diff --git a/docs/api/config/maxDepth.md b/docs/api/config/maxDepth.md
index 3121fd68a..de685de6d 100644
--- a/docs/api/config/maxDepth.md
+++ b/docs/api/config/maxDepth.md
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ This is used by [`QUnit.dump.parse()`](../extension/QUnit.dump.parse.md).
 
 ## Changelog
 
+| UNRELEASED | Make `QUnit.dump.maxDepth` an alias for `QUnit.config.maxDepth`, allowing either to be read or changed at runtime.
 | [QUnit 1.18](https://github.com/qunitjs/qunit/releases/tag/1.18.0) | Introduce `QUnit.config.maxDepth` to enable setting via [preconfig](./index.md). Temporary changes at runtime must change `QUnit.dump.maxDepth` instead.
 | [QUnit 1.16](https://github.com/qunitjs/qunit/releases/tag/1.16.0) | Introduce `QUnit.dump.maxDepth`.
diff --git a/docs/api/extension/QUnit.dump.parse.md b/docs/api/extension/QUnit.dump.parse.md
index e15fb8cae..8ecd4f48b 100644
--- a/docs/api/extension/QUnit.dump.parse.md
+++ b/docs/api/extension/QUnit.dump.parse.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Extensible data dumping and string serialization.
 
 This method does string serialization by parsing data structures and objects. It parses DOM elements to a string representation of their outer HTML. By default, nested structures will be displayed up to five levels deep. Anything beyond that is replaced by `[object Object]` and `[object Array]` placeholders.
 
-If you need more or less output, change the value of `QUnit.dump.maxDepth`, representing how deep the elements should be parsed.
+If you need more or less output, change the value of `QUnit.config.maxDepth`, representing how deep the elements should be parsed.
 
 ## Changelog
 
@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@ var input = {
     back: []
   }
 };
-QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 1;
+QUnit.config.maxDepth = 1;
 console.log(QUnit.dump.parse(input));
 // Logs: { "parts": [object Object] }
 
-QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 2;
+QUnit.config.maxDepth = 2;
 console.log(QUnit.dump.parse(input));
 // Logs: { "parts": { "back": [object Array], "front": [object Array] } }
 ```
diff --git a/src/dump.js b/src/dump.js
index c5a5a1924..425470d3d 100644
--- a/src/dump.js
+++ b/src/dump.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export default (function () {
     return [pre, inner + arr, base + post].join(separator);
   }
   function array (arr, stack) {
-    if (dump.maxDepth && dump.depth > dump.maxDepth) {
+    if (config.maxDepth && dump.depth > config.maxDepth) {
       return '[object Array]';
     }
 
@@ -156,7 +156,16 @@ export default (function () {
     literal: literal,
     join: join,
     depth: 1,
-    maxDepth: config.maxDepth,
+
+    /**
+     * @deprecated since 3.0.0, use QUnit.config.maxDepth instead.
+     */
+    get maxDepth () {
+      return config.maxDepth;
+    },
+    set maxDepth (value) {
+      config.maxDepth = value;
+    },
 
     // This is the list of parsers, to modify them, use dump.setParser
     parsers: {
@@ -191,7 +200,7 @@ export default (function () {
       object: function (map, stack) {
         const ret = [];
 
-        if (dump.maxDepth && dump.depth > dump.maxDepth) {
+        if (config.maxDepth && dump.depth > config.maxDepth) {
           return '[object Object]';
         }
 
diff --git a/test/main/dump.js b/test/main/dump.js
index 44991bc2e..1958ec2cb 100644
--- a/test/main/dump.js
+++ b/test/main/dump.js
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 QUnit.module('dump', {
   beforeEach: function () {
     // Run most tests without a limit
-    QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 0;
+    QUnit.config.maxDepth = 0;
   },
   afterEach: function () {
     // Restore default
-    QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 5;
+    QUnit.config.maxDepth = 5;
   }
 });
 
@@ -25,28 +25,52 @@ QUnit.test('object [shallow]', function (assert) {
     },
     left: 0
   };
-  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 1;
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 1;
   assert.equal(QUnit.dump.parse(obj), '{\n  "left": 0,\n  "top": [object Object]\n}');
 
-  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 2;
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 2;
   assert.equal(
     QUnit.dump.parse(obj),
     '{\n  "left": 0,\n  "top": {\n    "middle": [object Object]\n  }\n}'
   );
 
-  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 3;
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 3;
   assert.equal(
     QUnit.dump.parse(obj),
     '{\n  "left": 0,\n  "top": {\n    "middle": {\n      "bottom": 0\n    }\n  }\n}'
   );
 
-  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 5;
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 5;
   assert.equal(
     QUnit.dump.parse(obj),
     '{\n  "left": 0,\n  "top": {\n    "middle": {\n      "bottom": 0\n    }\n  }\n}'
   );
 });
 
+QUnit.test('QUnit.dump.maxDepth alias', function (assert) {
+  assert.strictEqual(QUnit.dump.maxDepth, 0, 'alias matches initial config');
+
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 1;
+  assert.strictEqual(QUnit.dump.maxDepth, 1, 'change alias via config');
+
+  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 2;
+  assert.strictEqual(QUnit.config.maxDepth, 2, 'change config via alias');
+
+  var obj = {
+    top: {
+      middle: {
+        bottom: 0
+      }
+    },
+    left: 0
+  };
+  assert.equal(
+    QUnit.dump.parse(obj),
+    '{\n  "left": 0,\n  "top": {\n    "middle": [object Object]\n  }\n}',
+    'object shallow with effective maxDepth=2'
+  );
+});
+
 QUnit.test('error [Error]', function (assert) {
   assert.equal(
     QUnit.dump.parse(new Error('foo')),
@@ -206,8 +230,6 @@ function chainwrap (depth, first, prev) {
 }
 
 QUnit.test('object [recursion]', function (assert) {
-  // QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 20;
-
   var noref = chainwrap(0);
   var nodump = QUnit.dump.parse(noref);
   assert.equal(nodump, '{\n  "first": true,\n  "wrap": undefined\n}');
@@ -230,8 +252,6 @@ QUnit.test('object [recursion]', function (assert) {
 });
 
 QUnit.test('object equal/deepEqual [recursion]', function (assert) {
-  // QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 20;
-
   var noRecursion = chainwrap(0);
   assert.equal(noRecursion, noRecursion, 'I should be equal to me.');
   assert.deepEqual(noRecursion, noRecursion, '... and so in depth.');
@@ -255,7 +275,7 @@ QUnit.test('array [basic]', function (assert) {
 });
 
 QUnit.test('array [shallow]', function (assert) {
-  QUnit.dump.maxDepth = 1;
+  QUnit.config.maxDepth = 1;
   assert.equal(
     QUnit.dump.parse([[]]),
     '[\n  [object Array]\n]');