diff --git a/src/v/config/bounded_property.h b/src/v/config/bounded_property.h
index e978a5f8e1dbc..541c85066a601 100644
--- a/src/v/config/bounded_property.h
+++ b/src/v/config/bounded_property.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "config/base_property.h"
 #include "config/property.h"
 
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <optional>
 
 namespace config {
@@ -84,6 +85,10 @@ concept bounds = requires(T bounds, const typename T::underlying_t& value) {
     { bounds.clamp(value) } -> std::same_as<typename T::underlying_t>;
 };
 
+inline bool bounds_checking_disabled() {
+    return std::getenv("__REDPANDA_TEST_DISABLE_BOUNDED_PROPERTY_CHECKS");
+}
+
 } // namespace detail
 
 /**
@@ -197,6 +202,9 @@ class bounded_property : public property<T> {
           meta,
           def,
           [this](T new_value) -> std::optional<ss::sstring> {
+              if (detail::bounds_checking_disabled()) {
+                  return std::nullopt;
+              }
               // Extract inner value if we are an optional<>,
               // and pass through into numeric_bounds::validate
               using outer_type = std::decay_t<T>;
@@ -235,6 +243,13 @@ class bounded_property : public property<T> {
     }
 
 private:
+    I clamp_with_bounds(I val) {
+        if (detail::bounds_checking_disabled()) {
+            return val;
+        }
+        return _bounds.clamp(val);
+    }
+
     bool clamp_and_update(T val) {
         using outer_type = std::decay_t<T>;
 
@@ -248,13 +263,13 @@ class bounded_property : public property<T> {
         if constexpr (reflection::is_std_optional<outer_type>) {
             if (val.has_value()) {
                 return property<T>::update_value(
-                  std::move(_bounds.clamp(val.value())));
+                  std::move(clamp_with_bounds(val.value())));
             } else {
                 // nullopt is always valid, never clamped.  Pass it through.
                 return property<T>::update_value(std::move(val));
             }
         } else {
-            return property<T>::update_value(std::move(_bounds.clamp(val)));
+            return property<T>::update_value(std::move(clamp_with_bounds(val)));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/cluster_config_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/cluster_config_test.py
index c9f3f5c60c427..16aba8a3c0f60 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/cluster_config_test.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/cluster_config_test.py
@@ -1668,6 +1668,35 @@ def test_validate_cloud_storage_cache_size_config(self):
                                       lambda e: e.response.status_code == 400):
                     self.admin.patch_cluster_config(upsert=upsert)
 
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_disable_bounded_property_checks(self):
+        """
+        Test that the environmental variable __REDPANDA_TEST_DISABLE_BOUNDED_PROPERTY_CHECKS
+        being set disables bounded property checks for cluster properties.
+        """
+        out_of_bound_properties = {
+            "storage_compaction_key_map_memory": 1,
+            "log_segment_size": 2,
+            "log_segment_ms": 10
+        }
+
+        # Check that these out of bounds value updates for bounded properties are properly rejected
+        with expect_exception(requests.exceptions.HTTPError,
+                              lambda e: e.response.status_code == 400):
+            self.redpanda.set_cluster_config(out_of_bound_properties,
+                                             expect_restart=True)
+
+        environment = {"__REDPANDA_TEST_DISABLE_BOUNDED_PROPERTY_CHECKS": "ON"}
+        self.redpanda.set_environment(environment)
+        self.redpanda.restart_nodes(self.redpanda.nodes)
+
+        # Expect these out of bound value updates to succeed.
+        # expect_restart=True due to some of the properties used.
+        self.redpanda.set_cluster_config(out_of_bound_properties,
+                                         expect_restart=True)
+        for prop, value in out_of_bound_properties.items():
+            self._check_value_everywhere(prop, value)
+
 
 """
 PropertyAliasData: