diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e4b940e..2768570 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,10 +41,20 @@ fastify
     if (err) console.error(err)
 
     console.log(fastify.config) // or fastify[options.confKey]
+    console.log(fastify.getEnvs())
     // output: { PORT: 3000 }
   })
 ```
 
+You can also use the function `getEnvs()` of the Request from within a handler function: 
+```js
+fastify.get('/', (request, reply) => {
+    console.log(request.getEnvs())
+    // output: { PORT: 3000 }
+})
+```
+Note that the `getEnvs` decorators will not be added if they already exist.
+
 This module is a wrapper around [env-schema](https://www.npmjs.com/package/env-schema).
 To read an `.env` file you must set `dotenv` in the options:
 
@@ -53,7 +63,7 @@ const options = {
   dotenv: true // will read .env in root folder
 }
 
-// or, pass config options avalible on dotenv module
+// or, pass config options available on dotenv module
 const options = {
   dotenv: {
     path: `${__dirname}/.env`,
@@ -81,18 +91,43 @@ await fastify
 **NB** Support for additional properties in the schema is disabled for this plugin, with the `additionalProperties` flag set to `false` internally.
 
 ### Typescript
-In order to have typing for the fastify instance, you should follow the example below:
+In order to have typing for the fastify instance, you should either:
+
+- use the `declaration merging` technique to enhance the `FastifyInstance` type with the property and its keys you have defined in the options:
 
 ```typescript
 declare module 'fastify' {
   interface FastifyInstance {
     config: { // this should be same as the confKey in options
       // specify your typing here
+      FOO: string
     };
   }
 }
+
+const fastify = Fastify()
+fastify.register(fastifyEnv)
+
+fastify.config.FOO // will be a string
+fastify.config.BAR // error: Property BAR does not exist on type { FOO: string }
 ```
 
+- use the generic function `getEnvs()` to get the already typed object:
+
+```typescript
+type Envs = {
+  FOO: string
+}
+
+const fastify = Fastify()
+await fastify.register(fastifyEnv)
+
+const envs = fastify.getEnvs<Envs>() // envs will be of type Envs
+
+envs.FOO // will be a string
+envs.BAR // error: Property BAR does not exist on type Envs
+```
+If this is the case it is suggested to use [json-schema-to-ts ](https://github.com/ThomasAribart/json-schema-to-ts) to have the type always synchronized with the actual schema. 
 
 ## Acknowledgements
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b7f5bc5..95d3f5b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ function fastifyEnv (fastify, opts, done) {
     const config = envSchema(opts)
     const confKey = opts.confKey || 'config'
     fastify.decorate(confKey, config)
+
+    if (!fastify.hasDecorator('getEnvs')) {
+      fastify.decorate('getEnvs', () => { return config })
+    }
+    if (!fastify.hasRequestDecorator('getEnvs')) {
+      fastify.decorateRequest('getEnvs', () => { return config })
+    }
+
     done()
   } catch (err) {
     done(err)
diff --git a/test/fastify-env.test.js b/test/fastify-env.test.js
index 434a1bd..fe53e88 100644
--- a/test/fastify-env.test.js
+++ b/test/fastify-env.test.js
@@ -282,3 +282,66 @@ t.test('should use custom config key name', t => {
       t.strictSame(fastify.customConfigKeyName, { PORT: 6666 })
     })
 })
+
+t.test('should use function `getEnvs` to retrieve the envs object', async t => {
+  t.plan(2)
+
+  const schema = {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      PORT: { type: 'integer', default: 6666 }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+
+  let requestEnvs
+  fastify.get('/', (request) => {
+    requestEnvs = request.getEnvs()
+    return 'ok'
+  })
+
+  await fastify.register(fastifyEnv, {
+    schema
+  })
+
+  await fastify.inject({
+    method: 'GET',
+    url: '/'
+  })
+
+  t.strictSame(requestEnvs, { PORT: 6666 })
+  t.strictSame(fastify.getEnvs(), { PORT: 6666 })
+})
+t.test('should skip the getEnvs decorators if there is already one with the same name', async t => {
+  t.plan(2)
+
+  const schema = {
+    type: 'object',
+    properties: {
+      PORT: { type: 'integer', default: 6666 }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+  fastify.decorate('getEnvs', () => { return 'another_value' })
+  fastify.decorateRequest('getEnvs', () => { return 'another_value' })
+
+  let requestEnvs
+  fastify.get('/', (request) => {
+    requestEnvs = request.getEnvs()
+    return 'ok'
+  })
+
+  await fastify.register(fastifyEnv, {
+    schema
+  })
+
+  await fastify.inject({
+    method: 'GET',
+    url: '/'
+  })
+
+  t.strictSame(requestEnvs, 'another_value')
+  t.strictSame(fastify.getEnvs(), 'another_value')
+})
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index 61614d4..7f29e8c 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,18 @@
 import { EnvSchemaOpt } from "env-schema"
 import { FastifyPluginCallback } from "fastify"
 
+declare module 'fastify' {
+  export interface FastifyInstance {
+    // Returns the environment variables object.
+    getEnvs<const E>(): E,
+  }
+
+  export interface FastifyRequest {
+    // Returns the environment variables object.
+    getEnvs<const E>(): E,
+  }
+}
+
 type FastifyEnv = FastifyPluginCallback<fastifyEnv.FastifyEnvOptions>
 
 declare namespace fastifyEnv {
diff --git a/types/index.test-d.ts b/types/index.test-d.ts
index 643f8a6..58486b6 100644
--- a/types/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/types/index.test-d.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import Fastify from 'fastify'
+import Fastify, {FastifyInstance, FastifyRequest} from 'fastify'
 import { expectDeprecated, expectType } from 'tsd'
 import fastifyEnv, { FastifyEnvOptions, fastifyEnvOpt } from '..'
 
@@ -32,3 +32,11 @@ fastify.register(fastifyEnv, {
 
 expectDeprecated({} as fastifyEnvOpt)
 expectType<FastifyEnvOptions>({} as fastifyEnvOpt)
+
+type Envs = {
+  FOO: string
+}
+declare const instance: FastifyInstance
+expectType<Envs>(instance.getEnvs<Envs>())
+declare const request: FastifyRequest
+expectType<Envs>(request.getEnvs<Envs>())