diff --git a/desktop/app/src/fb-stubs/config.tsx b/desktop/app/src/fb-stubs/config.tsx
index 08cf3a8fe..dcbf058ad 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/fb-stubs/config.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/fb-stubs/config.tsx
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@
  * @format
  */
 
+import ReleaseChannel from '../ReleaseChannel';
+
 export default {
   updateServer: 'https://www.facebook.com/fbflipper/public/latest.json',
   showLogin: false,
   showFlipperRating: false,
   warnFBEmployees: true,
   isFBBuild: false,
+  getReleaseChannel: () => ReleaseChannel.STABLE,
 };
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
index e64f112e6..c7de39b7f 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/init.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {Store} from './reducers/index';
 import dispatcher from './dispatcher/index';
 import TooltipProvider from './ui/components/TooltipProvider';
 import config from './utils/processConfig';
+import appConfig from '../src/fb-stubs/config';
 import {initLauncherHooks} from './utils/launcher';
 import {setPersistor} from './utils/persistor';
 import React from 'react';
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ import {
   _setGlobalInteractionReporter,
 } from 'flipper-plugin';
 import isProduction from './utils/isProduction';
+import ReleaseChannel from './ReleaseChannel';
 
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' && os.platform() === 'darwin') {
   // By default Node.JS has its internal certificate storage and doesn't use
@@ -116,7 +118,10 @@ function init() {
     store,
     {name: 'loadTheme', fireImmediately: true, throttleMs: 500},
     (state) => ({
-      sandy: GK.get('flipper_sandy') && !state.settingsState.disableSandy,
+      sandy:
+        (GK.get('flipper_sandy') ||
+          appConfig.getReleaseChannel() === ReleaseChannel.INSIDERS) &&
+        !state.settingsState.disableSandy,
       dark: state.settingsState.darkMode,
     }),
     (theme) => {
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/sandy-chrome/TemporarilyTitlebar.tsx b/desktop/app/src/sandy-chrome/TemporarilyTitlebar.tsx
index dad15e415..824d07347 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/sandy-chrome/TemporarilyTitlebar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/sandy-chrome/TemporarilyTitlebar.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import UpdateIndicator from '../chrome/UpdateIndicator';
 import {Version} from '../chrome/TitleBar';
 import {useStore} from '../utils/useStore';
 import {remote} from 'electron';
+import config from '../fb-stubs/config';
+import ReleaseChannel from '../ReleaseChannel';
 
 const version = remote.app.getVersion();
 
@@ -54,7 +56,13 @@ export function TemporarilyTitlebar() {
       [Sandy] Flipper{' '}
       {!isProduction() && <NetworkGraph height={20} width={60} />}
       {!isProduction() && <FpsGraph height={20} width={60} />}
-      <Version>{version + (isProduction() ? '' : '-dev')}</Version>
+      <Version>
+        {version +
+          (isProduction() ? '' : '-dev') +
+          (config.getReleaseChannel() !== ReleaseChannel.STABLE
+            ? `-${config.getReleaseChannel()}`
+            : '')}
+      </Version>
       {isAutoUpdaterEnabled() ? (
         <AutoUpdateVersion version={version} />
       ) : (
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/utils/useIsDarkMode.tsx b/desktop/app/src/utils/useIsDarkMode.tsx
index 75568c07a..1dba64626 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/utils/useIsDarkMode.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/utils/useIsDarkMode.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
  */
 
 import {useStore} from '../../../app/src/utils/useStore';
+import config from '../fb-stubs/config';
 import GK from '../fb-stubs/GK';
+import ReleaseChannel from '../ReleaseChannel';
 /**
  * This hook returns whether dark mode is currently being used.
  * Generally should be avoided in favor of using the above theme object,
@@ -17,7 +19,8 @@ import GK from '../fb-stubs/GK';
 export function useIsDarkMode(): boolean {
   return useStore(
     (state) =>
-      GK.get('flipper_sandy') &&
+      (GK.get('flipper_sandy') ||
+        config.getReleaseChannel() === ReleaseChannel.INSIDERS) &&
       !state.settingsState.disableSandy &&
       state.settingsState.darkMode,
   );
diff --git a/desktop/scripts/build-release.ts b/desktop/scripts/build-release.ts
index 805502f34..021f8648c 100755
--- a/desktop/scripts/build-release.ts
+++ b/desktop/scripts/build-release.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ const argv = yargs
       type: 'number',
       default: 0,
     },
+    channel: {
+      description: 'Release channel for the build',
+      choices: ['stable', 'insiders'],
+      default: 'stable',
+    },
   })
   .help()
   .strict()
@@ -79,6 +84,12 @@ const argv = yargs
   })
   .parse(process.argv.slice(1));
 
+if (isFB) {
+  process.env.FLIPPER_FB = 'true';
+}
+
+process.env.FLIPPER_RELEASE_CHANNEL = argv.channel;
+
 async function generateManifest(versionNumber: string) {
   await fs.writeFile(
     path.join(distDir, 'manifest.json'),
@@ -93,6 +104,7 @@ async function modifyPackageManifest(
   buildFolder: string,
   versionNumber: string,
   hgRevision: string | null,
+  channel: string,
 ) {
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
   console.log('Creating package.json manifest');
@@ -108,6 +120,7 @@ async function modifyPackageManifest(
   if (hgRevision != null) {
     manifest.revision = hgRevision;
   }
+  manifest.releaseChannel = channel;
   await fs.writeFile(
     path.join(buildFolder, 'package.json'),
     JSON.stringify(manifest, null, '  '),
@@ -244,9 +257,6 @@ function downloadIcons(buildFolder: string) {
 }
 
 (async () => {
-  if (isFB) {
-    process.env.FLIPPER_FB = 'true';
-  }
   const dir = await buildFolder();
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
   console.log('Created build directory', dir);
@@ -258,7 +268,7 @@ function downloadIcons(buildFolder: string) {
   await compileRenderer(dir);
   const versionNumber = getVersionNumber(argv.version);
   const hgRevision = await genMercurialRevision();
-  await modifyPackageManifest(dir, versionNumber, hgRevision);
+  await modifyPackageManifest(dir, versionNumber, hgRevision, argv.channel);
   await fs.ensureDir(distDir);
   await generateManifest(versionNumber);
   await buildDist(dir);
diff --git a/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts b/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
index 29f7b4ee4..db67bc91f 100644
--- a/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
+++ b/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ const argv = yargs
         '[FB-internal only] Will yield `true` on any GK. Disabled by default. Setting env var FLIPPER_ENABLE_ALL_GKS is equivalent',
       type: 'boolean',
     },
+    channel: {
+      describe:
+        '[FB-internal only] Release channel. "stable" by default. Setting env var "FLIPPER_RELEASE_CHANNEL" is equivalent.',
+      choices: ['stable', 'insiders'],
+    },
   })
   .version('DEV')
   .help()
@@ -115,6 +120,10 @@ if (argv['enabled-plugins'] !== undefined) {
   process.env.FLIPPER_ENABLED_PLUGINS = argv['enabled-plugins'].join(',');
 }
 
+if (argv.channel !== undefined) {
+  process.env.FLIPPER_RELEASE_CHANNEL = argv.channel;
+}
+
 function looksLikeDevServer(): boolean {
   const hn = hostname();
   if (/^devvm.*\.facebook\.com$/.test(hn)) {