diff --git a/src/SDK/Common/Configuration/Variables.php b/src/SDK/Common/Configuration/Variables.php
index d0bb3c8ab..ad5ebe107 100644
--- a/src/SDK/Common/Configuration/Variables.php
+++ b/src/SDK/Common/Configuration/Variables.php
@@ -139,4 +139,5 @@ interface Variables
     public const OTEL_PHP_AUTOLOAD_ENABLED = 'OTEL_PHP_AUTOLOAD_ENABLED';
     public const OTEL_PHP_INTERNAL_METRICS_ENABLED = 'OTEL_PHP_INTERNAL_METRICS_ENABLED'; //whether the SDK should emit its own metrics
     public const OTEL_PHP_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS = 'OTEL_PHP_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS';
+    public const OTEL_PHP_DEVELOPER_MODE_ENABLED = 'OTEL_PHP_DEVELOPER_MODE_ENABLED';
 }
diff --git a/src/SDK/Sdk.php b/src/SDK/Sdk.php
index 3b63eb93a..5b2212671 100644
--- a/src/SDK/Sdk.php
+++ b/src/SDK/Sdk.php
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ public static function isInstrumentationDisabled(string $name): bool
         return in_array($name, Configuration::getList(Variables::OTEL_PHP_DISABLED_INSTRUMENTATIONS));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests whether developer mode has been enabled by config.
+     */
+    public static function isDeveloperModeEnabled(): bool
+    {
+        return Configuration::has(Variables::OTEL_PHP_DEVELOPER_MODE_ENABLED)
+            && Configuration::getBoolean(Variables::OTEL_PHP_DEVELOPER_MODE_ENABLED);
+    }
+
     public static function builder(): SdkBuilder
     {
         return new SdkBuilder();
diff --git a/tests/Unit/SDK/SdkTest.php b/tests/Unit/SDK/SdkTest.php
index a862efe41..de394132d 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/SDK/SdkTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/SDK/SdkTest.php
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ public static function instrumentationDisabledProvider(): array
         ];
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider disabledProvider
+     */
+    public function test_developer_mode_can_be_toggled(string $value, bool $expected): void
+    {
+        $this->setEnvironmentVariable(Variables::OTEL_PHP_DEVELOPER_MODE_ENABLED, $value);
+
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, Sdk::isDeveloperModeEnabled());
+    }
+
     public function test_builder(): void
     {
         $this->assertInstanceOf(SdkBuilder::class, Sdk::builder());