diff --git a/packages/kit/src/loader/config.ts b/packages/kit/src/loader/config.ts
index ebcdf49ef3..7e48c71ed9 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/loader/config.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/loader/config.ts
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ export async function loadNuxtConfig (opts: LoadNuxtConfigOptions): Promise<Nuxt
 
   nuxtConfig._nuxtConfigFile = configFile
   nuxtConfig._nuxtConfigFiles = [configFile]
-
-  nuxtConfig.layers = layers
+  nuxtConfig._extends = layers
 
   // Resolve and apply defaults
   return applyDefaults(NuxtConfigSchema, nuxtConfig) as NuxtOptions
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts b/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
index d7c794b61d..555a5edc7c 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/types/config.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 import { ConfigSchema } from '../../schema/config'
 import type { ResolvedConfig } from 'c12'
 
-/** Normalized Nuxt options available as `nuxt.options.*` */
-export interface NuxtOptions extends ConfigSchema {
-  layers: ResolvedConfig<NuxtOptions>[]
-}
-
 type DeepPartial<T> = T extends Record<string, any> ? { [P in keyof T]?: DeepPartial<T[P]> | T[P] } : T
 
 /** User configuration in `nuxt.config` file */
 export interface NuxtConfig extends DeepPartial<ConfigSchema> { }
 
+/** Normalized Nuxt options available as `nuxt.options.*` */
+export interface NuxtOptions extends ConfigSchema {
+  _extends: ResolvedConfig<NuxtConfig>[]
+}
 
 export interface PublicRuntimeConfig extends Record<string, any> { }
 export interface PrivateRuntimeConfig extends PublicRuntimeConfig { }