diff --git a/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-api/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/kotest/core/extensions/MountableExtension.kt b/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-api/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/kotest/core/extensions/MountableExtension.kt
index f7f9466b389..df37a91ebc4 100644
--- a/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-api/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/kotest/core/extensions/MountableExtension.kt
+++ b/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-api/src/commonMain/kotlin/io/kotest/core/extensions/MountableExtension.kt
@@ -27,11 +27,49 @@ interface MountableExtension<CONFIG, MATERIALIZED> : Extension {
    fun mount(configure: CONFIG.() -> Unit): MATERIALIZED
 }
 
+/**
+ * A [LazyMountableExtension] is an [Extension] that can return a materialized value to the
+ * user and allows for a configuration block.
+ *
+ * This allows extensions to return control objects which differ from the extension itself.
+ *
+ * For example:
+ *
+ * class MyTest : FunSpec() {
+ *  init {
+ *   val kafka = install(EmbeddedKafka) {
+ *     port = 9092
+ *   }
+ *  }
+ * }
+ *
+ * Here `kafka` is a materialized value that contains details of the host/port of the
+ * started kafka instance and `EmbeddedKafka` is the extension itself.
+ *
+ */
+interface LazyMountableExtension<CONFIG, MATERIALIZED> : Extension {
+   // cannot be suspending as it is invoked by install that is used in constructors
+   fun mount(configure: CONFIG.() -> Unit): LazyMaterialized<MATERIALIZED>
+}
+
+interface LazyMaterialized<MATERIALIZED> {
+   suspend fun get(): MATERIALIZED
+}
+
 // cannot be suspending as it is used in constructors
 fun <CONFIG, MATERIALIZED> Spec.install(
-   mountable: MountableExtension<CONFIG, MATERIALIZED>,
+   ext: MountableExtension<CONFIG, MATERIALIZED>,
    configure: CONFIG.() -> Unit = {}
 ): MATERIALIZED {
-   extensions(mountable)
-   return mountable.mount(configure)
+   extensions(ext)
+   return ext.mount(configure)
+}
+
+// cannot be suspending as it is used in constructors
+fun <CONFIG, MATERIALIZED> Spec.install(
+   ext: LazyMountableExtension<CONFIG, MATERIALIZED>,
+   configure: CONFIG.() -> Unit = {},
+): LazyMaterialized<MATERIALIZED> {
+   extensions(ext)
+   return ext.mount(configure)
 }
diff --git a/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-engine/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/sksamuel/kotest/engine/extensions/LazyMountableExtensionTest.kt b/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-engine/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/sksamuel/kotest/engine/extensions/LazyMountableExtensionTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..78544891e69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kotest-framework/kotest-framework-engine/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/sksamuel/kotest/engine/extensions/LazyMountableExtensionTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package com.sksamuel.kotest.engine.extensions
+
+import io.kotest.core.extensions.LazyMaterialized
+import io.kotest.core.extensions.LazyMountableExtension
+import io.kotest.core.extensions.install
+import io.kotest.core.spec.style.FunSpec
+import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
+
+class LazyMountableExtensionTest : FunSpec() {
+
+   private val mountable = MyLazyMountableExtension()
+   private val m: LazyMaterialized<String> = install(mountable)
+
+   init {
+      test("lazy materialized values") {
+         m.get() shouldBe "ready"
+      }
+   }
+}
+
+class MyLazyMountableExtension : LazyMountableExtension<Unit, String> {
+
+   override fun mount(configure: (Unit) -> Unit): LazyMaterialized<String> {
+      return object : LazyMaterialized<String> {
+
+         var state: String? = null
+
+         override suspend fun get(): String {
+            delay(1)
+            if (state == null) state = "ready"
+            return state ?: error("Must be initialized")
+         }
+      }
+   }
+}