diff --git a/lib/config-array-factory.js b/lib/config-array-factory.js
index 99851e15..58c1e808 100644
--- a/lib/config-array-factory.js
+++ b/lib/config-array-factory.js
@@ -1053,6 +1053,7 @@ class ConfigArrayFactory {
         if (plugin) {
             return new ConfigDependency({
                 definition: normalizePlugin(plugin),
+                original: plugin,
                 filePath: "", // It's unknown where the plugin came from.
                 id,
                 importerName: ctx.name,
@@ -1089,6 +1090,7 @@ class ConfigArrayFactory {
 
                 return new ConfigDependency({
                     definition: normalizePlugin(pluginDefinition),
+                    original: pluginDefinition,
                     filePath,
                     id,
                     importerName: ctx.name,
diff --git a/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js b/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
index 2883c3a2..6b0e1797 100644
--- a/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
+++ b/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class ConfigDependency {
      * Initialize this instance.
      * @param {Object} data The dependency data.
      * @param {T} [data.definition] The dependency if the loading succeeded.
+     * @param {T} [data.original] The original, non-normalized dependency if the loading succeeded.
      * @param {Error} [data.error] The error object if the loading failed.
      * @param {string} [data.filePath] The actual path to the dependency if the loading succeeded.
      * @param {string} data.id The ID of this dependency.
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ class ConfigDependency {
      */
     constructor({
         definition = null,
+        original = null,
         error = null,
         filePath = null,
         id,
@@ -49,6 +51,12 @@ class ConfigDependency {
          */
         this.definition = definition;
 
+        /**
+         * The original dependency as loaded directly from disk if the loading succeeded.
+         * @type {T|null}
+         */
+        this.original = original;
+
         /**
          * The error object if the loading failed.
          * @type {Error|null}
diff --git a/lib/flat-compat.js b/lib/flat-compat.js
index e0d7ab66..6c307a99 100644
--- a/lib/flat-compat.js
+++ b/lib/flat-compat.js
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ function translateESLintRC(eslintrcConfig, {
             debug(`Translating plugin: ${pluginName}`);
             debug(`Resolving plugin '${pluginName} relative to ${resolvePluginsRelativeTo}`);
 
-            const { definition: plugin, error } = eslintrcConfig.plugins[pluginName];
+            const { original: plugin, error } = eslintrcConfig.plugins[pluginName];
 
             if (error) {
                 throw error;
diff --git a/tests/lib/config-array-factory.js b/tests/lib/config-array-factory.js
index 6b991381..a92443f6 100644
--- a/tests/lib/config-array-factory.js
+++ b/tests/lib/config-array-factory.js
@@ -631,6 +631,10 @@ describe("ConfigArrayFactory", () => {
                 it("should have the path to the package at 'plugins[id].filePath' property.", () => {
                     assert.strictEqual(element.plugins.xxx.filePath, path.join(getPath(), "node_modules/custom-eslint-plugin-xxx/index.js"));
                 });
+
+                it("should have the original definition equal to the origina plugin object", () => {
+                    assert.strictEqual(element.plugins.xxx.original, require(path.join(getPath(), "node_modules/custom-eslint-plugin-xxx/index.js")));
+                });
             });
 
             describe("if 'extends' property was 'foo', the returned value", () => {
diff --git a/tests/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js b/tests/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
index 3087b8ca..c049b99f 100644
--- a/tests/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
+++ b/tests/lib/config-array/config-dependency.js
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ describe("ConfigDependency", () => {
                     filePath: "filePath?",
                     id: "id?",
                     importerName: "importerName?",
-                    importerPath: "importerPath?"
+                    importerPath: "importerPath?",
+                    original: null
                 }
             );
         });
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ describe("ConfigDependency", () => {
             // Make expected output; no `definition` property.
             output = "";
             localConsole.log({
+                original: null,
                 error,
                 filePath: "filePath?",
                 id: "id?",
diff --git a/tests/lib/flat-compat.js b/tests/lib/flat-compat.js
index 2afb38a0..36d9ec4a 100644
--- a/tests/lib/flat-compat.js
+++ b/tests/lib/flat-compat.js
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "url";
 import { assert } from "chai";
 import { FlatCompat } from "../../lib/index.js";
 import environments from "../../conf/environments.js";
+import { createRequire } from "module";
 
 const dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helpers
@@ -56,9 +58,9 @@ describe("FlatCompat", () => {
 
         let compat;
         const baseDirectory = getFixturePath("config");
-        const pluginFixture1 = normalizePlugin((await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default);
-        const pluginFixture2 = normalizePlugin((await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture2.js")))).default);
-        const pluginFixture3 = normalizePlugin((await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture3.js")))).default);
+        const pluginFixture1 = (await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default;
+        const pluginFixture2 = (await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture2.js")))).default;
+        const pluginFixture3 = (await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture3.js")))).default;
 
         beforeEach(() => {
             compat = new FlatCompat({
@@ -1059,13 +1061,7 @@ describe("FlatCompat", () => {
             assert.strictEqual(result.length, 1);
             assert.deepStrictEqual(result[0], {
                 plugins: {
-                    fixture1: {
-                        configs: {},
-                        rules: {},
-                        environments: {},
-                        processors: {},
-                        ...(await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(compat.baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default
-                    }
+                    fixture1: (await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(compat.baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default
                 }
             });
         });
@@ -1087,13 +1083,7 @@ describe("FlatCompat", () => {
             });
             assert.deepStrictEqual(result[1], {
                 plugins: {
-                    fixture2: {
-                        configs: {},
-                        rules: {},
-                        environments: {},
-                        processors: {},
-                        ...plugin
-                    }
+                    fixture2: plugin
                 }
             });
         });
@@ -1109,24 +1099,19 @@ describe("FlatCompat", () => {
             });
             assert.deepStrictEqual(result[1], {
                 plugins: {
-                    fixture1: {
-                        configs: {},
-                        rules: {},
-                        environments: {},
-                        processors: {},
-                        ...(await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(compat.baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default
-                    },
-                    fixture2: {
-                        configs: {},
-                        rules: {},
-                        environments: {},
-                        processors: {},
-                        ...plugin
-                    }
+                    fixture1: (await import(pathToFileURL(path.join(compat.baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture1.js")))).default,
+                    fixture2: plugin
                 }
             });
         });
 
+        it("should use the same plugin instance as require()", async () => {
+            const result = compat.config({ plugins: ["fixture2"]});
+            const plugin = require(path.join(compat.baseDirectory, "node_modules/eslint-plugin-fixture2.js"));
+
+            assert.strictEqual(result[1].plugins.fixture2, plugin);
+        });
+
     });
 
 });