diff --git a/hspec-api.cabal b/hspec-api.cabal
--- a/hspec-api.cabal
+++ b/hspec-api.cabal
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 cabal-version: 1.12
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.35.2.
+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.35.5.
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           hspec-api
-version:        2.11.4
+version:        2.11.5
 synopsis:       A Testing Framework for Haskell
 description:    This package provides a stable API that can be used to extend Hspec's functionality.
 category:       Testing
 stability:      stable
 homepage:       https://hspec.github.io/
 bug-reports:    https://github.com/hspec/hspec/issues
+author:         Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 maintainer:     Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 copyright:      (c) 2022-2023 Simon Hengel
 license:        MIT
@@ -34,12 +35,13 @@
       Test.Hspec.Api.Formatters.V3
   other-modules:
       Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V1.Internal
+      Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V2.Config
   hs-source-dirs:
       src
   ghc-options: -Wall
   build-depends:
       base ==4.*
-    , hspec-core ==2.11.4
+    , hspec-core ==2.11.5
     , transformers
   default-language: Haskell2010
 
@@ -62,6 +64,6 @@
       base ==4.*
     , hspec ==2.*
     , hspec-api
-    , hspec-core ==2.11.4
+    , hspec-core ==2.11.5
     , transformers
   default-language: Haskell2010
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2.hs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 module Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V2 (
   Format
 , FormatConfig(..)
+, defaultFormatConfig
 , Event(..)
 , Progress
 , Path
@@ -27,9 +28,11 @@
 
 import           Test.Hspec.Core.Runner (Config(..))
 import           Test.Hspec.Core.Spec (modifyConfig, SpecWith)
-import           Test.Hspec.Core.Format hiding (FormatConfig(..))
+import           Test.Hspec.Core.Format hiding (FormatConfig(..), defaultFormatConfig)
 import qualified Test.Hspec.Core.Format as Latest
 
+import           Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V2.Config
+
 -- |
 -- Make a formatter available for use with @--format@.
 registerFormatter :: (String, FormatConfig -> IO Format) -> Config -> Config
@@ -50,34 +53,3 @@
   where
     liftFormat :: (FormatConfig -> IO Format) -> Latest.FormatConfig -> IO Format
     liftFormat format = format . unliftFormatConfig
-
-data FormatConfig = FormatConfig {
-  formatConfigUseColor :: Bool
-, formatConfigReportProgress :: Bool
-, formatConfigOutputUnicode :: Bool
-, formatConfigUseDiff :: Bool
-, formatConfigDiffContext :: Maybe Int
-, formatConfigExternalDiff :: Maybe (String -> String -> IO ())
-, formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction :: Maybe (String -> String -> (String, String))
-, formatConfigPrintTimes :: Bool
-, formatConfigHtmlOutput :: Bool
-, formatConfigPrintCpuTime :: Bool
-, formatConfigUsedSeed :: Integer
-, formatConfigExpectedTotalCount :: Int
-}
-
-unliftFormatConfig :: Latest.FormatConfig -> FormatConfig
-unliftFormatConfig config = FormatConfig {
-  formatConfigUseColor = Latest.formatConfigUseColor config
-, formatConfigReportProgress = Latest.formatConfigReportProgress config
-, formatConfigOutputUnicode = Latest.formatConfigOutputUnicode config
-, formatConfigUseDiff = Latest.formatConfigUseDiff config
-, formatConfigDiffContext = Latest.formatConfigDiffContext config
-, formatConfigExternalDiff = Latest.formatConfigExternalDiff config
-, formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction = Latest.formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction config
-, formatConfigPrintTimes = Latest.formatConfigPrintTimes config
-, formatConfigHtmlOutput = Latest.formatConfigHtmlOutput config
-, formatConfigPrintCpuTime = Latest.formatConfigPrintCpuTime config
-, formatConfigUsedSeed = Latest.formatConfigUsedSeed config
-, formatConfigExpectedTotalCount = Latest.formatConfigExpectedTotalCount config
-}
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2/Config.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2/Config.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Format/V2/Config.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+module Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V2.Config where
+
+import           Control.Exception (SomeException)
+import qualified Test.Hspec.Core.Format as Latest
+
+data FormatConfig = FormatConfig {
+  formatConfigUseColor :: Bool
+, formatConfigReportProgress :: Bool
+, formatConfigOutputUnicode :: Bool
+, formatConfigUseDiff :: Bool
+, formatConfigDiffContext :: Maybe Int
+, formatConfigExternalDiff :: Maybe (String -> String -> IO ())
+, formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction :: Maybe (String -> String -> (String, String))
+, formatConfigFormatException :: SomeException -> String -- ^ @since 2.11.5
+, formatConfigPrintTimes :: Bool
+, formatConfigHtmlOutput :: Bool
+, formatConfigPrintCpuTime :: Bool
+, formatConfigUsedSeed :: Integer
+, formatConfigExpectedTotalCount :: Int
+}
+
+-- ^ @since 2.11.5
+defaultFormatConfig :: FormatConfig
+defaultFormatConfig = unliftFormatConfig Latest.defaultFormatConfig
+
+unliftFormatConfig :: Latest.FormatConfig -> FormatConfig
+unliftFormatConfig config = FormatConfig {
+  formatConfigUseColor = Latest.formatConfigUseColor config
+, formatConfigReportProgress = Latest.formatConfigReportProgress config
+, formatConfigOutputUnicode = Latest.formatConfigOutputUnicode config
+, formatConfigUseDiff = Latest.formatConfigUseDiff config
+, formatConfigDiffContext = Latest.formatConfigDiffContext config
+, formatConfigExternalDiff = Latest.formatConfigExternalDiff config
+, formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction = Latest.formatConfigPrettyPrintFunction config
+, formatConfigFormatException = Latest.formatConfigFormatException config
+, formatConfigPrintTimes = Latest.formatConfigPrintTimes config
+, formatConfigHtmlOutput = Latest.formatConfigHtmlOutput config
+, formatConfigPrintCpuTime = Latest.formatConfigPrintCpuTime config
+, formatConfigUsedSeed = Latest.formatConfigUsedSeed config
+, formatConfigExpectedTotalCount = Latest.formatConfigExpectedTotalCount config
+}
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V2.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V2.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V2.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V2.hs
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@
   , useFormatter
   , formatterToFormat
 
+  , FormatConfig
+
   , silent
   , checks
   , specdoc
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V3.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V3.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V3.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Api/Formatters/V3.hs
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@
 , FailureReason (..)
 , FormatM
 
+-- ** Accessing config values
+, getConfig
+, getConfigValue
+, FormatConfig(..)
+, defaultFormatConfig
+
 -- ** Accessing the runner state
 , getSuccessCount
 , getPendingCount
@@ -98,11 +104,22 @@
 , modifyConfig
 ) where
 
-import Test.Hspec.Core.Formatters.V2
-import Test.Hspec.Core.Runner (Config(..))
-import Test.Hspec.Core.Format (FormatConfig, Format)
-import Test.Hspec.Core.Spec (modifyConfig, SpecWith)
+import           Test.Hspec.Core.Formatters.V2 hiding (FormatConfig(..), getConfig, getConfigValue)
+import qualified Test.Hspec.Core.Formatters.V2 as Core
+import           Test.Hspec.Core.Runner (Config(..))
+import           Test.Hspec.Core.Format (Format)
+import           Test.Hspec.Core.Spec (modifyConfig, SpecWith)
 
+import           Test.Hspec.Api.Format.V2.Config
+
+-- | @since 2.11.5
+getConfig :: FormatM FormatConfig
+getConfig = unliftFormatConfig <$> Core.getConfig
+
+-- | @since 2.11.5
+getConfigValue :: (FormatConfig -> a) -> FormatM a
+getConfigValue f = f <$> getConfig
+
 -- |
 -- Make a formatter available for use with @--format@.
 registerFormatter :: (String, Formatter) -> Config -> Config
@@ -114,5 +131,5 @@
 useFormatter (fmap formatterToFormat -> formatter@(_, format)) config = (registerFormatter_ formatter config) { configFormat = Just format }
 
 -- copy of Test.Hspec.Core.Runner.registerFormatter
-registerFormatter_ :: (String, FormatConfig -> IO Format) -> Config -> Config
+registerFormatter_ :: (String, Core.FormatConfig -> IO Format) -> Config -> Config
 registerFormatter_ formatter config = config { configAvailableFormatters = formatter : configAvailableFormatters config }
diff --git a/version.yaml b/version.yaml
--- a/version.yaml
+++ b/version.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-version: &version 2.11.4
+version: &version 2.11.5
 synopsis: A Testing Framework for Haskell
+author: Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 maintainer: Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 category: Testing
 stability: experimental