diff --git a/changelog/5564.feature.rst b/changelog/5564.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..afc9f3323
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/5564.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+New ``Config.invocation_args`` and ``Config.invocation_plugins`` attributes.
+
+These attributes can be used by plugins to access the unchanged arguments passed to ``pytest.main()``.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
index c9310bcb5..688a126d4 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ def main(args=None, plugins=None):
                 tw.line(line.rstrip(), red=True)
             return 4
         else:
+            config.invocation_args = args
+            config.invocation_plugins = plugins
             try:
                 return config.hook.pytest_cmdline_main(config=config)
             finally:
@@ -608,20 +610,33 @@ def _iter_rewritable_modules(package_files):
 
 
 class Config:
-    """ access to configuration values, pluginmanager and plugin hooks.  """
+    """
+    Access to configuration values, pluginmanager and plugin hooks.
+
+    :ivar PytestPluginManager pluginmanager: the plugin manager handles plugin registration and hook invocation.
+
+    :ivar argparse.Namespace option: access to command line option as attributes.
+
+    :ivar invocation_args: list of command-line arguments as passed to pytest.main()
+
+    :ivar invocation_plugins: list of extra plugins passed to pytest.main(), might be None
+
+    :ivar py.path.local invocation_dir: directory where pytest.main() was invoked from
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, pluginmanager):
-        #: access to command line option as attributes.
-        #: (deprecated), use :py:func:`getoption() <_pytest.config.Config.getoption>` instead
-        self.option = argparse.Namespace()
         from .argparsing import Parser, FILE_OR_DIR
 
+        self.option = argparse.Namespace()
+        self.invocation_args = None
+        self.invocation_plugins = None
+        self.invocation_dir = py.path.local()
+
         _a = FILE_OR_DIR
         self._parser = Parser(
             usage="%(prog)s [options] [{}] [{}] [...]".format(_a, _a),
             processopt=self._processopt,
         )
-        #: a pluginmanager instance
         self.pluginmanager = pluginmanager
         self.trace = self.pluginmanager.trace.root.get("config")
         self.hook = self.pluginmanager.hook
@@ -631,7 +646,6 @@ class Config:
         self._cleanup = []
         self.pluginmanager.register(self, "pytestconfig")
         self._configured = False
-        self.invocation_dir = py.path.local()
         self.hook.pytest_addoption.call_historic(kwargs=dict(parser=self._parser))
 
     def add_cleanup(self, func):
diff --git a/testing/test_config.py b/testing/test_config.py
index eb7f95271..7ec3c9087 100644
--- a/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/testing/test_config.py
@@ -1198,6 +1198,28 @@ def test_config_does_not_load_blocked_plugin_from_args(testdir):
     assert result.ret == ExitCode.USAGE_ERROR
 
 
+def test_invocation_arguments(testdir):
+    """Ensure that Config.invocation_* arguments are correctly defined"""
+
+    class DummyPlugin:
+        pass
+
+    p = testdir.makepyfile("def test(): pass")
+    plugin = DummyPlugin()
+    rec = testdir.inline_run(p, "-v", plugins=[plugin])
+    calls = rec.getcalls("pytest_runtest_protocol")
+    assert len(calls) == 1
+    call = calls[0]
+    config = call.item.config
+
+    assert config.invocation_args == [p, "-v"]
+
+    plugins = config.invocation_plugins
+    assert len(plugins) == 2
+    assert plugins[0] is plugin
+    assert type(plugins[1]).__name__ == "Collect"  # installed by testdir.inline_run()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "plugin",
     [