diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer.java
index 40261ffe96..6509148457 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer.java
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.boot.test.context;
 
-import java.util.function.Supplier;
-
 import org.springframework.boot.context.config.ConfigData;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.config.ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor;
 import org.springframework.boot.env.DefaultPropertiesPropertySource;
@@ -25,7 +23,6 @@ import org.springframework.boot.env.RandomValuePropertySource;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextInitializer;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.env.ConfigurableEnvironment;
-import org.springframework.core.io.ResourceLoader;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 
 /**
@@ -44,20 +41,8 @@ public class ConfigDataApplicationContextInitializer
 	public void initialize(ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext) {
 		ConfigurableEnvironment environment = applicationContext.getEnvironment();
 		RandomValuePropertySource.addToEnvironment(environment);
-		new ConfigDataProcessor().addPropertySources(environment, applicationContext);
+		ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.applyTo(environment, applicationContext);
 		DefaultPropertiesPropertySource.moveToEnd(environment);
 	}
 
-	private static class ConfigDataProcessor extends ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor {
-
-		ConfigDataProcessor() {
-			super(Supplier::get);
-		}
-
-		void addPropertySources(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, ResourceLoader resourceLoader) {
-			addPropertySources(environment, resourceLoader, null);
-		}
-
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.java
index 53e45c9aae..aea72f181f 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.java
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 package org.springframework.boot.context.config;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 
@@ -61,10 +64,10 @@ public class ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor implements EnvironmentPostProces
 
 	@Override
 	public void postProcessEnvironment(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, SpringApplication application) {
-		addPropertySources(environment, application.getResourceLoader(), application.getAdditionalProfiles());
+		postProcessEnvironment(environment, application.getResourceLoader(), application.getAdditionalProfiles());
 	}
 
-	protected final void addPropertySources(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, ResourceLoader resourceLoader,
+	void postProcessEnvironment(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, ResourceLoader resourceLoader,
 			Collection<String> additionalProfiles) {
 		try {
 			this.logger.trace("Post-processing environment to add config data");
@@ -93,6 +96,44 @@ public class ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor implements EnvironmentPostProces
 		return new LegacyConfigFileApplicationListener(this.logFactory.getLog(ConfigFileApplicationListener.class));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Apply {@link ConfigData} post-processing to an existing {@link Environment}. This
+	 * method can be useful when working with an {@link Environment} that has been created
+	 * directly and not necessarily as part of a {@link SpringApplication}.
+	 * @param environment the environment to apply {@link ConfigData} to
+	 */
+	public static void applyTo(ConfigurableEnvironment environment) {
+		applyTo(environment, null, Collections.emptyList());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Apply {@link ConfigData} post-processing to an existing {@link Environment}. This
+	 * method can be useful when working with an {@link Environment} that has been created
+	 * directly and not necessarily as part of a {@link SpringApplication}.
+	 * @param environment the environment to apply {@link ConfigData} to
+	 * @param resourceLoader the resource loader to use
+	 * @param additionalProfiles any additional profiles that should be applied
+	 */
+	public static void applyTo(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, ResourceLoader resourceLoader,
+			String... additionalProfiles) {
+		applyTo(environment, resourceLoader, Arrays.asList(additionalProfiles));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Apply {@link ConfigData} post-processing to an existing {@link Environment}. This
+	 * method can be useful when working with an {@link Environment} that has been created
+	 * directly and not necessarily as part of a {@link SpringApplication}.
+	 * @param environment the environment to apply {@link ConfigData} to
+	 * @param resourceLoader the resource loader to use
+	 * @param additionalProfiles any additional profiles that should be applied
+	 */
+	public static void applyTo(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, ResourceLoader resourceLoader,
+			Collection<String> additionalProfiles) {
+		new ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor(Supplier::get).postProcessEnvironment(environment, resourceLoader,
+				additionalProfiles);
+
+	}
+
 	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 	static class LegacyConfigFileApplicationListener extends ConfigFileApplicationListener {
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessorTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessorTests.java
index b341ee9bf0..7cf97d7de7 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessorTests.java
@@ -118,4 +118,12 @@ class ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessorTests {
 		verify(legacyListener).addPropertySources(eq(this.environment), any(DefaultResourceLoader.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void applyToAppliesPostProcessing() {
+		int before = this.environment.getPropertySources().size();
+		ConfigDataEnvironmentPostProcessor.applyTo(this.environment, null, "dev");
+		assertThat(this.environment.getPropertySources().size()).isGreaterThan(before);
+		assertThat(this.environment.getActiveProfiles()).containsExactly("dev");
+	}
+
 }