diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py b/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
index e74546c6e28..9677cc65a06 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/findpaths.py
@@ -106,8 +106,12 @@ def load_config_dict_from_file(
             raise UsageError(f"{filepath}: {exc}") from exc
 
         # pytest.toml and .pytest.toml use [pytest] table directly.
+        # Top-level non-table keys are also treated as pytest config,
+        # since the filename already identifies the context and TOML
+        # sections are optional.
         if filepath.name in ("pytest.toml", ".pytest.toml"):
-            pytest_config = config.get("pytest", {})
+            top_config = {k: v for k, v in config.items() if not isinstance(v, dict)}
+            pytest_config = {**top_config, **config.get("pytest", {})}
             if pytest_config:
                 # TOML mode - preserve native TOML types.
                 return {
diff --git a/testing/test_config.py b/testing/test_config.py
index 7886610242d..22f3ee6540d 100644
--- a/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/testing/test_config.py
@@ -217,6 +217,20 @@ def test_empty_pytest_toml(self, pytester: Pytester, name: str) -> None:
         config = pytester.parseconfig()
         assert config.inipath == pytest_toml
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("name", ["pytest.toml", ".pytest.toml"])
+    def test_headerless_pytest_toml(self, pytester: Pytester, name: str) -> None:
+        """Top-level keys in pytest.toml are treated as pytest config (#14638)."""
+        pytester.path.joinpath(name).write_text(
+            textwrap.dedent(
+                """
+            minversion = "9.0"
+        """
+            ),
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        config = pytester.parseconfig()
+        assert config.getini("minversion") == "9.0"
+
     def test_pytest_toml_trumps_pyproject_toml(self, pytester: Pytester) -> None:
         """A pytest.toml always takes precedence over a pyproject.toml file."""
         pytester.makepyprojecttoml(