diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 890592ca90..f86c65633e 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ const secretToken = "<secret>"
 
 var secretTokenJSON string
 
+// MarshalSecretValue if set to true will expose Secret type
+// through the marshal interfaces. Useful for outside projects
+// that load and marshal the Alertmanager config.
+var MarshalSecretValue bool = commoncfg.MarshalSecretValue
+
 func init() {
 	b, err := json.Marshal(secretToken)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -52,6 +57,9 @@ type Secret string
 
 // MarshalYAML implements the yaml.Marshaler interface for Secret.
 func (s Secret) MarshalYAML() (interface{}, error) {
+	if MarshalSecretValue {
+		return string(s), nil
+	}
 	if s != "" {
 		return secretToken, nil
 	}
@@ -66,6 +74,12 @@ func (s *Secret) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 
 // MarshalJSON implements the json.Marshaler interface for Secret.
 func (s Secret) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	if MarshalSecretValue {
+		return json.Marshal(string(s))
+	}
+	if len(s) == 0 {
+		return json.Marshal("")
+	}
 	return json.Marshal(secretToken)
 }
 
@@ -130,6 +144,9 @@ type SecretURL URL
 // MarshalYAML implements the yaml.Marshaler interface for SecretURL.
 func (s SecretURL) MarshalYAML() (interface{}, error) {
 	if s.URL != nil {
+		if MarshalSecretValue {
+			return s.URL.String(), nil
+		}
 		return secretToken, nil
 	}
 	return nil, nil
@@ -153,6 +170,12 @@ func (s *SecretURL) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 
 // MarshalJSON implements the json.Marshaler interface for SecretURL.
 func (s SecretURL) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	if s.URL == nil {
+		return json.Marshal("")
+	}
+	if MarshalSecretValue {
+		return json.Marshal(s.URL.String())
+	}
 	return json.Marshal(secretToken)
 }
 
@@ -167,6 +190,9 @@ func (s *SecretURL) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	}
 	// Redact the secret URL in case of errors
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, (*URL)(s)); err != nil {
+		if MarshalSecretValue {
+			return err
+		}
 		return errors.New(strings.ReplaceAll(err.Error(), string(data), "[REDACTED]"))
 	}
 
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 15edfeed2d..93a525d807 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -521,6 +521,22 @@ func TestHideConfigSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestShowMarshalSecretValues(t *testing.T) {
+	MarshalSecretValue = true
+	defer func() { MarshalSecretValue = false }()
+
+	c, err := LoadFile("testdata/conf.good.yml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error parsing %s: %s", "testdata/conf.good.yml", err)
+	}
+
+	// String method must reveal authentication credentials.
+	s := c.String()
+	if strings.Count(s, "<secret>") > 0 || !strings.Contains(s, "mysecret") {
+		t.Fatal("config's String method must reveal authentication credentials when MarshalSecretValue = true.")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestJSONMarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	c, err := LoadFile("testdata/conf.good.yml")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -533,7 +549,7 @@ func TestJSONMarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestJSONMarshalSecret(t *testing.T) {
+func TestJSONMarshalHideSecret(t *testing.T) {
 	test := struct {
 		S Secret
 	}{
@@ -550,7 +566,24 @@ func TestJSONMarshalSecret(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "{\"S\":\"\\u003csecret\\u003e\"}", string(c), "Secret not properly elided.")
 }
 
-func TestMarshalSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
+func TestJSONMarshalShowSecret(t *testing.T) {
+	MarshalSecretValue = true
+	defer func() { MarshalSecretValue = false }()
+
+	test := struct {
+		S Secret
+	}{
+		S: Secret("test"),
+	}
+
+	c, err := json.Marshal(test)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, "{\"S\":\"test\"}", string(c), "config's String method must reveal authentication credentials when MarshalSecretValue = true.")
+}
+
+func TestJSONMarshalHideSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
 	urlp, err := url.Parse("http://example.com/")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -584,6 +617,23 @@ func TestMarshalSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestJSONMarshalShowSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
+	MarshalSecretValue = true
+	defer func() { MarshalSecretValue = false }()
+
+	urlp, err := url.Parse("http://example.com/")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	u := &SecretURL{urlp}
+
+	c, err := json.Marshal(u)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, "\"http://example.com/\"", string(c), "config's String method must reveal authentication credentials when MarshalSecretValue = true.")
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshalSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
 	b := []byte(`"http://example.com/se cret"`)
 	var u SecretURL
@@ -611,6 +661,18 @@ func TestHideSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "wrongurl")
 }
 
+func TestShowMarshalSecretURL(t *testing.T) {
+	MarshalSecretValue = true
+	defer func() { MarshalSecretValue = false }()
+
+	b := []byte(`"://wrongurl/"`)
+	var u SecretURL
+
+	err := json.Unmarshal(b, &u)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "wrongurl")
+}
+
 func TestMarshalURL(t *testing.T) {
 	for name, tc := range map[string]struct {
 		input        *URL