diff --git a/example-configurations/bloodhound-enterprise/.dlt-example/config.toml b/example-configurations/bloodhound-enterprise/.dlt-example/config.toml
index 8da76f80..0cdc72dd 100644
--- a/example-configurations/bloodhound-enterprise/.dlt-example/config.toml
+++ b/example-configurations/bloodhound-enterprise/.dlt-example/config.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 # Example configuration: https://bloodhound.specterops.io/openhound/enterprise#full-configuration-example
+[openhound]
+managed = false
+
 [runtime]
 http_show_error_body = true
 log_cli_level = "WARNING"
diff --git a/src/openhound/config.py b/src/openhound/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b826c89a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/openhound/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""OpenHound managed-mode configuration."""
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+import dlt
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ModeDefaults:
+    """Placeholder for defaults that differ between OpenHound modes."""
+
+
+_UNMANAGED_DEFAULTS = ModeDefaults()
+_MANAGED_DEFAULTS = ModeDefaults()
+
+
+def is_managed() -> bool:
+    """Return whether OpenHound is configured to run in managed mode.
+
+    The value is resolved on every call so all platform code observes the current
+    DLT configuration. Missing configuration defaults to unmanaged mode. Invalid
+    boolean values raise DLT's configuration coercion error.
+    """
+
+    configured = dlt.config.get("openhound.managed", bool)
+    return configured if configured is not None else False
+
+
+def get_mode_defaults() -> ModeDefaults:
+    """Return the defaults profile for the configured mode."""
+
+    return _MANAGED_DEFAULTS if is_managed() else _UNMANAGED_DEFAULTS
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b632e87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import dlt
+import pytest
+from dlt.common.configuration.exceptions import ConfigValueCannotBeCoercedException
+
+from openhound.config import ModeDefaults, get_mode_defaults, is_managed
+
+
+def test_is_managed_defaults_to_unmanaged(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dlt.config, "get", lambda field, expected_type: None)
+
+    assert is_managed() is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("value", "expected"),
+    [
+        ("true", True),
+        ("false", False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_is_managed_resolves_environment_configuration(monkeypatch, value, expected):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENHOUND__MANAGED", value)
+
+    assert is_managed() is expected
+
+
+def test_is_managed_rejects_invalid_boolean(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OPENHOUND__MANAGED", "maybe")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigValueCannotBeCoercedException):
+        is_managed()
+
+
+def test_get_mode_defaults_selects_distinct_empty_profiles(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr("openhound.config.is_managed", lambda: False)
+    unmanaged = get_mode_defaults()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("openhound.config.is_managed", lambda: True)
+    managed = get_mode_defaults()
+
+    assert isinstance(unmanaged, ModeDefaults)
+    assert isinstance(managed, ModeDefaults)
+    assert unmanaged is not managed
+    assert vars(unmanaged) == {}
+    assert vars(managed) == {}