diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
index 4c5f00e9a2c0..37229ac41a6a 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Illuminate\Foundation\Bootstrap;
 
+use Closure;
 use Illuminate\Config\Repository;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Config\Repository as RepositoryContract;
 use Illuminate\Contracts\Foundation\Application;
@@ -11,6 +12,13 @@
 
 class LoadConfiguration
 {
+    /**
+     * The closure that resolves the permanent, static configuration if applicable.
+     *
+     * @var (Closure(Application): array<array-key, mixed>)|null
+     */
+    protected static ?Closure $alwaysUseConfig = null;
+
     /**
      * Bootstrap the given application.
      *
@@ -24,18 +32,26 @@ public function bootstrap(Application $app)
         // First we will see if we have a cache configuration file. If we do, we'll load
         // the configuration items from that file so that it is very quick. Otherwise
         // we will need to spin through every configuration file and load them all.
-        if (file_exists($cached = $app->getCachedConfigPath())) {
+        $loadedFromCache = false;
+
+        if (self::$alwaysUseConfig !== null) {
+            $items = $app->call(self::$alwaysUseConfig);
+
+            $loadedFromCache = true;
+        } elseif (file_exists($cached = $app->getCachedConfigPath())) {
             $items = require $cached;
 
-            $app->instance('config_loaded_from_cache', $loadedFromCache = true);
+            $loadedFromCache = true;
         }
 
+        $app->instance('config_loaded_from_cache', $loadedFromCache);
+
         // Next we will spin through all of the configuration files in the configuration
         // directory and load each one into the repository. This will make all of the
         // options available to the developer for use in various parts of this app.
         $app->instance('config', $config = new Repository($items));
 
-        if (! isset($loadedFromCache)) {
+        if (! $loadedFromCache) {
             $this->loadConfigurationFiles($app, $config);
         }
 
@@ -195,4 +211,15 @@ protected function getBaseConfiguration()
 
         return $config;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Set a callback to return the permanent, static configuration values.
+     *
+     * @param  (Closure(Application): array<array-key, mixed>)|null  $alwaysUseConfig
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public static function alwaysUse(?Closure $alwaysUseConfig): void
+    {
+        static::$alwaysUseConfig = $alwaysUseConfig;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/CachedState.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/CachedState.php
index 79cd3e0e906b..4ecb14cbb9b0 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/CachedState.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/CachedState.php
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@
 class CachedState
 {
     public static array $cachedRoutes;
+    public static array $cachedConfig;
 }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/Concerns/InteractsWithTestCaseLifecycle.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/Concerns/InteractsWithTestCaseLifecycle.php
index 0daabf1ce139..860c7a4b47f5 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/Concerns/InteractsWithTestCaseLifecycle.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/Concerns/InteractsWithTestCaseLifecycle.php
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ protected function tearDownTheTestEnvironment(): void
      */
     protected function setUpTraits()
     {
-        $uses = array_flip(class_uses_recursive(static::class));
+        $uses = $this->traitsUsedByTest ?? array_flip(class_uses_recursive(static::class));
 
         if (isset($uses[RefreshDatabase::class])) {
             $this->refreshDatabase();
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php
index dbf8bbd1a4ac..0b5acfd37662 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/TestCase.php
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ abstract class TestCase extends BaseTestCase
         Concerns\InteractsWithTestCaseLifecycle,
         Concerns\InteractsWithViews;
 
+    /**
+     * The list of trait that this test uses, fetched recursively.
+     *
+     * @var array<class-string, int>
+     */
+    protected array $traitsUsedByTest;
+
     /**
      * Creates the application.
      *
@@ -29,8 +36,15 @@ public function createApplication()
     {
         $app = require Application::inferBasePath().'/bootstrap/app.php';
 
+        $this->traitsUsedByTest = array_flip(class_uses_recursive(static::class));
+
+        if (isset(CachedState::$cachedConfig) &&
+            isset($this->traitsUsedByTest[WithCachedConfig::class])) {
+            $this->markConfigCached($app);
+        }
+
         if (isset(CachedState::$cachedRoutes) &&
-            in_array(WithCachedRoutes::class, class_uses_recursive(static::class))) {
+            isset($this->traitsUsedByTest[WithCachedRoutes::class])) {
             $app->booting(fn () => $this->markRoutesCached($app));
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/WithCachedConfig.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/WithCachedConfig.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..41d0cdcae3ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Testing/WithCachedConfig.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Illuminate\Foundation\Testing;
+
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Bootstrap\LoadConfiguration;
+
+trait WithCachedConfig
+{
+    /**
+     * After resolving the configuration once, we can cache it for the remaining tests.
+     */
+    protected function setUpWithCachedConfig(): void
+    {
+        if ((CachedState::$cachedConfig ?? null) === null) {
+            CachedState::$cachedConfig = $this->app->make('config')->all();
+        }
+
+        $this->markConfigCached($this->app);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reset the cached configuration.
+     *
+     * This is helpful if some of the tests in the suite apply this trait while others do not.
+     */
+    protected function tearDownWithCachedConfig(): void
+    {
+        LoadConfiguration::setAlwaysUseConfig(null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Inform the container that the configuration is cached.
+     */
+    protected function markConfigCached(Application $app): void
+    {
+        $app->instance('config_loaded_from_cache', true); // I'm not sure this is actually needed
+
+        LoadConfiguration::alwaysUse(static fn () => CachedState::$cachedConfig);
+    }
+}