diff --git a/packages/astro/src/content/loaders.ts b/packages/astro/src/content/loaders.ts
index 5a964fd995613..f34c0e0fff43d 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/content/loaders.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/content/loaders.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { ZodSchema } from 'zod';
 import type { AstroSettings } from '../@types/astro.js';
 import type { AstroIntegrationLogger, Logger } from '../core/logger/core.js';
 import { DataStore, globalDataStore, type MetaStore, type ScopedDataStore } from './data-store.js';
-import { globalContentConfigObserver } from './utils.js';
+import { getEntryData, globalContentConfigObserver } from './utils.js';
 import { promises as fs, existsSync } from 'fs';
 
 export interface LoaderContext {
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ export interface LoaderContext {
 	logger: AstroIntegrationLogger;
 
 	settings: AstroSettings;
+
+	parseData<T extends Record<string, unknown> = Record<string, unknown>>(
+		id: string,
+		data: T
+	): T;
 }
 
 export interface Loader<S extends ZodSchema = ZodSchema> {
@@ -45,12 +50,33 @@ export async function syncDataLayer({
 			if (collection.type !== 'experimental_data') {
 				return;
 			}
+
+			function parseData<T extends Record<string, unknown> = Record<string, unknown>>(
+				id: string,
+				data: T
+			): T {
+				return getEntryData(
+					{
+						id,
+						collection: name,
+						unvalidatedData: data,
+						_internal: {
+							rawData: undefined,
+							filePath: '#invalid',
+						},
+					},
+					collection,
+					false
+				) as unknown as T;
+			}
+
 			return collection.loader.load({
 				collection: name,
 				store: store.scopedStore(name),
 				meta: store.metaStore(name),
 				logger: logger.forkIntegrationLogger('content'),
 				settings,
+				parseData
 			});
 		})
 	);
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/content/utils.ts b/packages/astro/src/content/utils.ts
index 1b892591e51bb..9917d5d34df2a 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/content/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/content/utils.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export const collectionConfigParser = z.union([
 							meta: z.any(),
 							logger: z.any(),
 							settings: z.any(),
+							parseData: z.any(),
 						}),
 					],
 					z.unknown()
@@ -104,10 +105,10 @@ export async function getEntryData(
 	},
 	collectionConfig: CollectionConfig,
 	shouldEmitFile: boolean,
-	pluginContext: PluginContext
+	pluginContext?: PluginContext
 ) {
 	let data;
-	if (collectionConfig.type === 'data') {
+	if (collectionConfig.type === 'data' || collectionConfig.type === 'experimental_data') {
 		data = entry.unvalidatedData;
 	} else {
 		const { slug, ...unvalidatedData } = entry.unvalidatedData;
@@ -115,7 +116,23 @@ export async function getEntryData(
 	}
 
 	let schema = collectionConfig.schema;
-	if (typeof schema === 'function') {
+	if (collectionConfig.type === 'experimental_data') {
+		if (!schema) {
+			// Experimental data loaders can define their own schema
+			schema = collectionConfig.loader.schema;
+		}
+		if (typeof schema === 'function') {
+			// TODO: images!
+			schema = schema({
+				image: () => {
+					throw new Error('Images not supported in experimental data loaders');
+				},
+			});
+		}
+	} else if (typeof schema === 'function') {
+		if (!pluginContext) {
+			throw new Error('Plugin context required for dynamic schema');
+		}
 		schema = schema({
 			image: createImage(pluginContext, shouldEmitFile, entry._internal.filePath),
 		});
diff --git a/packages/astro/test/fixtures/content-layer/src/content/config.ts b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/content-layer/src/content/config.ts
index 4f03a5039b811..fc796ae7e39d3 100644
--- a/packages/astro/test/fixtures/content-layer/src/content/config.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/test/fixtures/content-layer/src/content/config.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const dogs = defineCollection({
 		size: z.string(),
 		origin: z.string(),
 		lifespan: z.string(),
-		temperament: z.array(z.string()),
+		temperament: z.array(z.string())
 	}),
 })
 export const collections = { blog, dogs };