diff --git a/apm-agent-api/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/api/ElasticApm.java b/apm-agent-api/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/api/ElasticApm.java
index 0610be92b4..7de78b7493 100644
--- a/apm-agent-api/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/api/ElasticApm.java
+++ b/apm-agent-api/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/api/ElasticApm.java
@@ -249,4 +249,62 @@ public static void captureException(@Nullable Throwable e) {
     public static void setServiceInfoForClassLoader(@Nullable ClassLoader classLoader, @Nullable String serviceName, @Nullable String serviceVersion) {
         // co.elastic.apm.api.ElasticApmInstrumentation.SetServiceInfoForClassLoader.setServiceInfoForClassLoader
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the current value of a config option (regardless of however and whenever that option was (re)set)
+     * <p>
+     * This applies to dynamically updated values too, so for example "transaction_sample_rate"
+     * can be dynamically reset (eg by executing
+     *   System.setProperty("elastic.apm.transaction_sample_rate", "0.6")
+     * or changing the "transaction_sample_rate" in the property file or from fleet UI)
+     * and calling getConfig("transaction_sample_rate") would provide the current value
+     * </p>
+     * <p>
+     * If an invalid key is passed as the first argument, or if the incorrect type for
+     * the key is passed as the second argument, the method will throw an IllegalArgumentException
+     * </p>
+     * <p>
+     * Note the value returned can be null if the "public-api" set of instrumentations
+     * has not been applied and also if the agent hasn't finished initializing
+     * </p>
+     *
+     * @param key the string option
+     * @param type the type of the option (String, Long, Integer, etc)
+     * @return The current value for the option, per the option type (String, Long, Integer, etc)
+     * @since 1.37.0
+     */
+    public static <T> T getConfig(String key, Class<T> type) {
+        Object value = doGetConfig(key);
+        if (value == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("There is no such option: " + key);
+        } else if (value instanceof IllegalStateException) {
+            return null;
+        } else if (type.isInstance(value)) {
+            return (T) value;
+        } else {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("The option: '"+key+"' is not of type "+type.getName());
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static Object doGetConfig(String key) {
+        // co.elastic.apm.api.ElasticApmInstrumentation.ConfigInstrumentation.doGetConfig
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Convenience method that just calls System.setProperty("elastic.apm."+key, value);
+     * <p>
+     * Note there is a delay between executing the update and it taking effect. The corresponding
+     * {@link #getConfig(String, Class)} ()} will only report the new value after it has taken effect.
+     * Note also that only dynamic options can be updated, other updates will simply be ignored.
+     * </p>
+     *
+     * @param key the string option
+     * @param value the value for that option. No validation is applied here, so invalid
+     *              values for an option will be ignored by the configuration system
+     * @since 1.37.0
+     */
+    public static void setConfig(String key, String value) {
+        System.setProperty("elastic.apm."+key, value);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ElasticApmApiInstrumentation.java b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ElasticApmApiInstrumentation.java
index c7cb07f4be..841adfbed4 100644
--- a/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ElasticApmApiInstrumentation.java
+++ b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ElasticApmApiInstrumentation.java
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@
 package co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi;
 
 import co.elastic.apm.agent.configuration.ServiceInfo;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.impl.GlobalTracer;
 import co.elastic.apm.agent.impl.transaction.Transaction;
 import co.elastic.apm.agent.util.PrivilegedActionUtils;
 import net.bytebuddy.asm.Advice;
 import net.bytebuddy.description.method.MethodDescription;
 import net.bytebuddy.description.type.TypeDescription;
 import net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatcher;
+import org.stagemonitor.configuration.ConfigurationOption;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandle;
@@ -162,4 +164,29 @@ public static void setServiceInfoForClassLoader(@Advice.Argument(0) @Nullable Cl
             }
         }
     }
+
+    public static class ConfigInstrumentation extends ElasticApmApiInstrumentation {
+        public ConfigInstrumentation() {
+            super(named("doGetConfig"));
+        }
+
+        public static class AdviceClass {
+            @Nullable
+            @Advice.AssignReturned.ToReturned
+            @Advice.OnMethodExit(suppress = Throwable.class, inline = false)
+            public static Object doGetConfig(@Advice.Argument(0) @Nullable String key) {
+                try {
+                    ConfigurationOption<?> configValue = GlobalTracer.getTracerImpl().getConfigurationRegistry().getConfigurationOptionByKey(key);
+                    if (configValue == null) {
+                        return null;
+                    } else {
+                        return configValue.getValue();
+                    }
+                } catch (NullPointerException e) {
+                    //this can only happen if the agent is messed up or not yet initialized
+                    return new IllegalStateException("The agent is not initialized");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/resources/META-INF/services/co.elastic.apm.agent.sdk.ElasticApmInstrumentation b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/resources/META-INF/services/co.elastic.apm.agent.sdk.ElasticApmInstrumentation
index 4497cb5f29..f117dfa6a8 100644
--- a/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/resources/META-INF/services/co.elastic.apm.agent.sdk.ElasticApmInstrumentation
+++ b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/main/resources/META-INF/services/co.elastic.apm.agent.sdk.ElasticApmInstrumentation
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.ElasticApmApiInstrumentation$CurrentTransactionIn
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.ElasticApmApiInstrumentation$CurrentSpanInstrumentation
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.ElasticApmApiInstrumentation$CaptureExceptionInstrumentation
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.ElasticApmApiInstrumentation$SetServiceInfoForClassLoaderInstrumentation
+co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.ElasticApmApiInstrumentation$ConfigInstrumentation
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.TransactionInstrumentation$SetFrameworkNameInstrumentation
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.TransactionInstrumentation$SetUserInstrumentation
 co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi.TransactionInstrumentation$EnsureParentIdInstrumentation
diff --git a/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/test/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ConfigInstrumentationTest.java b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/test/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ConfigInstrumentationTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12690a19b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apm-agent-plugins/apm-api-plugin/src/test/java/co/elastic/apm/agent/pluginapi/ConfigInstrumentationTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
+ * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+ * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package co.elastic.apm.agent.pluginapi;
+
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.MockTracer;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.bci.ElasticApmAgent;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.bci.TracerAwareInstrumentation;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.configuration.CoreConfiguration;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.impl.ElasticApmTracer;
+import co.elastic.apm.agent.sdk.ElasticApmInstrumentation;
+import co.elastic.apm.api.ElasticApm;
+import net.bytebuddy.agent.ByteBuddyAgent;
+import net.bytebuddy.asm.Advice;
+import net.bytebuddy.description.method.MethodDescription;
+import net.bytebuddy.description.type.TypeDescription;
+import net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatcher;
+import net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatchers;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.stagemonitor.configuration.ConfigurationRegistry;
+
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+
+import static net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatchers.named;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatException;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatExceptionOfType;
+
+class ConfigInstrumentationTest {
+
+    private static final Integer INVALID_TRANSACTION_MAX_SPANS = -37;
+
+    private ElasticApmTracer tracer;
+    private ConfigurationRegistry configurationRegistry;
+    private CoreConfiguration coreConfig;
+
+    @BeforeEach
+    void setup() {
+        tracer = MockTracer.createRealTracer();
+        configurationRegistry = tracer.getConfigurationRegistry();
+        coreConfig = configurationRegistry.getConfig(CoreConfiguration.class);
+    }
+
+    @AfterEach
+    void reset() {
+        ElasticApmAgent.reset();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testValidOptionConfigAccess() {
+        initAgent();
+        assertThat(configValue(Boolean.TRUE)).isEqualTo(coreConfig.getTransactionMaxSpans());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testInvalidOptionConfigAccess() {
+        initAgent();
+        assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalArgumentException.class)
+            .isThrownBy(() -> configValue(Boolean.FALSE))
+            .withMessageStartingWith("There is no such option");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testInvalidTypeConfigAccess() {
+        initAgent();
+        assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalArgumentException.class)
+            .isThrownBy(() -> configValue(null))
+            .withMessageContaining("is not of type");
+    }
+
+    private void initAgent() {
+        ArrayList<ElasticApmInstrumentation> instrumentations = new ArrayList<>();
+        instrumentations.add(new MaxTransInstrumentation());
+        instrumentations.add(new ElasticApmApiInstrumentation.ConfigInstrumentation());
+        ElasticApmAgent.initInstrumentation(tracer, ByteBuddyAgent.install(), instrumentations);
+        assertThat(coreConfig.getTransactionMaxSpans()).isNotEqualTo(INVALID_TRANSACTION_MAX_SPANS);
+    }
+
+    Integer configValue(Boolean valid) {
+        return INVALID_TRANSACTION_MAX_SPANS;
+    }
+
+    public static class MaxTransInstrumentation extends TracerAwareInstrumentation {
+        public static class AdviceClass {
+            @Advice.AssignReturned.ToReturned
+            @Advice.OnMethodExit(inline = false)
+            public static Integer onMethodExit(@Advice.Argument(0) @Nullable Boolean valid) {
+                if (valid == null) {
+                    return ElasticApm.getConfig("transaction_max_spans", Long.class).intValue();
+                } else if (valid.booleanValue()) {
+                    return ElasticApm.getConfig("transaction_max_spans", Integer.class);
+                } else { //if (valid.booleanValue()) - no other options
+                    return ElasticApm.getConfig("xyz", Integer.class);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ElementMatcher<? super TypeDescription> getTypeMatcher() {
+            return named(ConfigInstrumentationTest.class.getName());
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ElementMatcher<? super MethodDescription> getMethodMatcher() {
+            return ElementMatchers.nameEndsWithIgnoreCase("configValue");
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Collection<String> getInstrumentationGroupNames() {
+            return Collections.emptyList();
+        }
+
+    }
+
+}