diff --git a/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeListener.java b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeListener.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..44833713f8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeListener.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package io.opentelemetry.api.incubator.config;
+
+/** Listener notified when declarative configuration changes. */
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface ConfigChangeListener {
+
+  /**
+   * Called when the watched path changes.
+   *
+   * <p>{@code path} is the changed declarative configuration path, for example {@code
+   * .instrumentation/development.general.http} or {@code
+   * .instrumentation/development.java.methods}.
+   *
+   * <p>{@code newConfig} is never null. If the watched node is unset or cleared, {@code newConfig}
+   * is {@link DeclarativeConfigProperties#empty()}.
+   *
+   * @param path the declarative configuration path that changed
+   * @param newConfig the updated configuration for the changed path
+   */
+  void onChange(String path, DeclarativeConfigProperties newConfig);
+}
diff --git a/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeRegistration.java b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeRegistration.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e499ba11ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigChangeRegistration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package io.opentelemetry.api.incubator.config;
+
+/** Registration handle returned by {@link ConfigProvider#addConfigChangeListener}. */
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface ConfigChangeRegistration {
+
+  /**
+   * Unregister the listener associated with this registration.
+   *
+   * <p>Subsequent calls have no effect.
+   */
+  void close();
+}
diff --git a/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigProvider.java b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigProvider.java
index dcf6c7bd082..8617ce6f7ca 100644
--- a/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigProvider.java
+++ b/api/incubator/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/config/ConfigProvider.java
@@ -65,6 +65,28 @@ default DeclarativeConfigProperties getGeneralInstrumentationConfig() {
     return getInstrumentationConfig().get("general");
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Registers a {@link ConfigChangeListener} for changes to a specific declarative configuration
+   * path.
+   *
+   * <p>Example paths include {@code .instrumentation/development.general.http} and {@code
+   * .instrumentation/development.java.methods}.
+   *
+   * <p>When a watched path changes, {@link ConfigChangeListener#onChange(String,
+   * DeclarativeConfigProperties)} is invoked with the changed path and updated configuration for
+   * that path.
+   *
+   * <p>The default implementation performs no registration and returns a no-op handle.
+   *
+   * @param path the declarative configuration path to watch
+   * @param listener the listener to notify when the watched path changes
+   * @return a {@link ConfigChangeRegistration} that can be closed to unregister the listener
+   */
+  default ConfigChangeRegistration addConfigChangeListener(
+      String path, ConfigChangeListener listener) {
+    return () -> {};
+  }
+
   /** Returns a no-op {@link ConfigProvider}. */
   static ConfigProvider noop() {
     return DeclarativeConfigProperties::empty;
diff --git a/api/incubator/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/ConfigProviderTest.java b/api/incubator/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/ConfigProviderTest.java
index b5fdca1cdf6..43aa3fd0ba0 100644
--- a/api/incubator/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/ConfigProviderTest.java
+++ b/api/incubator/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/incubator/ConfigProviderTest.java
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
 package io.opentelemetry.api.incubator;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatCode;
 
+import io.opentelemetry.api.incubator.config.ConfigChangeRegistration;
 import io.opentelemetry.api.incubator.config.ConfigProvider;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
@@ -24,5 +26,9 @@ void instrumentationConfigFallback() {
     assertThat(configProvider.getInstrumentationConfig()).isNotNull();
     assertThat(configProvider.getInstrumentationConfig("servlet")).isNotNull();
     assertThat(configProvider.getGeneralInstrumentationConfig()).isNotNull();
+    ConfigChangeRegistration listenerRegistration =
+        configProvider.addConfigChangeListener(
+            ".instrumentation/development.java.servlet", (path, newConfig) -> {});
+    assertThatCode(listenerRegistration::close).doesNotThrowAnyException();
   }
 }