diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6bcc465..7412b59 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -173,6 +173,33 @@ interface ImportMetaEnv extends ImportMetaEnvAugmented {
 }
 ```
 
+## Validation without Vite
+
+In some cases, you might want to validate environment variables outside of Vite and reuse the same schema. You can do so by using the `loadAndValidateEnv` function directly. This function will validate and also load the environment variables inside the `process.env` object.
+
+> [!WARNING]
+> `process.env` only accept string values, so don't be surprised if a `number` or `boolean` variable comes back as a string when accessing it after validation.
+
+```ts
+import { loadAndValidateEnv } from '@julr/vite-plugin-validate-env';
+
+const env = await loadAndValidateEnv(
+  {
+    mode: 'development', // required
+    root: import.meta.dirname, // optional
+  },
+  { 
+    // Plugin options. Also optional if you 
+    // are using a dedicated `env.ts` file
+    validator: 'builtin',
+    schema: { VITE_MY_VAR: Schema.string() },
+  },
+);
+
+console.log(env.VITE_MY_VAR);
+console.log(process.env.VITE_MY_VAR)
+```
+
 ## 💖 Sponsors
 
 If you find this useful, consider [sponsoring me](https://github.com/sponsors/Julien-R44)! It helps support and maintain the project 🙏
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index ce710b5..8540eb2 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import path from 'node:path'
 import { cwd } from 'node:process'
+import { type Plugin } from 'vite'
 import { createConfigLoader as createLoader } from 'unconfig'
-import { type ConfigEnv, type Plugin, type UserConfig } from 'vite'
 
 import { initUi, type UI } from './ui.js'
 import { builtinValidation } from './validators/builtin/index.js'
 import { standardValidation } from './validators/standard/index.js'
-import type { FullPluginOptions, PluginOptions, Schema } from './types.js'
+import type { ConfigOptions, FullPluginOptions, PluginOptions, Schema } from './types.js'
 
 /**
  * Load schema defined in `env.ts` file using unconfig
@@ -71,42 +71,27 @@ function shouldLogVariables(options: PluginOptions) {
 /**
  * Main function. Will call each validator defined in the schema and throw an error if any of them fails.
  */
-async function validateEnv(
-  ui: UI,
-  userConfig: UserConfig,
-  envConfig: ConfigEnv,
-  inlineOptions?: PluginOptions,
-) {
+async function validateEnv(ui: UI, config: ConfigOptions, inlineOptions?: PluginOptions) {
   /**
    * Dynamic import of Vite helpers to using the ESM build of Vite and
    * avoiding CJS since it will be deprecated
    * See : https://vitejs.dev/guide/troubleshooting.html#vite-cjs-node-api-deprecated
    */
   const { normalizePath, loadEnv } = await import('vite')
-  const rootDir = userConfig.root || cwd()
+  const rootDir = config.root || cwd()
 
-  const resolvedRoot = normalizePath(
-    userConfig.root ? path.resolve(userConfig.root) : process.cwd(),
-  )
+  const resolvedRoot = normalizePath(config.root ? path.resolve(config.root) : process.cwd())
 
-  const envDir = userConfig.envDir
-    ? normalizePath(path.resolve(resolvedRoot, userConfig.envDir))
+  const envDir = config.envDir
+    ? normalizePath(path.resolve(resolvedRoot, config.envDir))
     : resolvedRoot
 
-  const env = loadEnv(envConfig.mode, envDir, userConfig.envPrefix)
+  const env = loadEnv(config.mode, envDir, config.envPrefix)
 
   const options = await loadOptions(rootDir, inlineOptions)
   const variables = await validateAndLog(ui, env, options)
 
-  return {
-    define: variables.reduce(
-      (acc, { key, value }) => {
-        acc[`import.meta.env.${key}`] = JSON.stringify(value)
-        return acc
-      },
-      {} as Record<string, unknown>,
-    ),
-  }
+  return variables
 }
 
 async function validateAndLog(ui: UI, env: Record<string, string>, options: PluginOptions) {
@@ -139,10 +124,32 @@ export const ValidateEnv = (options?: PluginOptions): Plugin => {
     // @ts-expect-error - only used for testing as we need to keep each instance of the plugin unique to a test
     ui: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'testing' ? ui : undefined,
     name: 'vite-plugin-validate-env',
-    config: (config, env) => validateEnv(ui, config, env, options),
+    config: async ({ envDir, envPrefix, root }, { mode }) => {
+      const env = await validateEnv(ui, { envDir, envPrefix, root, mode }, options)
+      const define = Object.fromEntries(
+        env.map(({ key, value }) => [`import.meta.env.${key}`, JSON.stringify(value)]),
+      )
+
+      return { define }
+    },
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Validate environment variables and load them inside `process.env`
+ * Can be useful when you want to validate outside of Vite's build process.
+ */
+export const loadAndValidateEnv = async (config: ConfigOptions, options?: PluginOptions) => {
+  const ui = initUi()
+  const variables = await validateEnv(ui, config, options)
+
+  for (const { key, value } of variables) {
+    process.env[key] = value
+  }
+
+  return Object.fromEntries(variables.map(({ key, value }) => [key, value]))
+}
+
 export const defineConfig = <T extends PluginOptions>(config: T): T => config
 
 export { schema as Schema } from '@poppinss/validator-lite'
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 43c9d15..55a39c6 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { z } from 'zod'
+import type { ConfigEnv, UserConfig } from 'vite'
 import type { StandardSchemaV1 } from '@standard-schema/spec'
 import type { ValidateFn } from '@poppinss/validator-lite/types'
 
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ export type StandardSchema = RecordViteKeys<StandardSchemaV1>
 
 export type Schema = PoppinsSchema | StandardSchema
 
+export type ConfigOptions = Pick<UserConfig, 'envDir' | 'envPrefix' | 'root'> &
+  Pick<ConfigEnv, 'mode'>
+
 /**
  * Infer the schema type from the plugin options
  */
diff --git a/tests/common.spec.ts b/tests/common.spec.ts
index e182786..d4fbc62 100644
--- a/tests/common.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/common.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { test } from '@japa/runner'
 
-import { Schema } from '../src/index.js'
+import { loadAndValidateEnv, Schema } from '../src/index.js'
 import { createEnvFile, executeValidateEnv, ValidateEnv } from './helpers.js'
 
 test.group('vite-plugin-validate-env', () => {
@@ -183,3 +183,33 @@ test.group('vite-plugin-validate-env', () => {
     assert.isDefined(messages.find((message) => message.includes('cyan(VITE_TESTX): not boolean')))
   })
 })
+
+test.group('vite-plugin-validate-env - node usage', () => {
+  test('Basic validation', async ({ assert, fs }) => {
+    await createEnvFile({ VITE_TEST: 'not boolean' })
+    const validate = async () =>
+      await loadAndValidateEnv(
+        { mode: 'development', root: fs.basePath },
+        { VITE_TEST: Schema.boolean() },
+      )
+
+    await assert.rejects(async () => {
+      await validate()
+    }, /"VITE_TEST" env variable must be a boolean \(Current value: "not boolean"\)/)
+
+    delete process.env.VITE_TEST
+  })
+
+  test('assign to process.env', async ({ assert, fs }) => {
+    await createEnvFile({ VITE_TEST: 'true' })
+    const result = await loadAndValidateEnv(
+      { mode: 'development', root: fs.basePath },
+      { VITE_TEST: Schema.boolean() },
+    )
+
+    assert.deepEqual(result, { VITE_TEST: true })
+    assert.equal(process.env.VITE_TEST, 'true')
+
+    delete process.env.VITE_TEST
+  })
+})