diff --git a/android/build.gradle b/android/build.gradle
index 8aef1f987..471187407 100644
--- a/android/build.gradle
+++ b/android/build.gradle
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ android {
         targetSdkVersion rootProject.targetSdkVersion
         buildConfigField "boolean", "IS_INTERNAL_BUILD", 'true'
         buildConfigField "boolean", "IS_ASAN_BUILD", 'false'
+        buildConfigField "boolean", "LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT", 'false'
 
         ndk {
             abiFilters 'x86', 'x86_64', 'armeabi-v7a', 'arm64-v8a'
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/AndroidFlipperClient.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/AndroidFlipperClient.java
index e5b887406..a3e473c08 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/AndroidFlipperClient.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/AndroidFlipperClient.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public final class AndroidFlipperClient {
 
   public static synchronized FlipperClient getInstance(Context context) {
     if (!sIsInitialized) {
-      if (!BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD) {
+      if (!(BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT)) {
         Log.e("Flipper", "Attempted to initialize in non-internal build");
         return null;
       }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/EventBase.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/EventBase.java
index 8a090dac6..78cf62ac9 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/EventBase.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/EventBase.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader;
 @DoNotStrip
 class EventBase extends HybridClassBase {
   static {
-    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD) {
+    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT) {
       SoLoader.loadLibrary("flipper");
     }
   }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperClientImpl.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperClientImpl.java
index d04e162d8..53d9a1d2b 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperClientImpl.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperClientImpl.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 @DoNotStrip
 class FlipperClientImpl implements FlipperClient {
   static {
-    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD) {
+    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT) {
       SoLoader.loadLibrary("flipper");
     }
   }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperConnectionImpl.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperConnectionImpl.java
index 31e9d318c..4025b8566 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperConnectionImpl.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperConnectionImpl.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader;
 @DoNotStrip
 class FlipperConnectionImpl implements FlipperConnection {
   static {
-    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD) {
+    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT) {
       SoLoader.loadLibrary("flipper");
     }
   }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperResponderImpl.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperResponderImpl.java
index 89137ee08..04497e3a2 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperResponderImpl.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/FlipperResponderImpl.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader;
 @DoNotStrip
 class FlipperResponderImpl implements FlipperResponder {
   static {
-    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD) {
+    if (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT) {
       SoLoader.loadLibrary("flipper");
     }
   }
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/utils/FlipperUtils.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/utils/FlipperUtils.java
index 13643a13a..9f357d5e7 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/utils/FlipperUtils.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/android/utils/FlipperUtils.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public final class FlipperUtils {
   private FlipperUtils() {}
 
   public static boolean shouldEnableFlipper(final Context context) {
-    return BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD
+    return (BuildConfig.IS_INTERNAL_BUILD || BuildConfig.LOAD_FLIPPER_EXPLICIT)
         && !isEndToEndTest()
         && isMainProcess(context)
         // Flipper has issue with ASAN build. They cannot be concurrently enabled.