diff --git a/docs/using.rst b/docs/using.rst
index b7ddb7b..2075091 100644
--- a/docs/using.rst
+++ b/docs/using.rst
@@ -91,5 +91,16 @@ You can also set this option in ``pyproject.toml``, using::
 although note that this option is not formally documented/supported by the Python
 packaging infrastructure and may change in future.
 
-The ``get_extensions()`` functions will automatically detect this option and
+Alternatively, if you use setuptools 65.4 or later, you can dynamically opt in
+to limited API builds by setting the ``EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API``
+environment variable, e.g.::
+
+    EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API='cp311' python -m build
+
+If you define ``py_limited_api`` in ``setup.cfg``, you can use
+``EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API`` to opt **out** of the limited API builds
+by setting ``EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API`` to an empty string. There is however
+no way to opt out if you use ``py-limited-api`` in ``pyproject.toml``.
+
+The ``get_extensions()`` functions will automatically detect these options and
 add the necessary compiler flags to build your extension modules.
diff --git a/extension_helpers/_utils.py b/extension_helpers/_utils.py
index edb3120..f784a17 100644
--- a/extension_helpers/_utils.py
+++ b/extension_helpers/_utils.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+import tempfile
 from configparser import ConfigParser
 from importlib import machinery as import_machinery
 from importlib.util import module_from_spec, spec_from_file_location
@@ -154,6 +155,21 @@ def get_limited_api_option(srcdir):
     for the py_limited_api setting
     """
 
+    py_limited_api = os.environ.get("EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API")
+
+    if py_limited_api is not None:
+
+        if "DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG" in os.environ:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Cannot use EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API if DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG is already defined"
+            )
+
+        dist_extra_config_filename = tempfile.mktemp()
+        with open(dist_extra_config_filename, "w") as f:
+            f.write(f"[bdist_wheel]\npy_limited_api={py_limited_api}")
+        os.environ["DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG"] = dist_extra_config_filename
+        return py_limited_api
+
     srcdir = Path(srcdir)
 
     setup_cfg = srcdir / "setup.cfg"
diff --git a/extension_helpers/tests/test_setup_helpers.py b/extension_helpers/tests/test_setup_helpers.py
index 2802943..cf15b7a 100644
--- a/extension_helpers/tests/test_setup_helpers.py
+++ b/extension_helpers/tests/test_setup_helpers.py
@@ -469,9 +469,15 @@ def test():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("config", ("setup.cfg", "pyproject.toml"))
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("envvar", (False, True))
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("limited_api", (None, "cp310"))
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("extension_type", ("c", "pyx", "both"))
-def test_limited_api(tmp_path, config, limited_api, extension_type):
+def test_limited_api(tmp_path, config, envvar, limited_api, extension_type):
+
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 11):
+        pytest.skip(
+            "This test requires setuptools>=65.4 which is only available for Python 3.11 and later"
+        )
 
     package = _extension_test_package(
         tmp_path, extension_type=extension_type, include_numpy=True, include_setup_py=False
@@ -493,8 +499,12 @@ def test_limited_api(tmp_path, config, limited_api, extension_type):
         """
         )
 
-        if limited_api:
+        if limited_api and not envvar:
             setup_cfg += f"\n[bdist_wheel]\npy_limited_api={limited_api}"
+        elif envvar:
+            # Make sure if we are using the environment variable that it takes
+            # precedence over this setting (this only works for setup.cfg)
+            setup_cfg += "\n[bdist_wheel]\npy_limited_api=cp35"
 
         (package / "setup.cfg").write_text(setup_cfg)
 
@@ -524,7 +534,7 @@ def test_limited_api(tmp_path, config, limited_api, extension_type):
             build-backend = 'setuptools.build_meta'
 
             [project]
-            name = "hehlpers_test_package"
+            name = "helpers_test_package"
             version = "0.1"
 
             [tool.setuptools.packages]
@@ -535,13 +545,23 @@ def test_limited_api(tmp_path, config, limited_api, extension_type):
             """
         )
 
-        if limited_api:
+        if limited_api and not envvar:
             pyproject_toml += f'\n[tool.distutils.bdist_wheel]\npy-limited-api = "{limited_api}"'
 
         (package / "pyproject.toml").write_text(pyproject_toml)
 
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+
+    if envvar:
+        if limited_api:
+            env["EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API"] = limited_api
+        else:
+            env["EXTENSION_HELPERS_PY_LIMITED_API"] = ""
+
     with chdir(package):
-        subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-m", "build", "--wheel", "--no-isolation"], check=True)
+        subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "build", "--wheel", "--no-isolation"], env=env, check=True
+        )
 
     wheels = os.listdir(package / "dist")