diff --git a/changelog/9396.bugfix.rst b/changelog/9396.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dcb83bbc14f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/9396.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Ensure :attr:`pytest.Config.inifile` is available during the :func:`pytest_cmdline_main <_pytest.hookspec.pytest_cmdline_main>` hook (regression during ``7.0.0rc1``).
diff --git a/src/_pytest/legacypath.py b/src/_pytest/legacypath.py
index 743c06d55c4..e4edec845cb 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/legacypath.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/legacypath.py
@@ -400,27 +400,11 @@ def Node_fspath_set(self: Node, value: LEGACY_PATH) -> None:
     self.path = Path(value)
 
 
-@pytest.hookimpl
-def pytest_configure(config: pytest.Config) -> None:
+@pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True)
+def pytest_load_initial_conftests(early_config: pytest.Config) -> None:
+    """Monkeypatch legacy path attributes in several classes, as early as possible."""
     mp = pytest.MonkeyPatch()
-    config.add_cleanup(mp.undo)
-
-    if config.pluginmanager.has_plugin("tmpdir"):
-        # Create TmpdirFactory and attach it to the config object.
-        #
-        # This is to comply with existing plugins which expect the handler to be
-        # available at pytest_configure time, but ideally should be moved entirely
-        # to the tmpdir_factory session fixture.
-        try:
-            tmp_path_factory = config._tmp_path_factory  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        except AttributeError:
-            # tmpdir plugin is blocked.
-            pass
-        else:
-            _tmpdirhandler = TempdirFactory(tmp_path_factory, _ispytest=True)
-            mp.setattr(config, "_tmpdirhandler", _tmpdirhandler, raising=False)
-
-        config.pluginmanager.register(LegacyTmpdirPlugin, "legacypath-tmpdir")
+    early_config.add_cleanup(mp.undo)
 
     # Add Cache.makedir().
     mp.setattr(pytest.Cache, "makedir", Cache_makedir, raising=False)
@@ -452,6 +436,29 @@ def pytest_configure(config: pytest.Config) -> None:
     mp.setattr(Node, "fspath", property(Node_fspath, Node_fspath_set), raising=False)
 
 
+@pytest.hookimpl
+def pytest_configure(config: pytest.Config) -> None:
+    """Installs the LegacyTmpdirPlugin if the ``tmpdir`` plugin is also installed."""
+    if config.pluginmanager.has_plugin("tmpdir"):
+        mp = pytest.MonkeyPatch()
+        config.add_cleanup(mp.undo)
+        # Create TmpdirFactory and attach it to the config object.
+        #
+        # This is to comply with existing plugins which expect the handler to be
+        # available at pytest_configure time, but ideally should be moved entirely
+        # to the tmpdir_factory session fixture.
+        try:
+            tmp_path_factory = config._tmp_path_factory  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        except AttributeError:
+            # tmpdir plugin is blocked.
+            pass
+        else:
+            _tmpdirhandler = TempdirFactory(tmp_path_factory, _ispytest=True)
+            mp.setattr(config, "_tmpdirhandler", _tmpdirhandler, raising=False)
+
+        config.pluginmanager.register(LegacyTmpdirPlugin, "legacypath-tmpdir")
+
+
 @pytest.hookimpl
 def pytest_plugin_registered(
     plugin: object, manager: pytest.PytestPluginManager
diff --git a/testing/test_config.py b/testing/test_config.py
index 4435591164f..75babdd1924 100644
--- a/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/testing/test_config.py
@@ -1268,6 +1268,7 @@ def pytest_load_initial_conftests(self):
     expected = [
         "_pytest.config",
         m.__module__,
+        "_pytest.legacypath",
         "_pytest.pythonpath",
         "_pytest.capture",
         "_pytest.warnings",
diff --git a/testing/test_legacypath.py b/testing/test_legacypath.py
index 9ab139df467..8acafe98e7c 100644
--- a/testing/test_legacypath.py
+++ b/testing/test_legacypath.py
@@ -161,3 +161,20 @@ def test_overriden(pytestconfig):
     )
     result = pytester.runpytest("--override-ini", "paths=foo/bar1.py foo/bar2.py", "-s")
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["user_path:bar1.py", "user_path:bar2.py"])
+
+
+def test_inifile_from_cmdline_main_hook(pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None:
+    """Ensure Config.inifile is available during pytest_cmdline_main (#9396)."""
+    p = pytester.makeini(
+        """
+        [pytest]
+        """
+    )
+    pytester.makeconftest(
+        """
+        def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
+            print("pytest_cmdline_main inifile =", config.inifile)
+        """
+    )
+    result = pytester.runpytest_subprocess("-s")
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(f"*pytest_cmdline_main inifile = {p}")