diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index a19e38bbf13..80fce539294 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ Evan Kepner
 Fabien Zarifian
 Fabio Zadrozny
 Feng Ma
+Fernando Mezzabotta Rey
 Florian Bruhin
 Floris Bruynooghe
 Gabriel Reis
diff --git a/changelog/6870.feature.rst b/changelog/6870.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e2f365a3317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/6870.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+New ``Config.invocation_args`` attribute containing the unchanged arguments passed to ``pytest.main()``.
diff --git a/doc/en/py27-py34-deprecation.rst b/doc/en/py27-py34-deprecation.rst
index 95e96de0456..0ca97539c82 100644
--- a/doc/en/py27-py34-deprecation.rst
+++ b/doc/en/py27-py34-deprecation.rst
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ are available on PyPI.
 
 While pytest ``5.0`` will be the new mainstream and development version, until **January 2020**
 the pytest core team plans to make bug-fix releases of the pytest ``4.6`` series by
-back-porting patches to the ``4.6-maintenance`` branch that affect Python 2 users.
+back-porting patches to the ``4.6.x`` branch that affect Python 2 users.
 
-**After 2020**, the core team will no longer actively backport patches, but the ``4.6-maintenance``
+**After 2020**, the core team will no longer actively backport patches, but the ``4.6.x``
 branch will continue to exist so the community itself can contribute patches. The core team will
 be happy to accept those patches and make new ``4.6`` releases **until mid-2020**.
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
index 63d12104060..0737ff9d51c 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import types
 import warnings
 
+import attr
 import py
 import six
 from packaging.version import Version
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
 from _pytest.compat import safe_str
 from _pytest.outcomes import fail
 from _pytest.outcomes import Skipped
+from _pytest.pathlib import Path
 from _pytest.warning_types import PytestConfigWarning
 
 hookimpl = HookimplMarker("pytest")
@@ -154,10 +156,15 @@ def directory_arg(path, optname):
 builtin_plugins.add("pytester")
 
 
-def get_config(args=None):
+def get_config(args=None, plugins=None):
     # subsequent calls to main will create a fresh instance
     pluginmanager = PytestPluginManager()
-    config = Config(pluginmanager)
+    config = Config(
+        pluginmanager,
+        invocation_params=Config.InvocationParams(
+            args=args, plugins=plugins, dir=Path().resolve()
+        ),
+    )
 
     if args is not None:
         # Handle any "-p no:plugin" args.
@@ -190,7 +197,7 @@ def _prepareconfig(args=None, plugins=None):
         msg = "`args` parameter expected to be a list or tuple of strings, got: {!r} (type: {})"
         raise TypeError(msg.format(args, type(args)))
 
-    config = get_config(args)
+    config = get_config(args, plugins)
     pluginmanager = config.pluginmanager
     try:
         if plugins:
@@ -686,13 +693,52 @@ def _iter_rewritable_modules(package_files):
 
 
 class Config(object):
-    """ access to configuration values, pluginmanager and plugin hooks.  """
+    """
+    Access to configuration values, pluginmanager and plugin hooks.
+
+    :ivar PytestPluginManager pluginmanager: the plugin manager handles plugin registration and hook invocation.
+
+    :ivar argparse.Namespace option: access to command line option as attributes.
+
+    :ivar InvocationParams invocation_params:
+
+        Object containing the parameters regarding the ``pytest.main``
+        invocation.
+        Contains the followinig read-only attributes:
+        * ``args``: list of command-line arguments as passed to ``pytest.main()``.
+        * ``plugins``: list of extra plugins, might be None
+        * ``dir``: directory where ``pytest.main()`` was invoked from.
+    """
+
+    @attr.s(frozen=True)
+    class InvocationParams(object):
+        """Holds parameters passed during ``pytest.main()``
+
+        .. note::
+
+            Currently the environment variable PYTEST_ADDOPTS is also handled by
+            pytest implicitly, not being part of the invocation.
+
+            Plugins accessing ``InvocationParams`` must be aware of that.
+        """
+
+        args = attr.ib()
+        plugins = attr.ib()
+        dir = attr.ib()
+
+    def __init__(self, pluginmanager, invocation_params=None, *args):
+        from .argparsing import Parser, FILE_OR_DIR
+
+        if invocation_params is None:
+            invocation_params = self.InvocationParams(
+                args=(), plugins=None, dir=Path().resolve()
+            )
 
-    def __init__(self, pluginmanager):
         #: access to command line option as attributes.
         #: (deprecated), use :py:func:`getoption() <_pytest.config.Config.getoption>` instead
         self.option = argparse.Namespace()
-        from .argparsing import Parser, FILE_OR_DIR
+
+        self.invocation_params = invocation_params
 
         _a = FILE_OR_DIR
         self._parser = Parser(
@@ -709,9 +755,13 @@ def __init__(self, pluginmanager):
         self._cleanup = []
         self.pluginmanager.register(self, "pytestconfig")
         self._configured = False
-        self.invocation_dir = py.path.local()
         self.hook.pytest_addoption.call_historic(kwargs=dict(parser=self._parser))
 
+    @property
+    def invocation_dir(self):
+        """Backward compatibility"""
+        return py.path.local(str(self.invocation_params.dir))
+
     def add_cleanup(self, func):
         """ Add a function to be called when the config object gets out of
         use (usually coninciding with pytest_unconfigure)."""
diff --git a/testing/test_config.py b/testing/test_config.py
index d0e5937303f..d13f119b020 100644
--- a/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/testing/test_config.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from _pytest.main import EXIT_OK
 from _pytest.main import EXIT_TESTSFAILED
 from _pytest.main import EXIT_USAGEERROR
+from _pytest.pathlib import Path
 
 
 class TestParseIni(object):
@@ -1222,6 +1223,29 @@ def test_config_does_not_load_blocked_plugin_from_args(testdir):
     assert result.ret == EXIT_USAGEERROR
 
 
+def test_invocation_args(testdir):
+    """Ensure that Config.invocation_* arguments are correctly defined"""
+
+    class DummyPlugin(object):
+        pass
+
+    p = testdir.makepyfile("def test(): pass")
+    plugin = DummyPlugin()
+    rec = testdir.inline_run(p, "-v", plugins=[plugin])
+    calls = rec.getcalls("pytest_runtest_protocol")
+    assert len(calls) == 1
+    call = calls[0]
+    config = call.item.config
+
+    assert config.invocation_params.args == [p, "-v"]
+    assert config.invocation_params.dir == Path(str(testdir.tmpdir))
+
+    plugins = config.invocation_params.plugins
+    assert len(plugins) == 2
+    assert plugins[0] is plugin
+    assert type(plugins[1]).__name__ == "Collect"  # installed by testdir.inline_run()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "plugin",
     [