diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/DefaultExperimentClient.kt b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/DefaultExperimentClient.kt
index 4024d3c..d764a27 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/DefaultExperimentClient.kt
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/DefaultExperimentClient.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.amplitude.experiment
 
 import com.amplitude.experiment.evaluation.EvaluationEngineImpl
 import com.amplitude.experiment.evaluation.EvaluationFlag
+import com.amplitude.experiment.evaluation.json
 import com.amplitude.experiment.evaluation.topologicalSort
 import com.amplitude.experiment.storage.LoadStoreCache
 import com.amplitude.experiment.storage.Storage
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import com.amplitude.experiment.util.merge
 import com.amplitude.experiment.util.toEvaluationContext
 import com.amplitude.experiment.util.toJson
 import com.amplitude.experiment.util.toVariant
+import kotlinx.serialization.decodeFromString
 import okhttp3.Call
 import okhttp3.Callback
 import okhttp3.HttpUrl
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ internal class DefaultExperimentClient internal constructor(
     init {
         this.variants.load()
         this.flags.load()
+        mergeInitialFlagsWithStorage()
     }
 
     private val backoffLock = Any()
@@ -362,6 +365,7 @@ internal class DefaultExperimentClient internal constructor(
                 this.flags.clear()
                 this.flags.putAll(flags)
                 this.flags.store()
+                mergeInitialFlagsWithStorage()
             }
         }
     }
@@ -649,6 +653,17 @@ internal class DefaultExperimentClient internal constructor(
         }
         return defaultVariantAndSource
     }
+
+    private fun mergeInitialFlagsWithStorage() {
+        if (config.initialFlags != null) {
+            val initialFlags: List<EvaluationFlag> = json.decodeFromString(config.initialFlags)
+            for (flag in initialFlags) {
+                if (this.flags.get(flag.key) == null) {
+                    this.flags.put(flag.key, flag)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 data class VariantAndSource(
diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClient.kt b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClient.kt
index abb9eea..8678313 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClient.kt
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClient.kt
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ interface ExperimentClient {
      * @see fetch
      * @see variant
      */
-    fun start(user: ExperimentUser?): Future<ExperimentClient>
+    fun start(user: ExperimentUser? = null): Future<ExperimentClient>
 
     /**
      * Stop the local flag configuration poller.
diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentConfig.kt b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentConfig.kt
index 8a7ee58..089f536 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentConfig.kt
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentConfig.kt
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
     @JvmField
     val fallbackVariant: Variant = Defaults.FALLBACK_VARIANT,
     @JvmField
+    val initialFlags: String? = Defaults.INITIAL_FLAGS,
+    @JvmField
     val initialVariants: Map<String, Variant> = Defaults.INITIAL_VARIANTS,
     @JvmField
     val source: Source = Defaults.SOURCE,
@@ -81,6 +83,11 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
          */
         val FALLBACK_VARIANT: Variant = Variant()
 
+        /**
+         * null
+         */
+        val INITIAL_FLAGS: String? = null
+
         /**
          * Empty Map<String, Variant>
          */
@@ -165,6 +172,7 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
         private var debug = Defaults.DEBUG
         private var instanceName = Defaults.INSTANCE_NAME
         private var fallbackVariant = Defaults.FALLBACK_VARIANT
+        private var initialFlags = Defaults.INITIAL_FLAGS
         private var initialVariants = Defaults.INITIAL_VARIANTS
         private var source = Defaults.SOURCE
         private var serverUrl = Defaults.SERVER_URL
@@ -192,6 +200,10 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
             this.fallbackVariant = fallbackVariant
         }
 
+        fun initialFlags(initialFlags: String?) = apply {
+            this.initialFlags = initialFlags
+        }
+
         fun initialVariants(initialVariants: Map<String, Variant>) = apply {
             this.initialVariants = initialVariants
         }
@@ -254,6 +266,7 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
                 debug = debug,
                 instanceName = instanceName,
                 fallbackVariant = fallbackVariant,
+                initialFlags = initialFlags,
                 initialVariants = initialVariants,
                 source = source,
                 serverUrl = serverUrl,
@@ -277,6 +290,7 @@ class ExperimentConfig internal constructor(
             .debug(debug)
             .instanceName(instanceName)
             .fallbackVariant(fallbackVariant)
+            .initialFlags(initialFlags)
             .initialVariants(initialVariants)
             .source(source)
             .serverUrl(serverUrl)
diff --git a/sdk/src/test/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClientTest.kt b/sdk/src/test/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClientTest.kt
index 64bd316..2cf718c 100644
--- a/sdk/src/test/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClientTest.kt
+++ b/sdk/src/test/java/com/amplitude/experiment/ExperimentClientTest.kt
@@ -1152,4 +1152,52 @@ class ExperimentClientTest {
         Assert.assertEquals(array::class, variant.payload!!::class)
         Assert.assertEquals(array.toString(), variant.payload.toString())
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `initial flags`() {
+        val storage = MockStorage()
+        // Flag, sdk-ci-test-local is modified to always return off
+        val initialFlags = """
+            [
+                {"key":"sdk-ci-test-local","metadata":{"deployed":true,"evaluationMode":"local","flagType":"release","flagVersion":1},"segments":[{"metadata":{"segmentName":"All Other Users"},"variant":"off"}],"variants":{"off":{"key":"off","metadata":{"default":true}},"on":{"key":"on","value":"on"}}},
+                {"key":"sdk-ci-test-local-2","metadata":{"deployed":true,"evaluationMode":"local","flagType":"release","flagVersion":1},"segments":[{"metadata":{"segmentName":"All Other Users"},"variant":"on"}],"variants":{"off":{"key":"off","metadata":{"default":true}},"on":{"key":"on","value":"on"}}}
+            ]
+        """.trimIndent()
+        val client = DefaultExperimentClient(
+            API_KEY,
+            ExperimentConfig(
+                initialFlags = initialFlags,
+            ),
+            OkHttpClient(),
+            storage,
+            Experiment.executorService,
+        )
+        val user = ExperimentUser(userId = "user_id", deviceId = "device_id")
+        client.setUser(user)
+        var variant = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local")
+        Assert.assertEquals("off", variant.key)
+        var variant2 = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local-2")
+        Assert.assertEquals("on", variant2.key)
+        // Call start to update the flag, overwrites the initial flag to return on
+        client.start(user).get()
+        variant = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local")
+        Assert.assertEquals("on", variant.key)
+        variant2 = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local-2")
+        Assert.assertEquals("on", variant2.key)
+        // Initialize a second client with the same storage to simulate an app restart
+        val client2 = DefaultExperimentClient(
+            API_KEY,
+            ExperimentConfig(
+                initialFlags = initialFlags,
+            ),
+            OkHttpClient(),
+            storage,
+            Experiment.executorService,
+        )
+        // Storage flag should take precedent over initial flag
+        variant = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local")
+        Assert.assertEquals("on", variant.key)
+        variant2 = client.variant("sdk-ci-test-local-2")
+        Assert.assertEquals("on", variant2.key)
+    }
 }