diff --git a/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs b/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
index 8f56d60a4a..d13149f966 100644
--- a/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
+++ b/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ pub struct ConfigToml {
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub generate_unarchival_heatmap: Option<bool>,
     pub tracing: Option<Tracing>,
+
+    pub dev_mode: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
@@ -631,6 +633,7 @@ impl Default for ConfigToml {
             load_previous_heatmap: None,
             generate_unarchival_heatmap: None,
             tracing: None,
+            dev_mode: false,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
index e82544c58d..122bde017a 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
-    let dev_mode = arg_matches.get_flag("dev");
+    let cli_dev_mode = arg_matches.get_flag("dev");
 
     // Initialize up failpoints support
     let scenario = failpoint_support::init();
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let (conf, ignored) = initialize_config(&identity_file_path, &cfg_file_path, &workdir)?;
 
+    let dev_mode = cli_dev_mode || conf.dev_mode;
+    
     if !dev_mode {
         if matches!(conf.http_auth_type, AuthType::Trust)
             || matches!(conf.pg_auth_type, AuthType::Trust)
diff --git a/pageserver/src/config.rs b/pageserver/src/config.rs
index ccc29e59d4..6f88984bb1 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/config.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/config.rs
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@ pub struct PageServerConf {
     pub generate_unarchival_heatmap: bool,
 
     pub tracing: Option<pageserver_api::config::Tracing>,
+
+    pub dev_mode: bool,
 }
 
 /// Token for authentication to safekeepers
@@ -441,6 +443,7 @@ impl PageServerConf {
             page_service_pipelining,
             get_vectored_concurrent_io,
             tracing,
+            dev_mode,
 
             // ------------------------------------------------------------
             // fields that require additional validation or custom handling