diff --git a/amqtt/plugins/base.py b/amqtt/plugins/base.py
index d9abcfc..41b951b 100644
--- a/amqtt/plugins/base.py
+++ b/amqtt/plugins/base.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, is_dataclass
-from typing import Any, Generic, TypeVar
+from typing import Any, Generic, TypeVar, cast
 
 from amqtt.contexts import Action, BaseContext
 from amqtt.session import Session
@@ -8,28 +8,51 @@ C = TypeVar("C", bound=BaseContext)
 
 
 class BasePlugin(Generic[C]):
-    """The base from which all plugins should inherit."""
+    """The base from which all plugins should inherit.
+
+    Type Parameters
+    ---------------
+    C:
+        A BaseContext: either BrokerContext or ClientContext, depending on plugin usage
+
+    Attributes
+    ----------
+    context (C):
+        Information about the environment in which this plugin is executed. Modifying
+        the broker or client state should happen through methods available here.
+
+    config (self.Config):
+        An instance of the Config dataclass defined by the plugin (or an empty dataclass, if not
+        defined). If using entrypoint- or mixed-style configuration, use `_get_config_option()`
+        to access the variable.
+
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, context: C) -> None:
         self.context: C = context
+        # since the PluginManager will hydrate the config from a plugin's `Config` class, this is a safe cast
+        self.config = cast("self.Config", context.config)  # type: ignore[name-defined]
 
+    # Deprecated: included to support entrypoint-style configs. Replaced by dataclass Config class.
     def _get_config_section(self, name: str) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
 
         if not self.context.config or not hasattr(self.context.config, "get") or not self.context.config.get(name, None):
             return None
 
         section_config: int | dict[str, Any] | None = self.context.config.get(name, None)
-        # mypy has difficulty excluding int from `config`'s type, unless isinstance` is its own check
+        # mypy has difficulty excluding int from `config`'s type, unless there's an explicit check
         if isinstance(section_config, int):
             return None
         return section_config
 
+    # Deprecated : supports entrypoint-style configs as well as dataclass configuration.
     def _get_config_option(self, option_name: str, default: Any=None) -> Any:
         if not self.context.config:
             return default
 
         if is_dataclass(self.context.config):
-            return getattr(self.context.config, option_name.replace("-", "_"), default)  # type: ignore[unreachable]
+            # overloaded context.config for BasePlugin `Config` class, so ignoring static type check
+            return getattr(self.context.config, option_name.replace("-", "_"), default) # type: ignore[unreachable]
         if option_name in self.context.config:
             return self.context.config[option_name]
         return default
@@ -57,7 +80,8 @@ class BaseTopicPlugin(BasePlugin[BaseContext]):
             return default
 
         if is_dataclass(self.context.config):
-            return getattr(self.context.config, option_name.replace("-", "_"), default)  # type: ignore[unreachable]
+            # overloaded context.config for BasePlugin `Config` class, so ignoring static type check
+            return getattr(self.context.config, option_name.replace("-", "_"), default) # type: ignore[unreachable]
         if self.topic_config and option_name in self.topic_config:
             return self.topic_config[option_name]
         return default
@@ -87,6 +111,7 @@ class BaseAuthPlugin(BasePlugin[BaseContext]):
             return default
 
         if is_dataclass(self.context.config):
+            # overloaded context.config for BasePlugin `Config` class, so ignoring static type check
             return getattr(self.context.config, option_name.replace("-", "_"), default)  # type: ignore[unreachable]
         if self.auth_config and option_name in self.auth_config:
             return self.auth_config[option_name]