diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/configuration.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/configuration.js
index b31519b43f97..91a8f689094e 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/configuration.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/configuration.js
@@ -24,6 +24,30 @@ const BABELRC_FILENAME = ".babelrc";
 const BABELRC_JS_FILENAME = ".babelrc.js";
 const BABELIGNORE_FILENAME = ".babelignore";
 
+export function findClosestConfig(rootDir: string): string {
+  let dirname = rootDir;
+  while (true) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(path.join(dirname, BABEL_CONFIG_JS_FILENAME))) {
+      return dirname;
+    }
+
+    const nextDir = path.dirname(dirname);
+    if (dirname === nextDir) break;
+    dirname = nextDir;
+  }
+
+  throw Object.assign(
+    (new Error(
+      `Babel was run with autoRoot:true but a root babel.config.js could not ` +
+        `be found when searching from "${rootDir}"`,
+    ): any),
+    {
+      code: "BABEL_AUTOROOT_NOT_FOUND",
+      dirname: rootDir,
+    },
+  );
+}
+
 export function findRelativeConfig(
   packageData: FilePackageData,
   envName: string,
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index-browser.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index-browser.js
index 3305c346e43a..d310bf152a3f 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index-browser.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index-browser.js
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ import type { CallerMetadata } from "../validation/options";
 
 export type { ConfigFile, IgnoreFile, RelativeConfig, FilePackageData };
 
+export function findClosestConfig(
+  rootDir: string, // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
+): string {
+  throw new Error(
+    `Cannot search for filesystem config root when running in a browser`,
+  );
+}
+
 export function findPackageData(filepath: string): FilePackageData {
   return {
     filepath,
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index.js
index 9f8d9797bbfb..8caabf0d88e9 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/files/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import typeof * as indexType from "./index";
 export { findPackageData } from "./package";
 
 export {
+  findClosestConfig,
   findRelativeConfig,
   findRootConfig,
   loadConfig,
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/partial.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/partial.js
index 31b2aa0cf432..d8933f59fa93 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/partial.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/partial.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { buildRootChain, type ConfigContext } from "./config-chain";
 import { getEnv } from "./helpers/environment";
 import { validate, type ValidatedOptions } from "./validation/options";
 
-import type { ConfigFile, IgnoreFile } from "./files";
+import { findClosestConfig, type ConfigFile, type IgnoreFile } from "./files";
 
 export default function loadPrivatePartialConfig(
   inputOpts: mixed,
@@ -28,9 +28,17 @@ export default function loadPrivatePartialConfig(
 
   const args = inputOpts ? validate("arguments", inputOpts) : {};
 
-  const { envName = getEnv(), cwd = ".", root: rootDir = ".", caller } = args;
+  const {
+    envName = getEnv(),
+    cwd = ".",
+    root: rootDir = ".",
+    caller,
+    autoRoot = false,
+  } = args;
   const absoluteCwd = path.resolve(cwd);
-  const absoluteRootDir = path.resolve(absoluteCwd, rootDir);
+  let absoluteRootDir = path.resolve(absoluteCwd, rootDir);
+
+  if (autoRoot) absoluteRootDir = findClosestConfig(absoluteRootDir);
 
   const context: ConfigContext = {
     filename:
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/validation/options.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/validation/options.js
index ee0e04638ea3..8868e8ebe2d9 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/validation/options.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/validation/options.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const ROOT_VALIDATORS: ValidatorSet = {
   configFile: (assertConfigFileSearch: Validator<
     $PropertyType<ValidatedOptions, "configFile">,
   >),
+  autoRoot: (assertBoolean: Validator<$PropertyType<ValidatedOptions, "autoRoot">>),
 
   caller: (assertCallerMetadata: Validator<
     $PropertyType<ValidatedOptions, "caller">,
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ export type ValidatedOptions = {
   babelrcRoots?: BabelrcSearch,
   configFile?: ConfigFileSearch,
   root?: string,
+  autoRoot?: boolean,
   code?: boolean,
   ast?: boolean,
   inputSourceMap?: RootInputSourceMapOption,