diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/global_data.h b/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/global_data.h
index 2f5c5cffb0f..f6ca4a35fbf 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/global_data.h
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/global_data.h
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ struct workspace
   // error reporting
   std::shared_ptr<trace_message_wrapper> trace_message_wrapper_context;
   std::unique_ptr<std::ostream> trace_message;
+  bool api_status = false;
 
   std::unique_ptr<VW::config::options_i, options_deleter_type> options;
 
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/parse_args.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/parse_args.cc
index fbf73c5c777..3f95bffc7df 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/parse_args.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/parse_args.cc
@@ -407,6 +407,9 @@ input_options parse_source(VW::workspace& all, options_i& options)
                      "hashed as A^B^C."))
       .add(make_option("flatbuffer", parsed_options.flatbuffer)
                .help("Data file will be interpreted as a flatbuffer file")
+               .experimental())
+      .add(make_option("api_status", all.api_status)
+               .help("api_status object will not be set to nullptr which will show detailed error information")
                .experimental());
 #ifdef VW_BUILD_CSV
   parsed_options.csv_opts = VW::make_unique<VW::parsers::csv_parser_options>();