diff --git a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
index 403ddec91..0f4767c2f 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,11 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
   );
   const keytar: KeytarModule = await getKeytarModule(staticPath);
   const gatekeepers = getGatekeepers(environmentInfo.os.unixname);
-  if (gatekeepers['flipper_desktop_use_server']) {
+
+  const serverUsageEnabled = gatekeepers['flipper_desktop_use_server'];
+  const settings = await loadSettings();
+
+  if (serverUsageEnabled && (!settings.server || settings.server.enabled)) {
     const socketPath = await makeSocketPath();
     if (!(await checkSocketInUse(socketPath))) {
       console.info('flipper-server: not running/listening, start');
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
         '',
         false,
         keytar,
+        'embedded',
       );
 
       const companionEnv = await initCompanionEnv(server);
@@ -113,6 +118,7 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
     } else {
       console.info('flipper-server: already running');
       const loggerOutputFile = 'flipper-server-log.out';
+
       tailServerLogs(path.join(staticPath, loggerOutputFile));
     }
 
@@ -139,7 +145,7 @@ async function getFlipperServer(
         },
         launcherSettings: await loadLauncherSettings(),
         processConfig: loadProcessConfig(env),
-        settings: await loadSettings(),
+        settings,
         validWebSocketOrigins:
           constants.VALID_WEB_SOCKET_REQUEST_ORIGIN_PREFIXES,
       },
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-common/src/server-types.tsx b/desktop/flipper-common/src/server-types.tsx
index 597e25a11..323283c3a 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-common/src/server-types.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-common/src/server-types.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import {
 // In the future, this file would deserve it's own package, as it doesn't really relate to plugins.
 // Since flipper-plugin however is currently shared among server, client and defines a lot of base types, leaving it here for now.
 
+export type FlipperServerType = 'embedded' | 'external';
+
 export type FlipperServerState =
   | 'pending'
   | 'starting'
@@ -454,6 +456,7 @@ export type FlipperServerConfig = {
   processConfig: ProcessConfig;
   validWebSocketOrigins: string[];
   environmentInfo: EnvironmentInfo;
+  type?: FlipperServerType;
 };
 
 export interface FlipperServer {
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-common/src/settings.tsx b/desktop/flipper-common/src/settings.tsx
index dd6264e1f..c1ea10167 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-common/src/settings.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-common/src/settings.tsx
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ export type Settings = {
     host?: string;
     port?: number;
   };
+  server?: {
+    enabled: boolean;
+  };
 };
 
 export enum ReleaseChannel {
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
index 8fe7ac182..ce92bf0f2 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/server/startFlipperServer.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@
  */
 
 import os from 'os';
-import {parseEnvironmentVariables, getLogger} from 'flipper-common';
+import {
+  parseEnvironmentVariables,
+  getLogger,
+  FlipperServerType,
+} from 'flipper-common';
 import path from 'path';
 import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import {KeytarModule} from '../utils/keytar';
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ export async function startFlipperServer(
   settingsString: string,
   enableLauncherSettings: boolean,
   keytarModule: KeytarModule,
+  type: FlipperServerType,
 ): Promise<FlipperServerImpl> {
   const execPath = process.execPath;
   const appPath = rootDir;
@@ -68,6 +73,7 @@ export async function startFlipperServer(
       processConfig: loadProcessConfig(env),
       settings: await loadSettings(settingsString),
       validWebSocketOrigins: ['localhost:', 'http://localhost:'],
+      type,
     },
     getLogger(),
     keytarModule,
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/utils/settings.tsx b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/utils/settings.tsx
index 4094c2610..dc483f7a7 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/utils/settings.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-server-core/src/utils/settings.tsx
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ function getDefaultSettings(): Settings {
     enablePluginMarketplace: false,
     marketplaceURL: '',
     enablePluginMarketplaceAutoUpdate: true,
+    server: {
+      enabled: false,
+    },
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx b/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
index 76db80518..b0e4f1923 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-server/src/index.tsx
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ async function start() {
     argv.settingsString,
     argv.launcherSettings,
     keytar,
+    'external',
   );
   const companionEnv = await initCompanionEnv(flipperServer);
   if (argv.failFast) {
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-ui-core/src/chrome/SettingsSheet.tsx b/desktop/flipper-ui-core/src/chrome/SettingsSheet.tsx
index 394021b56..08adbde82 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-ui-core/src/chrome/SettingsSheet.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-ui-core/src/chrome/SettingsSheet.tsx
@@ -130,8 +130,14 @@ class SettingsSheet extends Component<Props, State> {
       enablePluginMarketplace,
       enablePluginMarketplaceAutoUpdate,
       marketplaceURL,
+      server,
     } = this.state.updatedSettings;
 
+    const serverUsageEnabled = getRenderHostInstance().GK(
+      'flipper_desktop_use_server',
+    );
+    const serverType = getRenderHostInstance().serverConfig.type;
+
     const settingsPristine =
       isEqual(this.props.settings, this.state.updatedSettings) &&
       isEqual(this.props.launcherSettings, this.state.updatedLauncherSettings);
@@ -381,6 +387,58 @@ class SettingsSheet extends Component<Props, State> {
             />
           </ToggledSection>
         </NUX>
+        <ToggledSection
+          label="Server (Experimental)"
+          toggled={(serverUsageEnabled && (!server || server.enabled)) ?? false}
+          frozen={!serverUsageEnabled}
+          onChange={(v) => {
+            this.setState((prevState) => ({
+              updatedSettings: {
+                ...prevState.updatedSettings,
+                server: {enabled: v},
+              },
+            }));
+          }}>
+          {serverUsageEnabled ? (
+            <>
+              <ConfigText
+                content={
+                  "For changes to take effect, click on 'Apply and Restart'"
+                }
+              />
+              {serverType ? (
+                <>
+                  <ConfigText
+                    content={`Flipper is currently using an '${serverType}' server.`}
+                  />
+                  {serverType === 'external' ? (
+                    <>
+                      <br />
+                      <span>
+                        To stop the server, it may be necessary to kill the
+                        process listening at port <b>52342</b>. See below:
+                      </span>
+                      <br />
+                      <code>
+                        sudo lsof -i -P | grep LISTEN | grep <b>52342</b>
+                        <br />
+                        sudo kill &lt;PID&gt;
+                      </code>
+                    </>
+                  ) : (
+                    <></>
+                  )}
+                </>
+              ) : (
+                <></>
+              )}
+            </>
+          ) : (
+            <ConfigText
+              content={'The usage of flipperd (server) is currently disabled.'}
+            />
+          )}
+        </ToggledSection>
         <Layout.Right center>
           <span>Reset all new user tooltips</span>
           <ResetTooltips />