diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 85b777e6..782e57ee 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+export * from './node/config'
 export { createDevToolsContext } from './node/context'
 export { DevTools } from './node/plugins'
 export { createDevToolsMiddleware } from './node/server'
diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/config.ts b/packages/core/src/node/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16b5191e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import type { StartOptions } from './cli-commands'
+import { isObject } from './utils'
+
+export interface DevToolsConfig extends Partial<StartOptions> {
+  enabled: boolean
+  /**
+   * Disable client authentication.
+   *
+   * Beware that if you disable client authentication,
+   * any browsers can connect to the devtools and access to your server and filesystem.
+   * (including other devices, if you open server `host` option to LAN or WAN)
+   *
+   * @default true
+   */
+  clientAuth?: boolean
+}
+
+export interface ResolvedDevToolsConfig {
+  config: Omit<DevToolsConfig, 'enabled'> & { host: string }
+  enabled: boolean
+}
+
+export function normalizeDevToolsConfig(
+  config: DevToolsConfig | boolean | undefined,
+  host: string,
+): ResolvedDevToolsConfig {
+  return {
+    enabled: config === true || !!(config && config.enabled),
+    config: {
+      ...(isObject(config) ? config : {}),
+      clientAuth: isObject(config) ? (config.clientAuth ?? true) : true,
+      host: isObject(config) ? (config.host ?? host) : host,
+    },
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/utils.ts b/packages/core/src/node/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4b3c10e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export function isObject(value: unknown): value is Record<string, any> {
+  return Object.prototype.toString.call(value) === '[object Object]'
+}
diff --git a/test/exports/@vitejs/devtools.yaml b/test/exports/@vitejs/devtools.yaml
index 76311d2c..d21dfabc 100644
--- a/test/exports/@vitejs/devtools.yaml
+++ b/test/exports/@vitejs/devtools.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   createDevToolsContext: function
   createDevToolsMiddleware: function
   DevTools: function
+  normalizeDevToolsConfig: function
 ./cli-commands:
   build: function
   start: function