diff --git a/packages/shared/src/open-feature.ts b/packages/shared/src/open-feature.ts
index 00142b5670..a3fd572549 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/open-feature.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/open-feature.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import type { BaseHook, EvaluationLifeCycle } from './hooks';
 import type { Logger, ManageLogger } from './logger';
 import { DefaultLogger, SafeLogger } from './logger';
 import type { ClientProviderStatus, CommonProvider, ProviderMetadata, ServerProviderStatus } from './provider';
+import { isStateManagingProvider } from './provider';
 import { objectOrUndefined, stringOrUndefined } from './type-guards';
 import type { Paradigm } from './types';
 
@@ -27,28 +28,31 @@ type AnyProviderStatus = ClientProviderStatus | ServerProviderStatus;
  */
 export class ProviderWrapper<P extends CommonProvider<AnyProviderStatus>, S extends AnyProviderStatus> {
   private _pendingContextChanges = 0;
+  private readonly _delegateManagesState: boolean;
 
   constructor(
     private _provider: P,
     private _status: S,
     _statusEnumType: typeof ClientProviderStatus | typeof ServerProviderStatus,
   ) {
-    // update the providers status with events
-    _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Ready, () => {
-      // These casts are due to the face we don't "know" what status enum we are dealing with here (client or server).
-      // We could abstract this an implement it in the client/server libs to fix this, but the value is low.
-      this._status = _statusEnumType.READY as S;
-    });
-    _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Stale, () => {
-      this._status = _statusEnumType.STALE as S;
-    });
-    _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Error, (details) => {
-      if (details?.errorCode === ErrorCode.PROVIDER_FATAL) {
-        this._status = _statusEnumType.FATAL as S;
-      } else {
-        this._status = _statusEnumType.ERROR as S;
-      }
-    });
+    this._delegateManagesState = isStateManagingProvider(_provider);
+
+    // For legacy providers, update status from events. State-managing providers own their own status.
+    if (!this._delegateManagesState) {
+      _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Ready, () => {
+        this._status = _statusEnumType.READY as S;
+      });
+      _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Stale, () => {
+        this._status = _statusEnumType.STALE as S;
+      });
+      _provider.events?.addHandler(AllProviderEvents.Error, (details) => {
+        if (details?.errorCode === ErrorCode.PROVIDER_FATAL) {
+          this._status = _statusEnumType.FATAL as S;
+        } else {
+          this._status = _statusEnumType.ERROR as S;
+        }
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   get provider(): P {
@@ -60,11 +64,21 @@ export class ProviderWrapper<P extends CommonProvider<AnyProviderStatus>, S exte
   }
 
   get status(): S {
+    if (this._delegateManagesState) {
+      return this._provider.status as S;
+    }
     return this._status;
   }
 
   set status(status: S) {
-    this._status = status;
+    // No-op for state-managing providers — they own their own status.
+    if (!this._delegateManagesState) {
+      this._status = status;
+    }
+  }
+
+  get delegateManagesState(): boolean {
+    return this._delegateManagesState;
   }
 
   get allContextChangesSettled() {
@@ -256,11 +270,14 @@ export abstract class OpenFeatureCommonAPI<
         .initialize?.(domain ? (this._domainScopedContext.get(domain) ?? this._context) : this._context)
         ?.then(() => {
           wrappedProvider.status = this._statusEnumType.READY;
-          // fetch the most recent event emitters, some may have been added during init
-          this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
-            emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
-          });
-          this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+          // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+          if (!wrappedProvider.delegateManagesState) {
+            // fetch the most recent event emitters, some may have been added during init
+            this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
+              emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+            });
+            this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+          }
         })
         ?.catch((error) => {
           // if this is a fatal error, transition to FATAL status
@@ -269,29 +286,35 @@ export abstract class OpenFeatureCommonAPI<
           } else {
             wrappedProvider.status = this._statusEnumType.ERROR;
           }
-          this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
-            emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Error, {
+          // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+          if (!wrappedProvider.delegateManagesState) {
+            this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
+              emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Error, {
+                clientName: domain,
+                domain,
+                providerName,
+                message: error?.message,
+              });
+            });
+            this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Error, {
               clientName: domain,
               domain,
               providerName,
               message: error?.message,
             });
-          });
-          this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Error, {
-            clientName: domain,
-            domain,
-            providerName,
-            message: error?.message,
-          });
+          }
           // rethrow after emitting error events, so that public methods can control error handling
           throw error;
         });
     } else {
       wrappedProvider.status = this._statusEnumType.READY;
-      emitters.forEach((emitter) => {
-        emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
-      });
-      this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+      // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+      if (!wrappedProvider.delegateManagesState) {
+        emitters.forEach((emitter) => {
+          emitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+        });
+        this._apiEmitter?.emit(AllProviderEvents.Ready, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+      }
     }
 
     if (domain) {
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/provider/provider.ts b/packages/shared/src/provider/provider.ts
index 74ae8606f1..c5821de7eb 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/provider/provider.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/provider/provider.ts
@@ -135,3 +135,37 @@ export interface CommonProvider<S extends ClientProviderStatus | ServerProviderS
    */
   track?(trackingEventName: string, context: EvaluationContext, trackingEventDetails: TrackingEventDetails): void;
 }
+
+/**
+ * A provider that manages its own state. The SDK reads state from the provider
+ * rather than maintaining shadow state. Implementations MUST ensure that `status`
+ * is safe for concurrent access and that state transitions and associated event
+ * emissions are atomic from the perspective of external observers.
+ *
+ * Legacy providers that do not implement this interface continue to have their state
+ * managed by the SDK (deprecated behavior, to be removed in the next major version).
+ */
+export interface StateManagingProvider<
+  S extends ClientProviderStatus | ServerProviderStatus,
+> extends CommonProvider<S> {
+  /**
+   * The current state of this provider. Must reflect NOT_READY before initialize()
+   * is called and after onClose() completes. Must reflect READY if initialize()
+   * resolves successfully.
+   */
+  readonly status: S;
+
+  /**
+   * Discriminant indicating that this provider manages its own state.
+   */
+  readonly managesState: true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Type guard for providers that manage their own state.
+ */
+export function isStateManagingProvider<S extends ClientProviderStatus | ServerProviderStatus>(
+  provider: CommonProvider<S>,
+): provider is StateManagingProvider<S> {
+  return 'managesState' in provider && (provider as StateManagingProvider<S>).managesState === true;
+}
diff --git a/packages/web/src/open-feature.ts b/packages/web/src/open-feature.ts
index 131f8c2731..14e12f903d 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/open-feature.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/open-feature.ts
@@ -378,6 +378,7 @@ export class OpenFeatureAPI
   ): Promise<void> {
     // this should always be set according to the typings, but let's be defensive considering JS
     const providerName = wrapper.provider?.metadata?.name || 'unnamed-provider';
+    const skipStateAndEvents = wrapper.delegateManagesState;
 
     try {
       if (typeof wrapper.provider.onContextChange === 'function') {
@@ -386,36 +387,43 @@ export class OpenFeatureAPI
         // only reconcile if the onContextChange method returns a promise
         if (maybePromise && typeof maybePromise?.then === 'function') {
           wrapper.incrementPendingContextChanges();
-          wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.RECONCILING;
-          this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
-            emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Reconciling, { domain, providerName });
-          });
-          this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Reconciling, { domain, providerName });
+          // State-managing providers own their own state and event emissions.
+          if (!skipStateAndEvents) {
+            wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.RECONCILING;
+            this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
+              emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Reconciling, { domain, providerName });
+            });
+            this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Reconciling, { domain, providerName });
+          }
 
           await maybePromise;
           wrapper.decrementPendingContextChanges();
         }
       }
       // only run the event handlers, and update the state if the onContextChange method succeeded
-      wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.READY;
-      if (wrapper.allContextChangesSettled) {
-        this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
-          emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.ContextChanged, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
-        });
-        this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.ContextChanged, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+      if (!skipStateAndEvents) {
+        wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.READY;
+        if (wrapper.allContextChangesSettled) {
+          this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
+            emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.ContextChanged, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+          });
+          this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.ContextChanged, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName });
+        }
       }
     } catch (err) {
       // run error handlers instead
       wrapper.decrementPendingContextChanges();
-      wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.ERROR;
-      if (wrapper.allContextChangesSettled) {
-        const error = err as Error | undefined;
-        const message = `Error running ${providerName}'s context change handler: ${error?.message}`;
-        this._logger?.error(`${message}`, err);
-        this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
-          emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Error, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName, message });
-        });
-        this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Error, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName, message });
+      if (!skipStateAndEvents) {
+        wrapper.status = this._statusEnumType.ERROR;
+        if (wrapper.allContextChangesSettled) {
+          const error = err as Error | undefined;
+          const message = `Error running ${providerName}'s context change handler: ${error?.message}`;
+          this._logger?.error(`${message}`, err);
+          this.getAssociatedEventEmitters(domain).forEach((emitter) => {
+            emitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Error, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName, message });
+          });
+          this._apiEmitter?.emit(ProviderEvents.Error, { clientName: domain, domain, providerName, message });
+        }
       }
     }
   }