diff --git a/cmd/ads/ads.go b/cmd/ads/ads.go
index 0379083deb..6f5fc80d10 100644
--- a/cmd/ads/ads.go
+++ b/cmd/ads/ads.go
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ var (
 	serviceCertValidityMinutes int
 	caBundleSecretName         string
 	enableDebugServer          bool
-	backpressureEnabled        bool
 
 	injectorConfig injector.Config
 
@@ -98,8 +97,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	// feature flags
 	flags.BoolVar(&optionalFeatures.SMIAccessControlDisabled, "disable-smi-access-control-policy", false, "Disable SMI access control policies")
-
-	flags.BoolVar(&backpressureEnabled, "enable-backpressure-experimental", false, "Enable experimental backpressure feature")
+	flags.BoolVar(&optionalFeatures.BackpressureEnabled, "enable-backpressure-experimental", false, "Enable experimental backpressure feature")
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -125,7 +123,8 @@ func main() {
 	stop := signals.RegisterExitHandlers()
 
 	namespaceController := namespace.NewNamespaceController(kubeConfig, meshName, stop)
-	meshSpec := smi.NewMeshSpecClient(kubeConfig, osmNamespace, namespaceController, stop, backpressureEnabled)
+	meshSpec := smi.NewMeshSpecClient(kubeConfig, osmNamespace, namespaceController, stop)
+	log.Info().Msgf("Backpressure enabled: %v\n", optionalFeatures.BackpressureEnabled)
 
 	certManager, certDebugger := certManagers[certificateManagerKind(*certManagerKind)](kubeConfig, enableDebugServer)
 
diff --git a/pkg/featureflags/featureflags.go b/pkg/featureflags/featureflags.go
index 4f9e2aa693..e699ca66fe 100644
--- a/pkg/featureflags/featureflags.go
+++ b/pkg/featureflags/featureflags.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 // OptionalFeatures is a struct to enable/disable optional features
 type OptionalFeatures struct {
 	SMIAccessControlDisabled bool
-	// BackpressureEnabled      bool
+	BackpressureEnabled      bool
 }
 
 var (
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func IsSMIAccessControlDisabled() bool {
 	return Features.SMIAccessControlDisabled
 }
 
-// // IsBackpressureEnabled returns a boolean indicating if the experimental backpressure feature is enabled
-// func IsBackpressureEnabled() bool {
-// 	// return Features.BackpressureEnabled
-// }
+// IsBackpressureEnabled returns a boolean indicating if the experimental backpressure feature is enabled
+func IsBackpressureEnabled() bool {
+	return Features.BackpressureEnabled
+}
diff --git a/pkg/smi/client.go b/pkg/smi/client.go
index 23046f70b4..65074dc55a 100644
--- a/pkg/smi/client.go
+++ b/pkg/smi/client.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	backpressure "github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/experimental/pkg/apis/policy/v1alpha1"
 	backpressureClient "github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/experimental/pkg/client/clientset/versioned"
 	backpressureInformers "github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/experimental/pkg/client/informers/externalversions"
+
 	target "github.com/servicemeshinterface/smi-sdk-go/pkg/apis/access/v1alpha1"
 	spec "github.com/servicemeshinterface/smi-sdk-go/pkg/apis/specs/v1alpha2"
 	split "github.com/servicemeshinterface/smi-sdk-go/pkg/apis/split/v1alpha2"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 
+	"github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/pkg/featureflags"
 	k8s "github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/pkg/kubernetes"
 	"github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/pkg/namespace"
 	"github.com/open-service-mesh/osm/pkg/service"
@@ -31,17 +33,17 @@ import (
 const kubernetesClientName = "MeshSpec"
 
 // NewMeshSpecClient implements mesh.MeshSpec and creates the Kubernetes client, which retrieves SMI specific CRDs.
-func NewMeshSpecClient(kubeConfig *rest.Config, osmNamespace string, namespaceController namespace.Controller, stop chan struct{}, backpressureEnabled bool) MeshSpec {
+func NewMeshSpecClient(kubeConfig *rest.Config, osmNamespace string, namespaceController namespace.Controller, stop chan struct{}) MeshSpec {
 	kubeClient := kubernetes.NewForConfigOrDie(kubeConfig)
 	smiTrafficSplitClientSet := smiTrafficSplitClient.NewForConfigOrDie(kubeConfig)
 	smiTrafficSpecClientSet := smiTrafficSpecClient.NewForConfigOrDie(kubeConfig)
 	smiTrafficTargetClientSet := smiTrafficTargetClient.NewForConfigOrDie(kubeConfig)
 	var backpressureClientSet *backpressureClient.Clientset
-	if backpressureEnabled {
+	if featureflags.IsBackpressureEnabled() {
 		backpressureClientSet = backpressureClient.NewForConfigOrDie(kubeConfig)
 	}
 
-	client := newSMIClient(kubeClient, smiTrafficSplitClientSet, smiTrafficSpecClientSet, smiTrafficTargetClientSet, backpressureClientSet, osmNamespace, namespaceController, kubernetesClientName, backpressureEnabled)
+	client := newSMIClient(kubeClient, smiTrafficSplitClientSet, smiTrafficSpecClientSet, smiTrafficTargetClientSet, backpressureClientSet, osmNamespace, namespaceController, kubernetesClientName)
 
 	err := client.run(stop)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ func (c *Client) GetAnnouncementsChannel() <-chan interface{} {
 }
 
 // newClient creates a provider based on a Kubernetes client instance.
-func newSMIClient(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, smiTrafficSplitClient *smiTrafficSplitClient.Clientset, smiTrafficSpecClient *smiTrafficSpecClient.Clientset, smiTrafficTargetClient *smiTrafficTargetClient.Clientset, backpressureClient *backpressureClient.Clientset, osmNamespace string, namespaceController namespace.Controller, providerIdent string, backpressureEnabled bool) *Client {
+func newSMIClient(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, smiTrafficSplitClient *smiTrafficSplitClient.Clientset, smiTrafficSpecClient *smiTrafficSpecClient.Clientset, smiTrafficTargetClient *smiTrafficTargetClient.Clientset, backpressureClient *backpressureClient.Clientset, osmNamespace string, namespaceController namespace.Controller, providerIdent string) *Client {
 	informerFactory := informers.NewSharedInformerFactory(kubeClient, k8s.DefaultKubeEventResyncInterval)
 	smiTrafficSplitInformerFactory := smiTrafficSplitInformers.NewSharedInformerFactory(smiTrafficSplitClient, k8s.DefaultKubeEventResyncInterval)
 	smiTrafficSpecInformerFactory := smiTrafficSpecInformers.NewSharedInformerFactory(smiTrafficSpecClient, k8s.DefaultKubeEventResyncInterval)
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ func newSMIClient(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, smiTrafficSplitClient *smiTr
 		TrafficSpec:   informerCollection.TrafficSpec.GetStore(),
 		TrafficTarget: informerCollection.TrafficTarget.GetStore(),
 	}
-	if backpressureEnabled {
+	if featureflags.IsBackpressureEnabled() {
 		informerCollection.Backpressure = backPressureInformerFactory.Policy().V1alpha1().Backpressures().Informer()
 		cacheCollection.Backpressure = informerCollection.Backpressure.GetStore()
 	}
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ func newSMIClient(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, smiTrafficSplitClient *smiTr
 		announcements:       make(chan interface{}),
 		osmNamespace:        osmNamespace,
 		namespaceController: namespaceController,
-		backpressureEnabled: backpressureEnabled,
+		backpressureEnabled: featureflags.IsBackpressureEnabled(),
 	}
 
 	shouldObserve := func(obj interface{}) bool {
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ func newSMIClient(kubeClient *kubernetes.Clientset, smiTrafficSplitClient *smiTr
 	informerCollection.TrafficSplit.AddEventHandler(k8s.GetKubernetesEventHandlers("TrafficSplit", "SMI", client.announcements, shouldObserve))
 	informerCollection.TrafficSpec.AddEventHandler(k8s.GetKubernetesEventHandlers("TrafficSpec", "SMI", client.announcements, shouldObserve))
 	informerCollection.TrafficTarget.AddEventHandler(k8s.GetKubernetesEventHandlers("TrafficTarget", "SMI", client.announcements, shouldObserve))
-	if backpressureEnabled {
+	if featureflags.IsBackpressureEnabled() {
 		informerCollection.Backpressure.AddEventHandler(k8s.GetKubernetesEventHandlers("Backpressure", "SMI", client.announcements, shouldObserve))
 	}