptyKeys<T>>>;
+
 export type IsEmptyObject<
   Obj,
   ExcludeOptional extends boolean = false
@@ -24,6 +35,7 @@ export type IsEmptyObject<
   ? true
   : false;
 
+export type IsUnknown<T> = unknown extends T ? true : false;
 export function assertIsDefined<T>(
   val: T,
   msg?: string
diff --git a/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx b/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
index 0cda00f..7ab85c8 100644
--- a/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/xstateTree.spec.tsx
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
           return <p>Can swap: {selectors.canSwap}</p>;
         },
       });
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(xstateTreeMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: xstateTreeMachine });
       render(<Root />);
       await delay(10);
 
@@ -54,6 +54,35 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("passes the supplied input through to the machine", async () => {
+    const machine = setup({
+      types: {
+        context: {} as { foo: string },
+        input: {} as { bar: string },
+      },
+    }).createMachine({
+      initial: "a",
+      context: ({ input }) => ({ foo: input.bar }),
+      states: {
+        a: {},
+      },
+    });
+
+    const XstateTreeMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
+      View: ({ selectors }) => {
+        return <p>{selectors.foo}</p>;
+      },
+    });
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({
+      machine: XstateTreeMachine,
+      input: { bar: "foo" },
+    });
+
+    const { getByText } = render(<Root />);
+
+    getByText("foo");
+  });
+
   describe("machines that don't have any visible change after initializing", () => {
     it("still renders the machines view", async () => {
       const renderCallback = jest.fn();
@@ -71,7 +100,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
           return null;
         },
       });
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(XstateTreeMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: XstateTreeMachine });
 
       render(<Root />);
       await delay(50);
@@ -102,7 +131,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
           return null;
         },
       });
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(XstateTreeMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: XstateTreeMachine });
 
       const { rerender } = render(<Root />);
       await delay(10);
@@ -138,7 +167,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
       const XstateTreeMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
         View: () => null,
       });
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(XstateTreeMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: XstateTreeMachine });
 
       render(<Root />);
 
@@ -195,7 +224,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
     const XstateTreeMachine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
       View: () => null,
     });
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(XstateTreeMachine);
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: XstateTreeMachine });
 
     render(<Root />);
 
@@ -226,7 +255,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
         return <p>{selectors.foo}</p>;
       },
     });
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(XstateTreeMachine);
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: XstateTreeMachine });
 
     const { findByText } = render(<Root />);
 
@@ -235,7 +264,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
 
   it("allows rendering nested roots", () => {
     const childRoot = viewToMachine(() => <p>Child</p>);
-    const ChildRoot = buildRootComponent(childRoot);
+    const ChildRoot = buildRootComponent({ machine: childRoot });
     const rootMachine = viewToMachine(() => {
       return (
         <>
@@ -244,7 +273,7 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
         </>
       );
     });
-    const Root = buildRootComponent(rootMachine);
+    const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: rootMachine });
 
     const { getByText } = render(<Root />);
     getByText("Root");
@@ -297,10 +326,13 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
           return <p>I am root</p>;
         },
       });
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(RootMachine, {
-        basePath: "/",
-        history: createMemoryHistory(),
-        routes: [],
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({
+        machine: RootMachine,
+        routing: {
+          basePath: "/",
+          history: createMemoryHistory<any>(),
+          routes: [],
+        },
       });
 
       const Root2Machine = createXStateTreeMachine(machine, {
@@ -308,10 +340,13 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
           return <Root />;
         },
       });
-      const Root2 = buildRootComponent(Root2Machine, {
-        basePath: "/",
-        history: createMemoryHistory(),
-        routes: [],
+      const Root2 = buildRootComponent({
+        machine: Root2Machine,
+        routing: {
+          basePath: "/",
+          history: createMemoryHistory<any>(),
+          routes: [],
+        },
       });
 
       try {
@@ -329,10 +364,10 @@ describe("xstate-tree", () => {
 
     it("does not throw an error if either or one are a routing root", async () => {
       const RootMachine = viewToMachine(() => <p>I am root</p>);
-      const Root = buildRootComponent(RootMachine);
+      const Root = buildRootComponent({ machine: RootMachine });
 
       const Root2Machine = viewToMachine(() => <Root />);
-      const Root2 = buildRootComponent(Root2Machine);
+      const Root2 = buildRootComponent({ machine: Root2Machine });
 
       const { rerender } = render(<Root2 />);
       rerender(<Root2 />);
diff --git a/src/xstateTree.tsx b/src/xstateTree.tsx
index a6ad4ef..65b5d70 100644
--- a/src/xstateTree.tsx
+++ b/src/xstateTree.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   ActorRefFrom,
   AnyEventObject,
   AnyActorRef,
+  InputFrom,
 } from "xstate";
 
 import {
@@ -29,7 +30,13 @@ import { GetSlotNames, Slot } from "./slots";
 import { GlobalEvents, AnyXstateTreeMachine, XstateTreeHistory } from "./types";
 import { useConstant } from "./useConstant";
 import { useService } from "./useService";
-import { assertIsDefined, mergeMeta, toJSON } from "./utils";
+import {
+  assertIsDefined,
+  mergeMeta,
+  toJSON,
+  type IsUnknown,
+  type MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional,
+} from "./utils";
 
 export const emitter = new TinyEmitter();
 
@@ -269,6 +276,18 @@ export function recursivelySend(service: AnyActorRef, event: GlobalEvents) {
   children.forEach((child) => recursivelySend(child, event));
 }
 
+type RootOptions<TInput> = {
+  routing:
+    | {
+        routes: AnyRoute[];
+        history: XstateTreeHistory<any>;
+        basePath: string;
+        getPathName?: () => string;
+        getQueryString?: () => string;
+      }
+    | undefined;
+  input: IsUnknown<TInput> extends true ? undefined : TInput;
+};
 /**
  * @public
  *
@@ -277,16 +296,14 @@ export function recursivelySend(service: AnyActorRef, event: GlobalEvents) {
  * @param machine - The root machine of the tree
  * @param routing - The routing configuration for the tree
  */
-export function buildRootComponent(
-  machine: AnyXstateTreeMachine,
-  routing?: {
-    routes: AnyRoute[];
-    history: XstateTreeHistory<any>;
-    basePath: string;
-    getPathName?: () => string;
-    getQueryString?: () => string;
-  }
+export function buildRootComponent<TMachine extends AnyXstateTreeMachine>(
+  options: { machine: TMachine } & MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<
+    RootOptions<InputFrom<TMachine>>
+  >
 ) {
+  const { input, machine, routing } = options as unknown as {
+    machine: TMachine;
+  } & RootOptions<InputFrom<TMachine>>;
   if (!machine._xstateTree) {
     throw new Error(
       "Root machine is not an xstate-tree machine, missing metadata"
@@ -299,6 +316,7 @@ export function buildRootComponent(
   const RootComponent = function XstateTreeRootComponent() {
     const lastSnapshotsRef = useRef<Record<string, unknown>>({});
     const [_, __, interpreter] = useActor(machine, {
+      input,
       inspect(event) {
         switch (event.type) {
           case "@xstate.actor":
diff --git a/xstate-tree.api.md b/xstate-tree.api.md
index 961ad9d..e081024 100644
--- a/xstate-tree.api.md
+++ b/xstate-tree.api.md
@@ -95,16 +95,15 @@ export function buildCreateRoute(history: () => XstateTreeHistory, basePath: str
     }) => Route<MergeRouteTypes<RouteParams<TBaseRoute_1>, ResolveZodType<TParamsSchema_1>>, ResolveZodType<TQuerySchema_1>, TEvent_1, MergeRouteTypes<RouteMeta<TBaseRoute_1>, TMeta_1> & SharedMeta>;
 };
 
+// Warning: (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
+// Warning: (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "RootOptions" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
+//
 // @public
-export function buildRootComponent(machine: AnyXstateTreeMachine, routing?: {
-    routes: AnyRoute[];
-    history: XstateTreeHistory<any>;
-    basePath: string;
-    getPathName?: () => string;
-    getQueryString?: () => string;
-}): {
+export function buildRootComponent<TMachine extends AnyXstateTreeMachine>(options: {
+    machine: TMachine;
+} & MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<RootOptions<InputFrom<TMachine>>>): {
     (): JSX.Element;
-    rootMachine: AnyXstateTreeMachine;
+    rootMachine: TMachine;
 };
 
 // @public
@@ -243,10 +242,9 @@ export type Route<TParams, TQuery, TEvent, TMeta> = {
 
 // Warning: (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "IsEmptyObject" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
 // Warning: (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "EmptyRouteArguments" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
-// Warning: (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "MakeEmptyObjectPropertiesOptional" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
-export type RouteArgumentFunctions<TReturn, TParams, TQuery, TMeta, TArgs = RouteArguments<TParams, TQuery, TMeta>> = IsEmptyObject<TArgs> extends true ? () => TReturn : keyof TArgs extends "meta" ? (args?: TArgs) => TReturn : EmptyRouteArguments<TParams, TQuery> extends true ? (args?: Partial<TArgs>) => TReturn : (args: MakeEmptyObjectPropertiesOptional<TArgs>) => TReturn;
+export type RouteArgumentFunctions<TReturn, TParams, TQuery, TMeta, TArgs = RouteArguments<TParams, TQuery, TMeta>> = IsEmptyObject<TArgs> extends true ? () => TReturn : keyof TArgs extends "meta" ? (args?: TArgs) => TReturn : EmptyRouteArguments<TParams, TQuery> extends true ? (args?: Partial<TArgs>) => TReturn : (args: MarkOptionalLikePropertiesOptional<TArgs>) => TReturn;
 
 // @public (undocumented)
 export type RouteArguments<TParams, TQuery, TMeta> = TParams extends undefined ? TQuery extends undefined ? TMeta extends undefined ? {} : {
@@ -399,9 +397,9 @@ export type XstateTreeMachineStateSchemaV2<TMachine extends AnyStateMachine, TSe
 
 // Warnings were encountered during analysis:
 //
-// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:288:19 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "MergeRouteTypes" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
-// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:288:19 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "ResolveZodType" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
-// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:325:9 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "RouteRedirect" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
+// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:285:19 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "MergeRouteTypes" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
+// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:285:19 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "ResolveZodType" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
+// src/routing/createRoute/createRoute.ts:322:9 - (ae-forgotten-export) The symbol "RouteRedirect" needs to be exported by the entry point index.d.ts
 // src/types.ts:117:3 - (ae-incompatible-release-tags) The symbol "canHandleEvent" is marked as @public, but its signature references "CanHandleEvent" which is marked as @internal
 // src/types.ts:118:3 - (ae-incompatible-release-tags) The symbol "inState" is marked as @public, but its signature references "MatchesFrom" which is marked as @internal