diff --git a/agent/agent.go b/agent/agent.go
index ab390a5ac..0a67d5501 100644
--- a/agent/agent.go
+++ b/agent/agent.go
@@ -375,6 +375,12 @@ func (*Agent) startInputs(dst chan<- telegraf.Metric, inputs []*models.RunningIn
 
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("starting input %s: %w", input.LogName(), err)
 		}
+		if err := input.Probe(); err != nil {
+			// Probe failures are non-fatal to the agent but should only remove the plugin
+			log.Printf("I! [agent] Failed to probe %s, shutting down plugin: %s", input.LogName(), err)
+			input.Stop()
+			continue
+		}
 		unit.inputs = append(unit.inputs, input)
 	}
 
diff --git a/models/running_input.go b/models/running_input.go
index 89f42f28c..62ab73e70 100644
--- a/models/running_input.go
+++ b/models/running_input.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (r *RunningInput) LogName() string {
 
 func (r *RunningInput) Init() error {
 	switch r.Config.StartupErrorBehavior {
-	case "", "error", "retry", "ignore":
+	case "", "error", "retry", "ignore", "probe":
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid 'startup_error_behavior' setting %q", r.Config.StartupErrorBehavior)
 	}
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func (r *RunningInput) Start(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 		}
 		r.log.Infof("Startup failed: %v; retrying...", err)
 		return nil
-	case "ignore":
+	case "ignore", "probe":
 		return &internal.FatalError{Err: serr}
 	default:
 		r.log.Errorf("Invalid 'startup_error_behavior' setting %q", r.Config.StartupErrorBehavior)
@@ -170,6 +170,14 @@ func (r *RunningInput) Start(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func (r *RunningInput) Probe() error {
+	p, ok := r.Input.(telegraf.ProbePlugin)
+	if !ok || r.Config.StartupErrorBehavior != "probe" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return p.Probe()
+}
+
 func (r *RunningInput) Stop() {
 	if plugin, ok := r.Input.(telegraf.ServiceInput); ok {
 		plugin.Stop()
diff --git a/models/running_input_test.go b/models/running_input_test.go
index 8c60987d7..0e306634d 100644
--- a/models/running_input_test.go
+++ b/models/running_input_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package models
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -496,3 +497,64 @@ func (*mockInput) SampleConfig() string {
 func (*mockInput) Gather(telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 	return nil
 }
+
+func TestRunningInputProbingFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	ri := NewRunningInput(&mockProbingInput{
+		probeReturn: errors.New("probing error"),
+	}, &InputConfig{
+		Name:                 "TestRunningInput",
+		StartupErrorBehavior: "probe",
+	})
+	ri.log = testutil.Logger{}
+	require.Error(t, ri.Probe())
+}
+
+func TestRunningInputProbingSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	probeErr := errors.New("probing error")
+	for _, tt := range []struct {
+		name                 string
+		input                telegraf.Input
+		startupErrorBehavior string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:                 "non-probing plugin with probe value set",
+			input:                &mockInput{},
+			startupErrorBehavior: "probe",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                 "non-probing plugin with probe value not set",
+			input:                &mockInput{},
+			startupErrorBehavior: "ignore",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                 "probing plugin with probe value not set",
+			input:                &mockProbingInput{probeErr},
+			startupErrorBehavior: "ignore",
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ri := NewRunningInput(tt.input, &InputConfig{
+				Name:                 "TestRunningInput",
+				StartupErrorBehavior: tt.startupErrorBehavior,
+			})
+			ri.log = testutil.Logger{}
+			require.NoError(t, ri.Probe())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+type mockProbingInput struct {
+	probeReturn error
+}
+
+func (m *mockProbingInput) SampleConfig() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
+func (m *mockProbingInput) Gather(_ telegraf.Accumulator) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *mockProbingInput) Probe() error {
+	return m.probeReturn
+}
diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index 171b446e6..197b59d2f 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -56,3 +56,9 @@ type StatefulPlugin interface {
 	// initialization (after Init() function).
 	SetState(state interface{}) error
 }
+
+// ProbePlugin is an interface that all input/output plugins need to
+// implement in order to support the `probe` value of `startup_error_behavior`
+type ProbePlugin interface {
+	Probe() error
+}