diff --git a/docs/app/app.ts b/docs/app/app.ts
index 1704a816..ec7a2089 100644
--- a/docs/app/app.ts
+++ b/docs/app/app.ts
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@ import Resolver from 'ember-resolver';
 import loadInitializers from 'ember-load-initializers';
 import config from './config/environment';
 import { importSync, isDevelopingApp, macroCondition } from '@embroider/macros';
-
 import compatModules from '@embroider/virtual/compat-modules';
+import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config';
 
 if (macroCondition(isDevelopingApp())) {
   importSync('./deprecation-workflow');
 }
 
+setConfig({
+  rootElement: config.APP['rootElement'] as string | undefined,
+});
+
 export default class App extends Application {
   modulePrefix = config.modulePrefix;
   podModulePrefix = config.podModulePrefix;
diff --git a/ember-basic-dropdown/rollup.config.mjs b/ember-basic-dropdown/rollup.config.mjs
index 44fe1a9d..fe765b9e 100644
--- a/ember-basic-dropdown/rollup.config.mjs
+++ b/ember-basic-dropdown/rollup.config.mjs
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export default [
       // See https://github.com/embroider-build/embroider/blob/main/docs/v2-faq.md#how-can-i-define-the-public-exports-of-my-addon
       addon.publicEntrypoints([
         'index.js',
+        'config.js',
         'styles.js',
         'components/**/*.js',
         'modifiers/**/*.js',
diff --git a/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole.gts b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole.gts
index 5a77b627..1b6437ba 100644
--- a/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole.gts
+++ b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole.gts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import Component from '@glimmer/component';
 import { getOwner } from '@ember/application';
+import { config as utilConfig, _configSet, type Config } from '../config.ts';
+import { deprecate } from '@ember/debug';
 
 export interface BasicDropdownWormholeSignature {
   Element: HTMLElement;
@@ -7,20 +9,41 @@ export interface BasicDropdownWormholeSignature {
 
 export default class BasicDropdownWormholeComponent extends Component<BasicDropdownWormholeSignature> {
   get getDestinationId(): string {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-    // @ts-ignore
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
-    const config = getOwner(this).resolveRegistration('config:environment') as {
-      'ember-basic-dropdown'?: {
-        destination?: string;
+    let config = utilConfig;
+
+    if (!_configSet) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+      // @ts-ignore
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
+      const configEnvironment = getOwner(this).resolveRegistration(
+        'config:environment',
+      ) as {
+        'ember-basic-dropdown'?: Config;
       };
-    };
 
-    return (
-      (config['ember-basic-dropdown'] &&
-        config['ember-basic-dropdown'].destination) ||
-      'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole'
-    );
+      if (configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown']) {
+        const legacyConfigString = JSON.stringify(
+          configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown'],
+        );
+        deprecate(
+          `You have configured \`ember-basic-dropdown\` in \`ember-cli-build.js\`. Remove that configuration and instead use \`import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config'; setConfig(${legacyConfigString});`,
+          false,
+          {
+            for: 'ember-basic-dropdown',
+            id: 'ember-basic-dropdown.config-environment',
+            since: {
+              enabled: '8.9',
+              available: '8.9',
+            },
+            until: '9.0.0',
+          },
+        );
+
+        config = configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown'];
+      }
+    }
+
+    return config.destination || 'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole';
   }
 
   <template>
diff --git a/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown.gts b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown.gts
index 3a4bb432..e5930378 100644
--- a/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown.gts
+++ b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/components/basic-dropdown.gts
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import type {
   TRootEventType,
 } from '../types.ts';
 import { deprecate } from '@ember/debug';
+import { isTesting } from '@embroider/macros';
+import { config as utilConfig, _configSet, type Config } from '../config.ts';
 
 // To avoid breaking the current types export we need this
 export type { Dropdown, DropdownActions, TRootEventType };
@@ -393,31 +395,70 @@ export default class BasicDropdown extends Component<BasicDropdownSignature> {
   }
 
   _getDestinationId(): string {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-    // @ts-ignore
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
-    const config = getOwner(this).resolveRegistration('config:environment') as {
-      environment: string;
-      APP: {
-        rootElement: string;
+    let config = utilConfig;
+
+    if (!_configSet) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
+      // @ts-ignore
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
+      const configEnvironment = getOwner(this).resolveRegistration(
+        'config:environment',
+      ) as {
+        APP: {
+          rootElement: string;
+        };
+        'ember-basic-dropdown': Config;
       };
-      'ember-basic-dropdown': {
-        destination: string;
-      };
-    };
 
-    if (config.environment === 'test') {
+      if (configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown']) {
+        const legacyConfigString = JSON.stringify(
+          configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown'],
+        );
+        deprecate(
+          `You have configured \`ember-basic-dropdown\` in \`ember-cli-build.js\`. Remove that configuration and instead use \`import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config'; setConfig(${legacyConfigString});`,
+          false,
+          {
+            for: 'ember-basic-dropdown',
+            id: 'ember-basic-dropdown.config-environment',
+            since: {
+              enabled: '8.9',
+              available: '8.9',
+            },
+            until: '9.0.0',
+          },
+        );
+
+        config = configEnvironment['ember-basic-dropdown'];
+      }
+
+      if (configEnvironment['APP']?.rootElement) {
+        deprecate(
+          `ember-basic-dropdown received the \`APP.rootElement\` value from \`ember-cli-build.js\`. You now need to pass this value using \`import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config'; setConfig({rootElement: config.APP['rootElement']});`,
+          false,
+          {
+            for: 'ember-basic-dropdown',
+            id: 'ember-basic-dropdown.config-environment',
+            since: {
+              enabled: '8.9',
+              available: '8.9',
+            },
+            until: '9.0.0',
+          },
+        );
+
+        config.rootElement = configEnvironment['APP']?.rootElement;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (isTesting()) {
       // document doesn't exist in fastboot apps, for this reason we need this check
       if (typeof document === 'undefined') {
         return 'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole';
       }
 
       // check if destination exists in tests:
-      if (
-        config['ember-basic-dropdown'] &&
-        config['ember-basic-dropdown'].destination
-      ) {
-        const destination = config['ember-basic-dropdown'].destination;
+      if (config.destination) {
+        const destination = config.destination;
         if (document.getElementById(destination) !== null) {
           return destination;
         }
@@ -429,18 +470,14 @@ export default class BasicDropdown extends Component<BasicDropdownSignature> {
       }
 
       // fall back to rootElement as destination
-      const rootElement = config['APP']?.rootElement;
+      const rootElement = config.rootElement;
       return (
-        document.querySelector(rootElement)?.id ??
+        (rootElement ? document.querySelector(rootElement)?.id : undefined) ??
         'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole'
       );
     }
 
-    return (
-      (config['ember-basic-dropdown'] &&
-        config['ember-basic-dropdown'].destination) ||
-      'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole'
-    );
+    return config.destination || 'ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole';
   }
 
   _getDropdownElement(): HTMLElement | null {
diff --git a/ember-basic-dropdown/src/config.ts b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0eb9fd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ember-basic-dropdown/src/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+export interface Config {
+  destination?: string;
+  rootElement?: string;
+}
+
+let _config: Config = {};
+
+// This will be removed in next major, don't use this outside the package!
+let _configSet = false;
+
+export function setConfig(config: Config) {
+  _config = config;
+  _configSet = true;
+}
+
+export { _config as config, _configSet };
diff --git a/test-app/app/app.ts b/test-app/app/app.ts
index 9ef983e2..f2db2463 100644
--- a/test-app/app/app.ts
+++ b/test-app/app/app.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,18 @@ import Resolver from 'ember-resolver';
 import loadInitializers from 'ember-load-initializers';
 import config from 'test-app/config/environment';
 import { importSync, isDevelopingApp, macroCondition } from '@embroider/macros';
+import { setConfig, type Config } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config';
 
 if (macroCondition(isDevelopingApp())) {
   importSync('./deprecation-workflow');
 }
 
+export const defaultBasicDropdownConfig: Config = {
+  rootElement: config.APP['rootElement'] as string | undefined,
+};
+
+setConfig(defaultBasicDropdownConfig);
+
 export default class App extends Application {
   modulePrefix = config.modulePrefix;
   podModulePrefix = config.podModulePrefix;
diff --git a/test-app/app/instance-initializers/shadow-root.ts b/test-app/app/instance-initializers/shadow-root.ts
index 205580fe..227c2207 100644
--- a/test-app/app/instance-initializers/shadow-root.ts
+++ b/test-app/app/instance-initializers/shadow-root.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type ApplicationInstance from '@ember/application/instance';
+import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config';
 import config from 'test-app/config/environment';
 
 // @ts-expect-error Public property 'isFastBoot' of exported class
@@ -32,6 +33,10 @@ export function initialize(appInstance: ApplicationInstance) {
 
   config.APP['rootElement'] = '#ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole';
   appInstance.set('rootElement', rootElement);
+
+  setConfig({
+    rootElement: '#ember-basic-dropdown-wormhole',
+  });
 }
 
 export default {
diff --git a/test-app/tests/integration/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole-test.ts b/test-app/tests/integration/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole-test.ts
index 42ec1fb3..dfbd1a08 100644
--- a/test-app/tests/integration/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole-test.ts
+++ b/test-app/tests/integration/components/basic-dropdown-wormhole-test.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ import { module, test } from 'qunit';
 import { setupRenderingTest } from 'ember-qunit';
 import { hbs } from 'ember-cli-htmlbars';
 import { render } from '@ember/test-helpers';
-import config from 'test-app/config/environment';
+import { setConfig } from 'ember-basic-dropdown/config';
+import { defaultBasicDropdownConfig } from 'test-app/app';
 import type { TestContext } from '@ember/test-helpers';
 
 interface ExtendedTestContext extends TestContext {
   element: HTMLElement;
-  originalConfig: Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
 function getRootNode(element: Element): HTMLElement {
@@ -17,15 +17,8 @@ function getRootNode(element: Element): HTMLElement {
 module('Integration | Component | basic-dropdown-wormhole', function (hooks) {
   setupRenderingTest(hooks);
 
-  hooks.beforeEach(function (this: ExtendedTestContext) {
-    // Duplicate config to avoid mutating global config
-    this.originalConfig = JSON.parse(
-      JSON.stringify(config['ember-basic-dropdown'] || {}),
-    ) as Record<string, unknown>;
-  });
-
   hooks.afterEach(function (this: ExtendedTestContext) {
-    config['ember-basic-dropdown'] = this.originalConfig;
+    setConfig(defaultBasicDropdownConfig);
   });
 
   test<ExtendedTestContext>('Is present', async function (assert) {
@@ -39,9 +32,10 @@ module('Integration | Component | basic-dropdown-wormhole', function (hooks) {
   });
 
   test<ExtendedTestContext>('Uses custom destination from config if present', async function (assert) {
-    config['ember-basic-dropdown'] = {
+    setConfig({
+      ...defaultBasicDropdownConfig,
       destination: 'custom-wormhole-destination',
-    };
+    });
 
     await render(hbs`<BasicDropdownWormhole />`);