diff --git a/lib/modules.nix b/lib/modules.nix
index d6061ec6d0394..09e0b6873b989 100644
--- a/lib/modules.nix
+++ b/lib/modules.nix
@@ -129,10 +129,10 @@ let
       # When extended with extendModules or moduleType, a fresh instance of
       # this module is used, to avoid conflicts and allow chaining of
       # extendModules.
-      internalModule = rec {
+      internalModule = {
         _file = "lib/modules.nix";
 
-        key = _file;
+        key = "lib/modules.nix";
 
         options = {
           _module.args = mkOption {
@@ -234,6 +234,27 @@ let
               within a configuration, but can be used in module imports.
             '';
           };
+
+          _module.freeformConfig = mkOption {
+            # Do not show this in the documentation
+            internal = true;
+            visible = false;
+            readOnly = true;
+            # We need a valid type here,
+            # ideally we'd only define this whole option, if there is a 'freeformType', however that is not possible due to technical limitations currently
+            type =
+              if declaredConfig._module.freeformType != null then
+                declaredConfig._module.freeformType
+              else
+                types.raw;
+            description = ''
+              Read-only version of the freeform definitions. This includes all definitions that don't have matching options if the freeformType is set.
+              Otherwise this is an empty attribute set.
+            '';
+            # It's currently(?) not possible to compute the option value normally, using the type.
+            # Instead, we set it directly here, without evaluating the merge result from the type.
+            apply = _value: freeformConfig;
+          };
         };
 
         config = {
@@ -242,6 +263,8 @@ let
             moduleType = type;
           };
           _module.specialArgs = specialArgs;
+
+          _module.freeformConfig = lib.mkMerge (map mkDefinition freeformDefs);
         };
       };
 
@@ -266,23 +289,19 @@ let
 
       options = merged.matchedOptions;
 
-      config =
-        let
-
-          # For definitions that have an associated option
-          declaredConfig = mapAttrsRecursiveCond (v: !isOption v) (_: v: v.value) options;
-
-          # If freeformType is set, this is for definitions that don't have an associated option
-          freeformConfig =
-            let
-              defs = map (def: {
-                file = def.file;
-                value = setAttrByPath def.prefix def.value;
-              }) merged.unmatchedDefns;
-            in
-            if defs == [ ] then { } else declaredConfig._module.freeformType.merge prefix defs;
+      freeformDefs = map (def: {
+        file = def.file;
+        value = setAttrByPath def.prefix def.value;
+      }) (merged.unmatchedDefns);
 
+      declaredConfig = mapAttrsRecursiveCond (v: !isOption v) (_: v: v.value) options;
+      freeformConfig =
+        let
+          defs = freeformDefs;
         in
+        if defs == [ ] then { } else declaredConfig._module.freeformType.merge prefix defs;
+
+      config =
         if declaredConfig._module.freeformType == null then
           declaredConfig
         # Because all definitions that had an associated option ended in
@@ -652,11 +671,11 @@ let
         name: _: addErrorContext (context name) (args.${name} or config._module.args.${name})
       ) (functionArgs f);
 
-      # Note: we append in the opposite order such that we can add an error
-      # context on the explicit arguments of "args" too. This update
-      # operator is used to make the "args@{ ... }: with args.lib;" notation
-      # works.
     in
+    # Note: we append in the opposite order such that we can add an error
+    # context on the explicit arguments of "args" too. This update
+    # operator is used to make the "args@{ ... }: with args.lib;" notation
+    # works.
     f (args // extraArgs);
 
   /**
@@ -1095,7 +1114,7 @@ let
   mergeDefinitions = loc: type: defs: rec {
     defsFinal' =
       let
-        # Process mkMerge and mkIf properties.
+        # Process properties
         defs' = concatMap (
           m:
           map (
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules.sh b/lib/tests/modules.sh
index 3b19c8c63f263..271a3542c3fdd 100755
--- a/lib/tests/modules.sh
+++ b/lib/tests/modules.sh
@@ -703,7 +703,10 @@ checkConfigOutput '"nixos"' config.sub.nixos.foo ./specialArgs-class.nix
 checkConfigOutput '"bar"' config.sub.conditionalImportAsNixos.foo ./specialArgs-class.nix
 checkConfigError 'attribute .*bar.* not found' config.sub.conditionalImportAsNixos.bar ./specialArgs-class.nix
 checkConfigError 'attribute .*foo.* not found' config.sub.conditionalImportAsDarwin.foo ./specialArgs-class.nix
-checkConfigOutput '"foo"' config.sub.conditionalImportAsDarwin.bar ./specialArgs-class.nix
+
+# Checks for _module.freeformConfig
+checkConfigOutput 'true' config.result ./freeform-options.nix
+
 
 cat <<EOF
 ====== module tests ======
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules/adhoc-freeformType-survives-type-merge.nix b/lib/tests/modules/adhoc-freeformType-survives-type-merge.nix
index 99fcd0e34bee1..93d601143ec7c 100644
--- a/lib/tests/modules/adhoc-freeformType-survives-type-merge.nix
+++ b/lib/tests/modules/adhoc-freeformType-survives-type-merge.nix
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
   };
   freeformType =
     let
-      a = lib.types.attrsOf (lib.types.submodule { options.bar = lib.mkOption { }; });
+      a = lib.types.attrsOf lib.types.anything;
     in
-    # modifying types like this breaks type merging.
-    # This test makes sure that type merging is not performed when only a single declaration exists.
+    # Modifying types like this is unsafe. Type merging or using a submodule type will discard those modifications.
+    # This test makes sure that type.merge can return definitions that don't intersect with the original definitions (unmatchedDefns).
     # Don't modify types in practice!
     a
     // {
diff --git a/lib/tests/modules/freeform-options.nix b/lib/tests/modules/freeform-options.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..98aa580ec29e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tests/modules/freeform-options.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  config,
+  options,
+  ...
+}:
+{
+  freeformType = with lib.types; attrsOf int;
+
+  # Regular options
+  options.bar = lib.mkOption {
+    default = 1;
+  };
+
+  # This should be in _module.freeformConfig
+  # With 'definitions' and 'type' in the corresponding options._module.freeformConfig
+  config.foo = 42;
+
+  imports = [
+    {
+      foo = 42;
+    }
+    {
+      bar = 1;
+    }
+  ];
+
+  options.result = lib.mkOption {
+    default =
+      assert config._module.freeformConfig == { foo = 42; };
+      # option has the merged value
+      assert options._module.freeformConfig.value == { foo = 42; };
+      # option contains freeform definitions
+      assert
+        options._module.freeformConfig.definitions == [
+          { foo = 42; }
+          { foo = 42; }
+        ];
+      # The type should be inherited from freeformType
+      assert options._module.freeformConfig.type.nestedTypes.elemType.name == "int";
+      true;
+  };
+}