diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/repl.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/repl.rs
index 7ea22265ea..22af1fba8d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/repl.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/repl.rs
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ pub fn evaluate_repl(
         );
 
         start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
-        let config = engine_state.get_config();
+        let config = &engine_state.get_config().clone();
         let prompt = prompt_update::update_prompt(config, engine_state, stack, &mut nu_prompt);
         perf(
             "update_prompt",
@@ -427,11 +427,14 @@ pub fn evaluate_repl(
 
         entry_num += 1;
 
-        if entry_num == 1 && show_banner {
-            println!(
-                "Startup Time: {}",
-                format_duration(entire_start_time.elapsed().as_nanos() as i64)
-            );
+        if entry_num == 1 {
+            engine_state.set_startup_time(entire_start_time.elapsed().as_nanos() as i64);
+            if show_banner {
+                println!(
+                    "Startup Time: {}",
+                    format_duration(engine_state.get_startup_time())
+                );
+            }
         }
 
         start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/tests/completions.rs b/crates/nu-cli/tests/completions.rs
index bbb56cb303..78c3b07143 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/tests/completions.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/tests/completions.rs
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ fn variables_completions() {
     // Test completions for $nu
     let suggestions = completer.complete("$nu.", 4);
 
-    assert_eq!(11, suggestions.len());
+    assert_eq!(12, suggestions.len());
 
     let expected: Vec<String> = vec![
         "config-path".into(),
@@ -537,6 +537,7 @@ fn variables_completions() {
         "os-info".into(),
         "pid".into(),
         "scope".into(),
+        "startup-time".into(),
         "temp-path".into(),
     ];
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-engine/src/nu_variable.rs b/crates/nu-engine/src/nu_variable.rs
index dc6677064d..ec39413794 100644
--- a/crates/nu-engine/src/nu_variable.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-engine/src/nu_variable.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ impl LazyRecord for NuVariable {
         cols.push("temp-path");
         cols.push("pid");
         cols.push("os-info");
+        cols.push("startup-time");
 
         cols.push("is-interactive");
         cols.push("is-login");
@@ -188,6 +189,10 @@ impl LazyRecord for NuVariable {
                 val: self.engine_state.is_login,
                 span: self.span,
             }),
+            "startup-time" => Ok(Value::Duration {
+                val: self.engine_state.get_startup_time(),
+                span: self.span(),
+            }),
             _ => err(&format!("Could not find column '{column}'")),
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
index 6a1666743d..4b65113541 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/engine/engine_state.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ pub struct EngineState {
     pub regex_cache: Arc<Mutex<LruCache<String, Regex>>>,
     pub is_interactive: bool,
     pub is_login: bool,
+    startup_time: i64,
 }
 
 // The max number of compiled regexes to keep around in a LRU cache, arbitrarily chosen
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ impl EngineState {
             ))),
             is_interactive: false,
             is_login: false,
+            startup_time: -1,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1015,6 +1017,14 @@ impl EngineState {
     pub fn get_file_contents(&self) -> &Vec<(Vec<u8>, usize, usize)> {
         &self.file_contents
     }
+
+    pub fn get_startup_time(&self) -> i64 {
+        self.startup_time
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_startup_time(&mut self, startup_time: i64) {
+        self.startup_time = startup_time;
+    }
 }
 
 /// A temporary extension to the global state. This handles bridging between the global state and the
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ce0dda9842..d62ba568db 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         )
     } else {
         engine_state.is_interactive = true;
-        run_repl(engine_state, parsed_nu_cli_args, entire_start_time)
+        run_repl(&mut engine_state, parsed_nu_cli_args, entire_start_time)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/run.rs b/src/run.rs
index 7aeafbff7f..99eaf4f602 100644
--- a/src/run.rs
+++ b/src/run.rs
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run_file(
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn run_repl(
-    mut engine_state: nu_protocol::engine::EngineState,
+    engine_state: &mut nu_protocol::engine::EngineState,
     parsed_nu_cli_args: command::NushellCliArgs,
     entire_start_time: std::time::Instant,
 ) -> Result<(), miette::ErrReport> {
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run_repl(
 
     if parsed_nu_cli_args.no_config_file.is_none() {
         setup_config(
-            &mut engine_state,
+            engine_state,
             &mut stack,
             #[cfg(feature = "plugin")]
             parsed_nu_cli_args.plugin_file,
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run_repl(
 
     let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
     let ret_val = evaluate_repl(
-        &mut engine_state,
+        engine_state,
         &mut stack,
         config_files::NUSHELL_FOLDER,
         parsed_nu_cli_args.execute,