diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8bc24479..d2ac52ff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ Changes are grouped as follows
 - `Fixed` for any bug fixes.
 - `Security` in case of vulnerabilities.
 
+## [5.5.0]
+
+### Added
+
+ * Added `load_yaml_dict` to `configtools.loaders`.
+
+### Fixed
+
+ * Fixed getting the config `type` when `!env` was used in the config file.
+
 ## [5.4.3]
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/cognite/extractorutils/__init__.py b/cognite/extractorutils/__init__.py
index d1a528e7..b5cecba9 100644
--- a/cognite/extractorutils/__init__.py
+++ b/cognite/extractorutils/__init__.py
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
 Cognite extractor utils is a Python package that simplifies the development of new extractors.
 """
 
-__version__ = "5.4.3"
+__version__ = "5.5.0"
 from .base import Extractor
diff --git a/cognite/extractorutils/configtools/loaders.py b/cognite/extractorutils/configtools/loaders.py
index cfdd74b7..2b031a4f 100644
--- a/cognite/extractorutils/configtools/loaders.py
+++ b/cognite/extractorutils/configtools/loaders.py
@@ -36,30 +36,31 @@
 CustomConfigClass = TypeVar("CustomConfigClass", bound=BaseConfig)
 
 
-def _load_yaml(
+class _EnvLoader(yaml.SafeLoader):
+    pass
+
+
+def _env_constructor(_: yaml.SafeLoader, node: yaml.Node) -> bool:
+    bool_values = {
+        "true": True,
+        "false": False,
+    }
+    expanded_value = os.path.expandvars(node.value)
+    return bool_values.get(expanded_value.lower(), expanded_value)
+
+
+_EnvLoader.add_implicit_resolver("!env", re.compile(r"\$\{([^}^{]+)\}"), None)
+_EnvLoader.add_constructor("!env", _env_constructor)
+
+
+def _load_yaml_dict(
     source: Union[TextIO, str],
-    config_type: Type[CustomConfigClass],
     case_style: str = "hyphen",
     expand_envvars: bool = True,
     dict_manipulator: Callable[[Dict[str, Any]], Dict[str, Any]] = lambda x: x,
-) -> CustomConfigClass:
-    def env_constructor(_: yaml.SafeLoader, node: yaml.Node) -> bool:
-        bool_values = {
-            "true": True,
-            "false": False,
-        }
-        expanded_value = os.path.expandvars(node.value)
-        return bool_values.get(expanded_value.lower(), expanded_value)
-
-    class EnvLoader(yaml.SafeLoader):
-        pass
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    loader = _EnvLoader if expand_envvars else yaml.SafeLoader
 
-    EnvLoader.add_implicit_resolver("!env", re.compile(r"\$\{([^}^{]+)\}"), None)
-    EnvLoader.add_constructor("!env", env_constructor)
-
-    loader = EnvLoader if expand_envvars else yaml.SafeLoader
-
-    # Safe to use load instead of safe_load since both loader classes are based on SafeLoader
     try:
         config_dict = yaml.load(source, Loader=loader)  # noqa: S506
     except ScannerError as e:
@@ -71,6 +72,20 @@ class EnvLoader(yaml.SafeLoader):
     config_dict = dict_manipulator(config_dict)
     config_dict = _to_snake_case(config_dict, case_style)
 
+    return config_dict
+
+
+def _load_yaml(
+    source: Union[TextIO, str],
+    config_type: Type[CustomConfigClass],
+    case_style: str = "hyphen",
+    expand_envvars: bool = True,
+    dict_manipulator: Callable[[Dict[str, Any]], Dict[str, Any]] = lambda x: x,
+) -> CustomConfigClass:
+    config_dict = _load_yaml_dict(
+        source, case_style=case_style, expand_envvars=expand_envvars, dict_manipulator=dict_manipulator
+    )
+
     try:
         config = dacite.from_dict(
             data=config_dict, data_class=config_type, config=dacite.Config(strict=True, cast=[Enum, TimeIntervalConfig])
@@ -133,6 +148,29 @@ def load_yaml(
     return _load_yaml(source=source, config_type=config_type, case_style=case_style, expand_envvars=expand_envvars)
 
 
+def load_yaml_dict(
+    source: Union[TextIO, str],
+    case_style: str = "hyphen",
+    expand_envvars: bool = True,
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """
+    Read a YAML file and return a dictionary from its contents
+
+    Args:
+        source: Input stream (as returned by open(...)) or string containing YAML.
+        case_style: Casing convention of config file. Valid options are 'snake', 'hyphen' or 'camel'. Should be
+            'hyphen'.
+        expand_envvars: Substitute values with the pattern ${VAR} with the content of the environment variable VAR
+
+    Returns:
+        A raw dict with the contents of the config file.
+
+    Raises:
+        InvalidConfigError: If any config field is given as an invalid type, is missing or is unknown
+    """
+    return _load_yaml_dict(source=source, case_style=case_style, expand_envvars=expand_envvars)
+
+
 class ConfigResolver(Generic[CustomConfigClass]):
     def __init__(self, config_path: str, config_type: Type[CustomConfigClass]):
         self.config_path = config_path
@@ -147,7 +185,7 @@ def _reload_file(self) -> None:
 
     @property
     def is_remote(self) -> bool:
-        raw_config_type = yaml.safe_load(self._config_text).get("type")
+        raw_config_type = load_yaml_dict(self._config_text).get("type")
         if raw_config_type is None:
             _logger.warning("No config type specified, default to local")
             raw_config_type = "local"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0c3f21b0..fde5b898 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "cognite-extractor-utils"
-version = "5.4.3"
+version = "5.5.0"
 description = "Utilities for easier development of extractors for CDF"
 authors = ["Mathias Lohne <mathias.lohne@cognite.com>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/tests/tests_unit/test_configtools.py b/tests/tests_unit/test_configtools.py
index 90016085..3d725eae 100644
--- a/tests/tests_unit/test_configtools.py
+++ b/tests/tests_unit/test_configtools.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 )
 from cognite.extractorutils.configtools._util import _to_snake_case
 from cognite.extractorutils.configtools.elements import AuthenticatorConfig
+from cognite.extractorutils.configtools.loaders import ConfigResolver
 from cognite.extractorutils.exceptions import InvalidConfigError
 
 
@@ -412,3 +413,22 @@ def test_env_substitution(self):
         config5 = load_yaml(config_file5, SimpleStringConfig)
 
         self.assertEqual(config5.string_field, "veryheyocrowded")
+
+    def test_env_substitution_remote_check(self):
+        os.environ["STRING_VALUE"] = "test"
+
+        resolver = ConfigResolver("some-path.yml", BaseConfig)
+
+        resolver._config_text = """
+            type: local
+            some_field: !env "wow${STRING_VALUE}wow"
+        """
+        assert not resolver.is_remote
+
+        resolver._config_text = """
+            type: ${STRING_VALUE}
+            some_field: !env "wow${STRING_VALUE}wow"
+        """
+
+        os.environ["STRING_VALUE"] = "remote"
+        assert resolver.is_remote