diff --git a/lib/bolt/config/options.rb b/lib/bolt/config/options.rb
index 6a6ec53d54..50783e225c 100644
--- a/lib/bolt/config/options.rb
+++ b/lib/bolt/config/options.rb
@@ -123,6 +123,14 @@ module Options
                        "plan function or the `bolt apply` command.",
           type: Hash,
           properties: {
+            "confdir" => {
+              description: "This feature is experimental. Use the bolt created temporary path "\
+                           "or the Puppet default confdir on the target.",
+              type: String,
+              enum: %w[bolt target],
+              _example: "target",
+              _default: "bolt"
+            },
             "evaltrace" => {
               description: "Whether each resource should log when it is being evaluated. This allows "\
                            "you to interactively see exactly what is being done.",
diff --git a/libexec/apply_catalog.rb b/libexec/apply_catalog.rb
index ccf6d62232..52c8bec730 100755
--- a/libexec/apply_catalog.rb
+++ b/libexec/apply_catalog.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,13 @@
 moduledir = File.join(puppet_root, 'modules')
 Dir.mkdir(moduledir)
 cli = (Puppet::Settings::REQUIRED_APP_SETTINGS + [:rundir]).flat_map do |setting|
-  ["--#{setting}", File.join(puppet_root, setting.to_s.chomp('dir'))]
+  if setting == :confdir && args['apply_settings']['confdir'] == 'target'
+    # skip isolating confdir and override basemodulepath
+    # as we never want to load agent modules
+    ['--basemodulepath', Puppet.default_basemodulepath]
+  else
+    ["--#{setting}", File.join(puppet_root, setting.to_s.chomp('dir'))]
+  end
 end
 cli << '--modulepath' << moduledir
 Puppet.initialize_settings(cli)
@@ -28,6 +34,11 @@
 
 # Make sure to apply the catalog
 Puppet[:noop] = args['_noop'] || false
+
+# delete because its not an actual path
+# and can't be changed after initialization
+delete(args['apply_settings']['confdir'])
+
 args['apply_settings'].each do |setting, value|
   Puppet[setting.to_sym] = value
 end
diff --git a/schemas/bolt-project.schema.json b/schemas/bolt-project.schema.json
index 654a115477..f706327fa6 100644
--- a/schemas/bolt-project.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/bolt-project.schema.json
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@
       "description": "A map of Puppet settings to use when applying Puppet code using the `apply` plan function or the `bolt apply` command.",
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
+        "confdir": {
+          "description": "This feature is experimental. Use the bolt created temporary path or the Puppet default confdir on the target.",
+          "type": "string",
+          "enum": [
+            "bolt",
+            "target"
+          ]
+        },
         "evaltrace": {
           "description": "Whether each resource should log when it is being evaluated. This allows you to interactively see exactly what is being done.",
           "type": "boolean"